pros and cons of shorter school days pros and cons of shorter school days

One school said that they have saved a teacher in diesel fuel costs (chiaramonte 2 ). Our individualized learning setup at the Tenney School allows us to offer more instruction in a shorter amount of time. Easier to recruit employees. It may reduce the number of discipline referrals for students. "I get really tired throughout the day and I would love shorter school hours." 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. 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. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that children between the ages of 12 and 18 require at least eight hours of sleep per night, and in some cases as much as nine hours. Spread the loveUsually, people are under the wrong impression that geography does not offer many job opportunities, and there are no jobs for a geographer. A change in schedule is an adjustment for school officials, students and families. 2. Schools can save up to 20% on some budget-line expenses with a 4-day week. As you can see, there are a lot of pros and cons to the 4-day school week, but in terms of its long-term effect on academic outcomes, the jury is still out. Elizabeth Perle 1). So it is illogical to think that a four day week will help other grade levels. Additional learning time as well as improved schedule alignment would make the lives of families noticeably more pleasant. There are 21 states that have four-day school districts. They dont usually run wild on the last day of school, instead working, making phone calls, or spending time with family. Why should school weeks be shorter? Pros and Cons of a Shorter Workweek. School administration, associates with principal office also went down. This can be due to a lack of accessible facilities and resources, or negative attitudes and misconceptions from teachers and classmates. The school day is too long. STP every day allows students to do their schoolwork, resulting in reduced overall stress. My main concern is that most kids will not be able to focus by the end of the day because the school days will be longer,and so there would be no point in trying to teach at the end of the day. Some school districts, particularly those that are in regions of the U.S. where snowfall creates a handful of cancellations each year, find that they are forced to reduce, if not eliminate, certain holidays or vacations. The standard requirement for schools is 180 days or an average range of 990-1080 hours. This schedule works much better for parents, who often have that working schedule themselves. It takes about 4-years for schools to get these students back on track academically. 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. Another is that shorter days could lead to shorter attention spans in classrooms. Five-day schools still have the edge in many districts Despite the fact that many districts have seen their test scores make a substantial leap, there are some five-day schools that are still outpacing them academically. Children would get up early and help with chores, go to school and then help out on the farm until sundown. Teachers would be required to reimagine their curriculum and would need extra time to develop a curriculum to fit an expanded day. Pros and cons of shorter work weeks. In New Mexico, 18 of the states 89 school districts are currently using this alternative schedule. The basic assumption of a 4 day work week is fulfilling the duties in a shorter amount of time, instead of the usual five-day workweek and receiving the same pay. Some families find that aligning the school day with typical parent work schedules is a family-friendly approach. Long summers are known to cause "summer slide," or the decline of academic skills and knowledge over the course of the extended vacation. (Lewis) In Bonneville, Idaho the school started later in the day which resulted in absences dropping 15%. (Solution). It is critical to maintain a consistent schedule and not change it on a weekly basis in order to give students the best chance of success. A local news reporter says thevve also saved substitute teacher costs because teachers don't have to take a day off for appointments (Chiaramonte 2 ). Who Sang For Troy In High School Musical? A 4-day school week is misleading. After-school jobs are a common way for teens to make money. Con: Not all students need one-on-one assistance, and some may even experience boredom or burnout from the extended school day. 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. There are positive outcomes that may occur, but there are negative outcomes that must also be managed. It provides an extra day for actual rest to occur when it may be needed without compromising the remainder of the family schedule. One is that it would likely mean that teachers would have to teach more classes, which could lead to burnout. The University of New Mexico Newsroom: Research Study Yields Unexpected Conclusion About Longer School Years. Do 4-day school weeks positively affect student outcomes? The final class ends 1-2 hours before the work day ends for most parents. These actions often negate the benefits of the 3-day weekend because it really isnt a true 3-day weekend. There is no one answer to this question as it can depend on individual circumstances. In 2009, there were 3,000 schools in the United States operating on a year-round basis. More time to focus on mental health In the typical K-12 schooling model, mental health education is too often shunted aside. Schools are able to switch to a four-day week by simply increasing the length of their school day. Many school districts keep their administrative staff on school grounds all week long, though some allow half to take a Monday off, while the other half takes Friday off. These schools save all this money from just switching to a shorter week. Teachers in Seattle are deciding how to use an additional 20 minutes on top of the usual school day. Pro: In 2004, the school day was lengthened for a Massachusetts school to address the issue of underperforming students. It lists the advantages of the four-day model as: Improved morale and fewer absences: A shorter working week leads to less burnout, making staff happier and more focused in . Long school days can cause eating problems for students who don't eat at school, or who use up all their energy while learning. 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. After physical activity, children with or without ADHD appear to perform better at attention, memory, and mood. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. According to Adam Urbanski, president of the Rochester Teachers Association, there is no guarantee that popularity will be replicated in other schools. In the standard 5-day school week, sports practices occur after school. Many schools are adding thirty minutes to both the beginning and end of the school day. The school days are spread more evenly over the year, with more frequent short breaks and the absence of a 10-12 week summer break. Changing the system could result in many more. This may not seem like a lot, but when you factor in homework and after-school activities, it can be a lot for a student to handle. Another potential drawback is that shorter school days could lead to more after-school activities, which could be a problem for working parents. She is the author and co-author of 12 books and serves as a consultant in K-12 and higher education. The benefits of going to a 4-day week for schooling is that it offers teachers and students an additional day for rest every week. Staff recruitment is easier with the 4-day school week for school districts. It was a kneejerk response to dwindling education budgets and the belief that schools could save a ton of money by operating Monday through Thursday, which in theory would lower their operating expenses. In the United States, the average school day is around six and a half hours long. Some are even cutting arts programs or shortening the school week to balance the budget. Lets take a look at some proof. Year round schools, can actually benefit students in the long run. Many companies have found that when workers are able to work a schedule which suits their needs, letting them work how they like, then their workers are more productive. 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. Spread the loveOne of the questions that I am frequently asked is, what does a good teacher look like? This provided the teacher with more freedom with curriculum and time management. Children need the opportunity to rest and re-energize, and theyre often overextended with activities, homework and part-time jobs. 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. But others are worried about when kids should be in school. The average national cost that schools need to pay for each students bus transportation is $459. There have been several studies that reported the 4-day school week had positive effects on students math and reading scores. Sacrifices Family Time. Additionally student involvement and safety would suffer. Cutting that by 20% means a savings of $4 billion, if implemented nationwide. Not only would this give everyone a 3-day weekend to enjoy, it would also limit the pressure on students and teachers to have a diversified learning experience in a compressed time period. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Extended School Days Advantage: More time to devote to learning. That can make it difficult for some students to pay attention to the information being provided. Students spend less time on the bus. Increasing the length of school days may result in attention deficit and exhaustion, making the additional class time inefficient. Many break times have been incorporated in the calendar, such as morning recess, afternoon recess, snack time, and so on. When students are too tired or mentally exhausted to concentrate at the end of the day, the last hour becomes meaningless. Increasing the length of school days may result in attention deficit and exhaustion, rendering the additional class time unproductive. The One is that students might not have enough time to receive all the instruction they need in a particular subject. That means one of the biggest expenses for the district is immediately cut by 20%. In 2006, a study by Yarbrough and Gilman found that teachers working in a 5-day school schedule reported that they have a lot of wasted time. The National School Board Association estimates that approximately 135,000 guns are brought to America's 85,000 public schools each day. There are several advantages and disadvantages of 4-day school weeks to examine based on the results that districts are reporting from their efforts to implement this schedule. 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. Spread the loveAre you looking for ways to teach students to take care of their personal property? The kids groan, complain about getting out of bed, and struggle to get through the morning routine. They need a shorter school day so they can have more time to relax and play. If so, keep reading. Since many of the families in these areas run farms, it gives families extra time to get work done during the week. 2. school schedules from 5 to 4 days. To avoid this issue, many school districts have considered shifting to a 4-day school week. The four-day arrangement gives opportunity for students to work an extra day at an after-school job, participate in volunteer activities, or pursue further educational goals by taking advantage of the extra day. Ages. By switching to a 4-day school week, the number of transitions can be reduced because more time can be spent on each subject. Anticipated savings are in transportation, food and food service workers, hourly workers and utilities. The Oakridge School District in Oregon reported that their test scores improved when they shifted to this alternative schedule as well. Their child is at home while they are at work, which is problematic for parents of younger children. The 4-day schedule eliminates one full driving day for the transportation department. We call for a relatively radical and certainly quite comprehensive reorganization of Americas P-20 system. The. Most students, especially younger ones, find that the traditional school schedule is already too long. Teacher time will be increased when the school day is extended, allowing them to spend more time with pupils and to concentrate on problem areas and more challenging content. Shorter work weeks can improve employment productivity and provide families with more meaningful time together. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Signup for The Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in P-20 education news and opinion delivered to your email address! The benefits are many. Their students were more focused because they were more rested, which equated to fewer classroom disruptions. Students that sit in lecture classrooms retain 10% or less of the information that is presented to them. There is the possibility of making up for lost time, especially those who are at a disadvantage due to the digital divide. Certain activities or games should be prohibited (for an indefinite period of time). After analyzing Colorado schools operating on four-day school weeks, (Dam) reports that transportation costs can be reduced by 20%. It is also possible for schools to extend the school day in more districts across the country. Teachers have more time to prepare lessons and collaborate during the day. Those that had implemented the alternative scheduling found that student attendance could rise by more than 20. There are improvements in the school financially. Bisbee Unified School District (AZ) saved $154,000, Duval County Public School (FL) saved $7 million, and Lake Superior School District (MN) $200,000. Rural school districts and small school districts benefit the most from a 4-day schedule because of their natural isolation. As with any innovation, shorter workweeks have advantages and disadvantages. 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. Lets face it our best school memories arent from tests or pop quizzes. Since the approach to curriculum development and pedagogical style varies by state and district, data must be disaggregated to evaluate specific impact. In this article, we will examine this question in depth. Copyright (c) 2023 Matthew Lynch. 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