A relevant topic circulating during this testing season is blackout days. Blackout days simply mean when students are not required to attend school because there are no regular classes those days. What I mean by this is, you are required to attend school if you have testing that day like an EOC, AICE/AP, or any standardized test. Since the majority of teachers are proctors and have to stay in the room with the kids while they test, after testing you have the option to leave early. At Olympic Heights High School, which has blackout dates, if you can’t go home early you may stay in the theater the rest of the day.
Apparently, it has been said that blackout days were a topic of discussion for West Boca but it was never able to actually happen.
There are many benefits to blackout days like not overloading students. At West Boca, testing days can extend class periods up to 3-4 hours long. It is especially frustrating if you are a student testing because you end up missing a lesson due to teachers still continuing to teach and assigning work. This leads to students becoming behind. For example, I had testing yesterday morning and missed half my math lesson. With this, it is not only frustrating for the students but for the teachers as well. Many teachers are tired of students not making any of the work up.
Blackout days would allow students to get more study time for exams while not having to worry about teaching themselves a lesson they missed.
With no blackout dates at West Boca, the majority of students tend to leave early or stay home on testing days either way. In my opinion, it is meaningless for me to come into school just to sit in a class for an extra hour to do nothing when I can get work done at home.
I personally talked with my friend, Melody Guerra, who goes to school at Olympic Heights about her opinion on blackout dates. She had expressed, “I do feel like blackout days are very beneficial, not just to me but to other students. Usually we use this time at home to study for when we have to go to school and take our exams. It also gives us time for any missing assignments/makeup work too! Teachers can also use the time they’re in a classroom watching students take their exam to put grades in. It definitely benefits me and many other students and teachers.”
I completely agree with Melody, there are so many beneficial options that come from blackout dates. It would truly make students’ lives easier.
Hopefully West Boca will eventually try again with blackout days.
