Activity Day

I’m not sure I understand the purpose of school anymore.  Today, my son is home from school (with my knowledge and approval) because it’s “Activity Day” due to EOC testing.  End of Course exams for freshman who didn’t pass the 8th grade math/Algebra 1 EOC or those students who took Biology or Geometry and need to pass the EOC for that course.  The students that don’t need to take these exams have Activity Day.

When my son attended the Activity Day last semester, he was hoping to get some finals study in, help with class issues, workshops or sheets to work on for classes he was struggling in.  Instead they played games and then had field day on the football field.  Clearly a good use of pre-finals time for students.

My son passed the 8th grade Math EOC in 8th grade.  He didn’t take Biology this year – it’s mostly a 10th grade class.  Currently his grade in 9th grade Algebra is a C-; in English a D and a C in French 1.  The other grades are A’s and B’s (Band, PE and Science).  He’s a freshman in High School.

Here is the schedule for EOC testing on Wednesday, June 4th:
(From the LWSD website )

Wednesday, June 4 

EOC Biology 

Students will be tested in classrooms. We will be on an alternate bell schedule. 

EOC Exam 7:30 – 10:24 

Lunch 10:30 – 11:00 

Tutorial/Finals Prep 11:06 – 12:30 

For students not testing, the library and Career Center will be open, 7:30 – 

12:00 

My heartburn with this is that’s it’s a waste of a school day just before finals.  Why not have the students who don’t need to take these tests in study hall or finals work-shops or; here’s a thought a regular learning day?

I know, those students who are testing will miss all the instruction for the one day and it gives the others an unfair advantage.  Well, that might be, but ACTIVITY DAY???

First of all, this is a Wednesday.  It’s already a short day in our District (LEAP Day – Learning Enhancement and Academic Planning).  Students are dismissed 1.5 hours earlier on every Wednesday in the district as a “teacher professional development day or a day of professional learning”.  Every.Wednesday. during the school year.  To make this work, the classes that are usually 50-55 minutes are reduced to 25 minutes.  Did I mention this was EVERY Wednesday in the school year?  EVERY level of school is included.

So, what are the teachers doing during the regular school hours (that they would usually be teaching classes) that they can’t hold regular classes?  Are there THAT many students in 9th grade math classes that the classrooms would be nearly empty?  Are there THAT many 8th graders that failed the 8th grade EOC?

I’ll renew my suggestion that instead of having a day that the students consider unnecessary, why not make it another regular school day but have them focus on studying for finals or working on class issues they haven’t understood or resolved yet?

And WHY wasn’t something sent home to the parents explaining this?  Allowing us the choice to opt out or ask questions?  How many students stayed home today because it was a waste of their time? According to my informal FB poll 5 parents kept their kids (9 total) home today (various grade levels) because of the lack of school classes.  During school hours.  On a school day.

Meanwhile, RHS is looking at changing the lunch schedule for the 2014-15 year to give students more time (30 minutes, once a week) to meet with teachers if they’re struggling.  They’re doing this because they want to reduce the almost 30% failure rate at the high school.  1 in 3 students are failing AT LEAST ONE course.  2500 (approximate) students at the school and roughly 800 of them are failing at least one course in a quarter.

But of course, let’s have them play games and have shortened class days because of testing.