First Test

Today was the first test for my PreCalc Class. I do not have enough room in my classroom to give a test, so we went into the cafeteria. The class is seventh period, but the cafeteria had not yet been cleaned. So we had to choose our tables carefully. We spread out over the room and had our fun. Although I am not sure how well the students enjoyed it.
I think they are a couple of things that explain the performance on the first test. One is the knowledge that there will be retakes. Second is the fact that homework is not collected and not part of the grade. Put these two together, and there has been very little motivation. As far as I can tell the three people who have done the homework passed with flying colors, and the others failed to different degrees. The other PreCalc teachers are all having similar experiences. We feel that this test could be the catalyst that enables all of our students to realize that they need to actually do all the work in order to succeed. The teachers have also set the bar for what you need to do to be eligible for a retake relatively high so as to encourage doing well the first time. Hopefully that will work for the next test.
Now I need to spend a day or two reteaching the first week of class, so that we can move on. What's the point of giving a test if you do not use the results to inform your practice?