When Kevin asks his beloved algebra teacher Mr. Collins how he is doing overall in math, he doesn't get the response he needed to hear back. Instead, Mr. Collins gives Kevin private tutoring to raise his grades of C's on quizzes into A's on tests. However, Mr. Collins decides that he can no longer spend the extra time with Kevin just prior to the mid-term exam. He's also taking the rest of the week off but would be back for the exam on Friday, leaving Kevin to fend for himself. Kevin thought Mr. Collins was helping him because he believed in him and was his friend, but he stated he was simply his teacher. On the day of the exam, Kevin decides to get a "respectable F" and botch the answers on purpose. That weekend Kevin is informed by Mr. Diperna (Raye Birk) that Mr. Collins passed away from heart failure. It seemed the teacher knew his end was near and gave Kevin another chance at the exam when he "misplaced" his test; looks like Arthur Collins believed in Kevin Arnold after all.