Delaying school start times will assist students in developing the skills required to reach their full potential. Dr. Kelly Meier earned her doctorate from Minnesota State Mankato in Educational Leadership. 3. Your email address will not be published. Many say that the four day school week is good for students. There are potential savings to food programs and other important areas of infrastructure because the school district is closed 1 additional day each week. Since students receive dedicated 1:1 teaching for all core subjects, they don't need to bother spending time on topics that aren't on their instructional level. recess is not only ineffective but also harmful to students who may feel that the punishment is excessive. Over the last century, humans have acquired a staggering amount of knowledge and understanding. At my school, class went from 8:15 a.m. until 4:15 p.m. about an hour or two longer than a typical five-day-week school's day. Many school While small gains were made in reading, math and writing, there were no statistically significant results for children in the areas of receptive language, social skills or vocabulary. Students are still getting the same amount of instruction in terms of minutes, just in a shorter number of days. In some situations, a single teacher may be responsible for over 100 students. Shorter School Days Are the Way. When a school opts to go with an early start time, then students are spending less time sitting in traffic as they head to class. Keeping schools open five days a week is not financially feasible. Many schools are adding thirty minutes to both the beginning and end of the school day. Year-Round Schedules Many people think of the school year as starting in August or at the beginning of September and continuing for 10 months. He goes on to say that in order to realize that level of savings, schools must severely limit transportation for activities or programs not conducted on regular school days. Changing the system could result in many more. After-school activities begin at that point, which means some students dont make it back home until 8pm that night. Sacrifices Family Time. It may eliminate common holidays, such as Memorial Day or Labor Day, from the schedule. Theyre from moments we remember having fun, whether that was in the classroom, the playground, or the athletics field. There can be no one answer to this question because it is a matter of case by case. According to The Notebook, longer school days add to low energy and exhaustion. Good for working parents: This would lead to less wraparound care for working . A three-day weekend allows for extra leisure time, as well as a reduction in commute and energy usage. The school districts in New Mexico are one of the best examples of this benefit. In Lexington, Oregon, Morrow County was able to save about $250,000 their first year, but out of a budget of $14 million. According to him, providing education to all would be beneficial to society. Here are some additional key points to think about when looking at the pros and cons of a 4-day school week. The Chattooga County School District in Georgia shifted to a 4-day school week. However, there are advantages and disadvantages associated with shortening the school day that should be considered before sweeping action is taken to alter the traditional school day. 4. Teachers will have more leisure time to spend with their family as a result of the reduced school days. But you see with shorter school days youd have more spare time to complete school work. These schools save all this money from just switching to a shorter week. Spread the loveBuilding a culturally responsive classroom is hard. The Oakridge School District in Oregon reported that their test scores improved when they shifted to this alternative schedule as well. Increase Engagement and Productivity. But the extra money hasn't gone into teachers' salaries, which have dropped on average from . . The Peach County School District in Georgia saw that their graduation rates slowly increased year after year when they switched to a 4-day school week. An understandable concern for parents, teachers, and students about the 4-day school week is the extended time required to be at school during the day. The majority of these are found in the western United States, including Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, and Oklahoma, Thompson said. Spread the loveGlobalization is the growing interconnectedness of countries around the world. There are 21 states that have four-day school districts. Savings on school buses and long-term building wear and tear have also been reported. Pros. There are potential reductions in the financial costs of running a school district. districts think they will save tons of money by cutting operational costs on Our general school hours run from 9 am - 2 pm, with extra . It can also be difficult to monitor, as students may be able to find ways to sneak in a recess break even when they are supposed to be punished. Also, since special populations fare poorly in this configuration, the costs of Cons: The obvious reason for not shortening school days is the lack of learning time. Those that had implemented the alternative scheduling found that student attendance could rise by more than 20. Then ask the superintendent of the school district to consider year round school with only four days per week.First, students would not forget what they learned over the long summer. Revisiting Using Edtech for Bullying and Suicide Prevention. First and foremost, an extended school day would provide students with extra learning time. The Melstone School District in Montana also shifted to a 4-day school week. They just dont have time to get everything done. The idea has been to cut hours while keeping pay the same. It is possible to have a negative impact on some laboratory classes by reducing the number of minutes in class each day. Shorter, intense courses in which a semesters worth of content is delivered at an expedited rate were deemed to be more successful by students in a recent study by academics at the University of Texas at Austin. It is also possible for schools to extend the school day in more districts across the country. According to a Center for American Progress study, traditional school schedules are out of sync with the current economic environment. It is important to consider all of the factors before making a decision. There have been several studies that reported the 4-day school week had positive effects on students math and reading scores. Despite these difficulties, many disabled students go on to lead successful and fulfilling lives. Working a couple of hours after school gains experience and disposable income. There will be days, even with the best efforts of everyone involved, where a student is stuck with an after-hours activity, deep into the night, after being in class for most of the day. It takes about 4-years for schools to get these students back on track academically. The evaluated skills include science, math, and reading. Shorter school days that start later in the day could alleviate this problem, promoting healthy habits and the many benefits that go with a solid sleep routine. To be competitive in a global market, students need to be exposed to a wide variety of subject matter. Others believe that lengthening the school day is an expensive endeavor that wont yield substantial results. Recently Michael Gove raised the issue of the length of school holidays and the school day - the former are apparently too long, the latter too short. When students are too tired or mentally exhausted to concentrate at the end of the day, the last hour becomes meaningless. You have a lifespan that is nine years less than people who graduate: Statistically, you may have a shorter lifespan than people who have gone to school and have been empowered. If she is not receptive to your suggestions, you may want to get a doctors note stating that recess is required. 2. It matches the class schedule to a parent's work schedule. Copyright (c) 2023 Matthew Lynch. What we envisage may not be the most straightforward or the most conventional ideas. School districts save money. Why shorter school days are better for teachers? Shorter school days should be used in the United States education system since they have several advantages. So it is illogical to think that a four day week will help other grade levels. In New Mexico, 18 of the states 89 school districts are currently using this alternative schedule. Dr. Meier is is a regular contributor for The Equity Network and has worked in education for more than 30 years. Spread the loveThis term describes a manner of classifying gifted students to place them in properly segmented classrooms. Over the next three years, the school district was able to save 2% on their overall costs each year, for a total of $200,000. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that attendance improves; parents and teachers can schedule doctor's appointments and other weekday commitments for Fridays rather than during school days. How To Switch School Districts Without Moving? In comparison to 2007, the number of public schools that offer year-round programs has increased by 26%. Teachers are frequently overworked and required to perform tasks that are outside their job description. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Extended School Days. Student performance may improve with a 4-day school week. You should approach these strategies with your childs teacher instead of punishing him or her. What Grades Is Elementary School? It also means that they would have more time to mark the voluminous quantity of homework that they have to complete every night. For the parents of younger students, an additional full day of daycare may need to be scheduled every week instead of a partial day. Students who attend year-round school have the same number of school days as their counterparts following a traditional schedule. Students in a 4-day school week are packing 180 days into a condensed 145-day schedule. The idea of having a four-day school has been around for several decades, and has been considered at least since the 1930s, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The benefits are many. So much so, many new teachers end up leaving the field within their first three years. the traditional 5th day. The Rochester City Council established the Extended Learning Time initiative as part of Rochesters ongoing commitment to education. schedule, the district adds 40 or so minutes to make up for the time lost on Schools would also have to change their bus transportation systems which are designed to run as efficiently and inexpensively as possible. There tends to be less student exhaustion, which allows them to focus more on the learning process. Students feel less pressure because they have more time to study at their own pace at home, especially in the later grades. Underperforming schools and the lagging performance of U.S. students in comparison to other countries is a concern. Better sleep: Delayed start time could help teens sleep during . A low income school in New Haven, Connecticut started the new year telling students they would be attending school until 4:15 P.M. four days a week. The Alaska school year averaged about 180 days in length, and the school day was 6.48 hours long. With the long break of summer, many people prefer the short breaks of year round schools. Better Employee Engagement A 4 day week can lead to happier and more committed employees. Obesity, anxiety and stress, as well as lower grades, can all be attributed to a lack of sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. That reorganization, though, and the underlying effort, will have much to do with reviving the American education system, and reviving a national love of learning. Shorter class durations allow students to enroll in a variety of courses. Eleven states set the minimum number of instructional days between 160 and 179 days, and two states set the minimum above 180 days (Kansas and Ohio). They found out that seven school districts saved money under the new Their students were more focused because they were more rested, which equated to fewer classroom disruptions. The most popular is a 32-hour work week, which means people work 8 hours per day, 4 hours in a week. For non year-round schools the dropout rate is 5%, which is more than all year-round schools. Some research indicates there may be slight academic benefits to extending the school day. When teachers are more effective and efficient, student performance follows a similar pattern. Elizabeth Perle 1). Third, shorter days could reduce the amount of time that students spend on the bus or in the car, which would save money and reduce pollution. If practicums can be included with small group discussions, the retention rate can top 90% for some students. Does precision really make a program successful? All rights reserved. Teachers are attracted by the prospect of having a shorter work week. They question the value of a continuous . Pro: An extended school day provides more time for students to learn and the possibility of providing individualized attention for students in need. List of the Major Cons of a 4-Day School Week 1. 2. Students usually go to school about 6 hours each day in most districts. "I get really tired throughout the day and I would love shorter school hours." However, these basics vary, depending on a company's policy. About 20% of the states school districts incorporate a 4-day schedule of some kind. Schools may even have to purchase lights for after school activities. In addition, they are given a week off for major holidays and 2 weeks of summer vacation at their parents discretion. That is a lot of time taken away, but if the school days were shortened, you would have a lot more time to do your activities. Spread the loveTeachers need to realize that at home, in their neighborhoods, and in school, many students face difficulties that can interfere with learning. Students already feel like their school day is too long. When the new school day was implemented, the system was relieved of the need to cram math, reading, and science into a short period of time, allowing for more time to be spent on subjects that students enjoy and teachers enjoy. They argue that playing with classmates helps children develop social skills. . Long summers are known to cause "summer slide," or the decline of academic skills and knowledge over the course of the extended vacation. Students can adjust to the new schedule. . This can be due to a lack of accessible facilities and resources, or negative attitudes and misconceptions from teachers and classmates. Some schools even require students to have the belt line exposed at all times for fear of guns concealed under clothing. Read the Full Transcript Judy Woodruff: For many American students and. The Pros of Longer School Days More Time for Instruction The number one reason for lengthening the school day is to provide teachers with more time for instruction.