I understand and appreciate the fact that PBL provides opportunities for students to make up and learn material that they have not mastered yet. Are students required to go to extra sessions for this make up work or does it occur during class time?

Answer:

Ideally, students should have multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery during class time. Teachers should be incorporating regular formative assessments on an ongoing basis as part of the instructional approach.  These assessments do not occur after an instructional unit. Rather, they occur within the unit as an integral piece of instruction.  These assessments provide the teacher and the student with feedback about where the student is in relation to the desired learning.  We want students to grapple with difficult concepts, receive descriptive feedback from teachers, practice, re-attempt work, and re-assess.  

An exception would be when a teacher gives a "summative assessment" at the end of a unit of study. This would be something like a traditional text or exam.  The reality is that deadlines still exist for both students and teachers, and once a teacher closes a unit of study it is up to the student to find time to re-assess for any standards they have not met.  

Often, students access teachers during targeted learning time and after-school help sessions to work on standards they have not yet met or work on exceeding standards.  Although these opportunities are embedded in class time, the reality is that students do not all learn at the same rate and some study outside of class time is necessary.  

All teams have written redo/retake policies.  It's always important to check with individual teachers about questions specific to your child.  To read more about redos and retakes at YMS please reference the post published on September 29th:  Redos and Retakes at YMS