pros and cons of shorter school days

Some are facing the debate about whether to keep standardized tests or not. There are a variety of health issues that can be caused by a lack of sleep. It is also good for teachers and the whole school. that the flexibility of the 4-day work week helps them get more done. Each community has unique needs which must be met, so there is the possibility of a 4-day week being useful to some districts, but not others. Their students were more focused because they were more rested, which equated to fewer classroom disruptions. These 300 would have to find some alternative to school on Fridays if the Moniteau County R-1 School Districts schedule changed from a five day week to a four day week. We must ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn by improving the effectiveness of our schools and ensuring that all children have access to them. There are positive outcomes that may occur, but there are negative outcomes that must also be managed. There are many changes with switching the school days. Long school days, on the other hand, can present some challenges and, at the very least, unsatisfactory outcomes. The organization 4 Day Week Global sponsored the program. Since an entire day is cut off the week, that extra time needs to be made up during the remaining four days. How To Switch School Districts Without Moving? Delaying school start times has been shown to have positive outcomes for students and families in overwhelming scientific research. The school also doesn't have to pay anyone that is on an hourly schedule. Advantage: More time for other subjects. Florida's inflation-adjusted education spending per student has roughly doubled in the last 30 years -- to $7,473 in 2000-01. Wildbit, a company based in the US, a portion of whose workforce works remotely, tested the 4-day week to see whether the shorter working hours will affect employee productivity. They dont usually run wild on the last day of school, instead working, making phone calls, or spending time with family. In many cases, it is in the best interests of students to reduce costs and have minimal impact on instruction. Public school everything for schoolchildren and students. She is the author and co-author of 12 books and serves as a consultant in K-12 and higher education. over 1 million dollars on utilities, busing, and labor costs. Students that sit in lecture classrooms retain 10% or less of the information that is presented to them. 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. Students follow the same type of pattern. Children have a six-week summer break and ten days of off every 45 days of class. The Alaska school year averaged about 180 days in length, and the school day was 6.48 hours long. It's almost the end of the first semester, and realizations are starting to set in. 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. recess has numerous benefits, including assisting students in reducing aggression and improving learning. Adds flexibility to teacher's schedules. Finally, shorter school days could result in less time for extracurricular activities, which could have a negative impact on student morale. Adds flexibility to teachers schedules. There are some drawbacks to shorter school days, as well. 3. For school districts following the 4-day school week, the Thanksgiving holiday usually receives a full week off instead of the final two days of the week. Changing school start times will increase attendance and money brought in. Pros And Cons Of Five Day School Week Though some people say that four days in a school week will help students in certain classes especially in math, this test only worked on 4th and 5th graders. The only students who actually get to benefit from the 4-day school week are those that do not have any extra-curricular activities in which they are involved. It might help school districts save money. While some research has shown that increasing the amount of time spent in class can boost student accomplishment, these findings have been influenced by factors such as the classroom atmosphere, the quality of instruction, and students prior knowledge and abilities. On the other hand, there have been studies that found no significant difference in overall academic achievement between four-day districts and five-day districts. Colorado, juvenile crime increased by 73% whenever a school changed their Your email address will not be published. In YRE, the number of days in school equals the number of days in a calendar year (180 days). Schools can save up to 20% on some budget-line expenses with a 4-day week. The disadvantage is that more time does not equate to more learning. Teachers are frequently overworked and required to perform tasks that are outside their job description. Shorter days can only be seen as a positive thing and would benefit students, teacher, and administrators. Decreased need to re-teach skills after long vacations, allowing teachers to use classroom time more efficiently. But the extra money hasn't gone into teachers' salaries, which have dropped on average from . Sacrifices Family Time. Finally, teachers and students would have better relationships as they spend more time together instead of being rushed. As with any innovation, shorter workweeks have advantages and disadvantages. Just 11 of the districts had enrollments of more than 1,000 students. Budgetary requirements are an important part of a longer school days pros and cons list. More than 80% of people in the UK would prefer a four day working week, according to a survey in 2021 by recruitment company Reed. 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. The Chattooga County School District reported similar results from their trial with this schedule as well. Some districts have seen their disciplinary issues decline by more than 70% in the first two years of implementing a 4-day schedule. Does this sound exciting and rich with possibilities? By having more instruction in class, students can not only get better test scores, but they can also get better grades. NEA Today: A 9 to 5 School Day: Are Longer Hours Better for Students and Educators? One school said that they have saved a teacher in diesel fuel costs (chiaramonte 2 ). There can be no one answer to this question because it is a matter of case by case. Which one is the best? Longer school days make no sense when there is so much else we could be doing with our time. Easier to recruit employees. A three-day weekend allows for extra leisure time, as well as a reduction in commute and energy usage. So it is illogical to think that a four day week will help other grade levels. 2. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Extended School Days Advantage: More time to devote to learning. Practices for sports are still held on the fifth day, as are teacher conferences, staff development opportunities, and required janitorial work. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. Many schools are adding thirty minutes to both the beginning and end of the school day. The move toward a shorter workweek is gaining momentum. Du Bois Essay Topics to Write about, Most Interesting Volvo Essay Topics to Write about, is a phenomenon that has been sweeping across the U.S. Along with giving kids more time to concentrate on critical activities, a shortened school day would also provide pupils with more opportunity to relax. by elenam112 states This means the school would be open longer, resulting in larger electrical and heating bills. Schools would need to stay open later at night for after school activities and stay open early in the morning for students who are dropped off early. 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This means students in a district with this alternative schedule get out later for the holidays than students on the traditional Monday-Friday schedule. Four day school weeks are becoming a necessity for some rural school districts that lack funding. Children need the opportunity to rest and re-energize, and theyre often overextended with activities, homework and part-time jobs. These are the key points that must be addressed first. Overall, a shorter school schedule resulted in a 7% increase in math scores and a 3% gain in reading. Other popular year-round schedules are the 60-20 and 90-30 calendars, where students are in class for 60 or 90 days with vacations of 20 or 30 days respectively. After analyzing Colorado schools operating on four-day school weeks, (Dam) reports that transportation costs can be reduced by 20%. They also said students can gain more time for fun and still receive an excellent education. There are potential savings to food programs and other important areas of infrastructure because the school district is closed 1 additional day each week. When Friday rolls around each week during the school year, many parents face the same situation. schedule, the district adds 40 or so minutes to make up for the time lost on By 2013, a dramatic improvement in scores was credited to the extended learning time. It creates a long school day for students. Research has shown that in this configuration, students who are low-income, minority, or special needs dont fare too well academically. Spread the loveThis program assesses 15-year-old students schooling in countries that form part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In Read the Full Transcript Judy Woodruff: For many American students and. If so, keep reading. 3. One of the primary reasons why school districts, especially rural districts, save money when they shift to a 4-day schedule is because there are fewer transportation costs. School districts consider shorter school days for several reasons, including saving money and providing students the ability to participate in more extracurricular activities. That means the students in those districts have better opportunities to learn. If a longer lunch allows high school students to leave campus, they might opt for unhealthy fast-food options; on the other hand, this extended time might allow them to seek out healthier dishes than those available in the cafeteria. Taking only one class is practically a . This provided the teacher with more freedom with curriculum and time management. That is because larger districts offer more activities, manage more student events, and operate essentially 7 days per week during the school year anyway. Out of a budget of $5.5 million, they saved $206,000. The ability to offer a 3-day weekend, every weekend, is a powerful motivator for school districts that are recruiting for quality employees. 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. 6. 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. In this article, we will examine this question in depth. There are some drawbacks to shorter school days, as well. Imagine a school year that gave the students one week off after every quarter and every Friday off. 1. They do have a full day free for a job in some instances, but trying to find work on the weekends only, especially in a rural community, is never a guarantee unless you dont mind working on a farm, that is. 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. 1. If so, keep reading. Students in the third through sixth grades have improved their ACT scores, according to studies. There are a few reasons why shorter school days could be beneficial. Shorter school weeks or longer school days are reasonable solutions when there is a shortage of funding, or possible budget cuts coming to the school district. Many say that the four day school week is good for students. The most popular is a 32-hour work week, which means people work 8 hours per day, 4 hours in a week. Shortening the school day by even an hour or two can allow a district to save dramatically on its utility costs. 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. One is that it would likely mean that teachers would have to teach more classes, which could lead to burnout. There have been several studies that reported the 4-day school week had positive effects on students math and reading scores. Students are tired and cranky by the end of the day. . Increases student attendance. not just on the weekdays when students were out of school. There are numerous advantages and disadvantages to each. Cons of the 4-Day School Week. If the schools made 40 minute periods, the students could learn just as much as they would in a 50 minute period.One of the biggest benefits of this system is the financial savings. Other schools are worried about academic performance. On top of that, you will likely only be taking 1-2 classes at a time instead of four or more. When busing and after-school activities are included in that timeframe as well, some older students may find themselves putting in 12-hour days at school every day. 1. List of the Advantages of 4-Day School Weeks 1. Over the course of their first year on this new schedule, they reported that the frequency of discipline referrals for their students dropped by 73%. The school day had to accommodate available daylight and the requirements of helping with the family farm. Long school days can cause eating problems for students who don't eat at school, or who use up all their energy while learning. 2023 The Black Well Firm. Cons of a Longer School Day Does Not Ensure Higher Achievement Some studies have been done that show that longer instruction time can improve achievement, but those results depend on things like classroom environment, quality of instruction, student prior knowledge and ability. For some, a 4-day week makes perfect sense. Pros and cons of shorter work weeks. In the United States, about 50% of all companies are either offering or thinking about offering a 4-day workweek for their workers. Spread the loveTo be twice-exceptional is to be exceptionally gifted in some academic aspects while being below average compared to peers in other aspects. List of Cons of Implementing 4-Day School Weeks 1. The pros and cons of a 4-day school week offer many challenges. Spread the loveAre you looking for ways to teach students to take care of their personal property? School districts save money. Other concerns with early school start times and the resulting insufficient sleep include: Increased likelihood for participating in risk-taking behaviors, such as bullying and fighting. Students in a 4-day school week are packing 180 days into a condensed 145-day schedule. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Extended School Days. (5) Most costs that were reduced were Operations and maintenance, heating and cooling, janitor supplies. Does precision really make a program successful? Because school buses are only running 4 days per week instead of 5 days, there is the potential of reducing transportation costs by up to 20% by shifting the schedule. Webster County, Kentucky moved their school district to a 4-day week in 2003. If school doesnt get out until 4pm, then the student makes it home at 5pm. In Peetz Colorado a debate is going on four a four day school week. Many of these schools are already operating on an alternative schedule because that is what works best for their community. Most students in the four-day districts80 percent of high school students and 90 percent of elementary studentsspent their "off day" at home. There have been several studies that reported the 4-day school week had positive effects on student's math and reading scores. According to new research, the four-day week is a popular way for parents and students to spend quality time together. The only question is does it hurt students education but the statistics are showing that is clearly not the case one bit. Data is an important variable if youre considering the longer school days pros and cons list. It starts too early, ends too late, and occurs far too often. Increasing the length of school days may result in attention deficit and exhaustion, rendering the additional class time unproductive. During recess, limit the number of games or activities that students can participate in. The Trump Administrations Vindictive Attack On Federal Workers: The Shutdown Of The Office Of Special Counsel, Michigan State University College Of Law: A Top Law School, Why Union Safe Company Is The Best Choice For Protecting Your Home Or Business, The Life Of John Laurens: A Patriot Lawyer And Army Officer. Defining Moments Are What Make Good School Leaders Great, Year-Round Schooling: How it Affects Students, Why you need a multi-tiered behavioral support approach, Understanding Strategy and Strategic Leadership, Teaching & Learning Strategies, Concepts, and Terms That Every Teacher Must Know: Letters DIA-DIG, First-Year Teachers: 4 Reasons You Need a Mentor Right Now, 18 Reasons the U.S. Education System is Failing, The Top 5 Unexpected Benefits of Early Childhood Education. One way to address these issues is to shift the traditional school schedule into a 4-day week. Most parents have employment which requires them to be present for 8 hours per day, 5 days per week. . 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.

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