Midterm Histogram

The histogram of midterm results is here. We set the average for the scale to 80%. This means half the students did better than 80%. It is normal that half the students are below the average but it is not good if they spread way out below the average. Theoretically, if half the students are between 80-100% then the other half should be between 60-80%. That is not the case with this test. The tail falls off at 42%. More than three quarters of the students got a score above 70% on the test but those that struggled really struggled a lot. My students that did poorly need to see me so we can rethink what they need to do to be successful. Do they have good techniques for studying (which is different than being diligent)? Are they trying to memorize procedures without really understanding them? A lack of understanding is exposed when questions are asked slightly differently than before and the student is unable to adjust to the change and answer the question. I want my students to be happy and successful in my class but the curriculum and the pace cannot change so let's work together for best results.