Year round schools, can actually benefit students in the long run. The Chattooga County School District in Georgia shifted to a 4-day school week. 1. The Edvocate was created in 2014 to argue for shifts in education policy and organization in order to enhance the quality of education and the opportunities for learning afforded to P-20 students in America. 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. It may eliminate common holidays, such as Memorial Day or Labor Day, from the schedule. 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. For non year-round schools the dropout rate is 5%, which is more than all year-round schools. 3. NEA Today: A 9 to 5 School Day: Are Longer Hours Better for Students and Educators? One is that it would likely mean that teachers would have to teach more classes, which could lead to burnout. In Finally, some parents worry that shorter days could mean that their children would have less . Rural families experience the greatest impacts from the 4-day school week. This would help not only our school but also the parents if they cant afford the gas. 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. Revisiting Using Edtech for Bullying and Suicide Prevention. Spread the loveBeing a teacher is a tough job. The disadvantage is that more time does not equate to more learning. You are more likely to face poverty: those who drop out of school without any plans, stare at poverty in the face without the option of getting out of it. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Extended School Days Advantage: More time to devote to learning. The districts on the 4-day school week are finding it easier to recruit for the staff they need because they offer the prospect of a 3-day weekend during the school year. The program not only saves districts money, but it also allows students to spend more time with their families. Some families find that aligning the school day with typical parent work schedules is a family-friendly approach. A potential decline in academic performance for vulnerable groups. Out of a budget of $5.5 million, they saved $206,000. Christmas and Spring holiday weeks may be extended as well. At the same time, teacher attendance rates also rose, which is a trend still seen in these districts, 20+ years later. Budgetary requirements are an important part of a longer school days pros and cons list. Obesity, anxiety and stress, as well as lower grades, can all be attributed to a lack of sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. School days shorter? - The STEAM Press This is one of the strongest arguments in favour of a longer school day. That can make it difficult for some students to pay attention to the information being provided. This provided the teacher with more freedom with curriculum and time management. The final class ends 1-2 hours before the work day ends for most parents. It changes the holiday schedules for the school district. There is no one answer to this question as it can depend on individual circumstances. Why is year round school better? Explained by Sharing Culture Kids already spend a very long time each week in the school and away from their family. Shortening the school day can give kids and teens more time for movement, brain breaks, and other activities that have been shown to improve learning outcomes, among other benefits.. With more room to move and less worry about following the rules in class, kids can be better equipped to focus when needed. Older students can spend time engaging in resum-building public service or paid work. Staff recruitment is easier with the 4-day school week for school districts. This has been a hot topic especially the states that dont have as large of an economy. Why should school weeks be shorter? Those against extended lunches might argue . The pros and cons of a 4-day school week offer many challenges. Spread the loveAfrican Africans have a long history of being mistreated in the United States, starting with slavery. The Pros and Cons of a 4 Day Work Week - TimeCamp The Pros and Cons of a Shortened School Schedule Every issue has its good and bad bits, and the same is true for districts making the switch to a shortened school week. Black Boys in Crisis: Why Arent They Reading? I believe that if we go to a four day school week that it would help the kids physically, mentally, and financially. There can be no one answer to this question because it is a matter of case by case. the fifth day, but they forget, they will still be open and running activities Data from the National Association of Year-Round Education . An eight-hour day is pretty undesirable for elementary-aged kids. Do students learn better in shorter classes? School administration, associates with principal office also went down. Students are still getting the same amount of instruction in terms of minutes, just in a shorter number of days. The schools who did switch the expenses reduced by 20%, transportation would reduce also by 20%, and the average district could have saving of 5.43% total budget. The trade-off for a shorter week is a longer school day. Along with giving kids more time to concentrate on critical activities, a shortened school day would also provide pupils with more opportunity to relax. And the school districts in the state have stable student achievement levels on their standardized tests. A longer school day would involve substantial funding for teacher salaries and facility maintenance. 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. Schools are facing many issues today. Dr. Kelly S. Meier - Updated May 03, 2019, Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Education, Explore state by state cost analysis of US colleges in an interactive article, NavajoCode: Unbiased Longer School Days Pros and Cons. . Schools benefit from shorter school day - Chapin Chronicle With short school days, students can devote a fair share of time to other meaningful areas in their life, such as socializing and simply being a kid. Employment opportunities with a 3-day weekend are increasing. 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. Four day school weeks have been discussed by many schools, and some schools already have 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. It may improve overall student attendance. In New Mexico, 18 of the states 89 school districts are currently using this alternative schedule. Keeping schools open five days a week is not financially feasible. After-school jobs are a common way for teens to make money. Other Debates. 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 Pros and Cons to Longer School Days - Walden University According to ASCD, many disciplinary issues that students face come from scheduled transitions. Teachers have more time to prepare lessons and collaborate during the day. 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. Administrative staff are required to be on-site, sports Over the last century, humans have acquired a staggering amount of knowledge and understanding. Why weekends should be longer for students? Changing the Moniteau County R-1 School districts schedule to a four-day week would be detrimental to students safety and involvement in activities. Four day school weeks are becoming a necessity for some rural school districts that lack funding. The pros and cons of longer days and shorter breaks - SecEd They can supervise their children at the bus stop in rural districts as well. Spread the loveTeachers need to realize that at home, in their neighborhoods, and in school, many students face difficulties that can interfere with learning. STP every day allows students to do their schoolwork, resulting in reduced overall stress. When implemented, however, 1st graders do just as well as teens with the expanded schedule and 3-day weekend. But slowly over the nation, schools are switching to a four day school week. Year-round schooling has been proposed as a better option for students than a traditional 9-month schedule. We call for a relatively radical and certainly quite comprehensive reorganization of Americas P-20 system. This is a big con for me, as sacrificing the futures of our most vulnerable students is not worth the trivial benefits of 4-day school weeks. 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Easier to recruit employees. First and foremost, an extended school day would provide students with extra learning time. To see how shorter school days hurt both teachers and students, we need to look at a major structural change in education. Easier to recruit employees. Would a later school schedule be beneficial? Dr. Meier is is a regular contributor for The Equity Network and has worked in education for more than 30 years. From the moment you walk into the second you walk out. Finally, some parents worry that shorter days could mean that their children would have less time to participate in extracurricular activities. The average national cost that schools need to pay for each students bus transportation is $459. Saving on utilities school buses, and long term building wear and tear. Underperforming schools and the lagging performance of U.S. students in comparison to other countries is a concern. The reason why school districts are going to a 4 day school week is to save money and the states that you see switching to a 4 days are states that have economic problems such as Oklahoma. The evaluated skills include science, math, and reading. They saved 1.4%, or $45,000, instead. There were also reduced sick days requested by their teaching staff. In some situations, a single teacher may be responsible for over 100 students. During class time, young kids who are too exhausted to concentrate or perform well may experience tiredness or fall asleep. It takes about 4-years for schools to get these students back on track academically. The capital, insurance, maintenance, and administrative costs remain relatively constant. What we envisage may not be the most straightforward or the most conventional ideas. 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%. Your email address will not be published. New Haven teachers in an unprecedented move allowed their teacher unions to take over the rewriting of their contracts. Imagine a school year that gave the students one week off after every quarter and every Friday off. If the school days are shortened, then students will not be able to learn enough because of the short school day. Do 4-day school weeks positively affect student outcomes? What are the Pros and Cons of 4-Day School Weeks? It starts too early, ends too late, and occurs far too often. 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. Pros and cons of shorter work weeks. Dr. Kelly Meier earned her doctorate from Minnesota State Mankato in Educational Leadership. 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. They can explore and discover various hobbies and interests, maintain their stress levels and get more sleep. Overall, a shorter school schedule resulted in a 7% increase in math scores and a 3% gain in reading. All rights reserved. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Extended School Days Advantage: More time to devote to learning. It was Mann who founded the first public school in the United States and is widely regarded as the Father of the Public School System. What are some arguments for ending school at 8 hours? They also said students can gain more time for fun and still receive an excellent education. The Pros and Cons to Longer School Days 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. Pro: An extended school day provides more flexibility for parents, eliminating the need for after-school care. Con: Not all students need one-on-one assistance, and some may even experience boredom or burnout from the extended school day. 4. Rural school districts and small school districts benefit the most from a 4-day schedule because of their natural isolation. The kids groan, complain about getting out of bed, and struggle to get through the morning routine. manageable in a myriad of ways. In the United States, only five states require recess in elementary schools, with Texas not one of them. Long school days, on the other hand, can present some challenges and, at the very least, unsatisfactory outcomes. The shorter the school day, the better? Some students believe that having a four-day school week allows them to get more rest and to be in a less stressful atmosphere than they would otherwise have. Shorter class durations allow students to enroll in a variety of courses. Students can adjust to the new schedule. Those human beings that seem larger than life and almost achieve Godlike status. Lets take a look at some proof. When teachers are more effective and efficient, student performance follows a similar pattern. There is a variety of emotional and behavioral problems, depression, alcohol use, and impaired cognitive function that can contribute to this. Read the Full Transcript Judy Woodruff: For many American students and. Most parents work a 5-day schedule and struggle to adapt to a 4-day school schedule. These school districts are typically in isolated regions, are rural, and have a student body that is fewer than 500 students. Pros and Cons of Longer School Days | GCU Blog The Pros and Cons of Year-Round Schools. Schools are able to switch to a four-day week by simply increasing the length of their school day. 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. Colorado has nearly three-quarters of its school districts on a four-day schedule. 10 Main Pros and Cons of 4 Day School Weeks - Green Garage Recent survey findings show that four-day school weeks have been adopted as a way to alleviate budgetary issues, attract teachers, and reduce student absencesissues that the pandemic . If you ask the average kid what they think about school, youll get a very honest answer: Its boring. From K-12, it can be difficult for students to stay engaged in the classroom during a 5-day school week. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Extended School Days. 4 Day School Week Pros and Cons. The current school schedule is a major downgrade from the 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM distance learning schedule. 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. Increasing the length of school days may result in attention deficit and exhaustion, rendering the additional class time unproductive. With the long break of summer, many people prefer the short breaks of year round schools. Copyright (c) 2023 Matthew Lynch. Teachers in Seattle are deciding how to use an additional 20 minutes on top of the usual school day. 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. The 4-day schedule eliminates one full driving day for the transportation department. There are positive outcomes that may occur, but there are negative outcomes that must also be managed. Pros Vs. Cons of Extended School Days - The Classroom Taking only one class is practically a . In return, the number of disciplinary measures can also be reduced. When students are too tired or mentally exhausted to concentrate at the end of the day, the last hour becomes meaningless. School Evaluation For Special Education What Parents Need to Know, Effectively Educating Diverse Student Populations: Strategies That Work - Applead Hofu, The Importance Of Sight Words In Early Reading GoGreenva.org, Online Education in Chennai - Birla Brainiacs, Advancing Technology Education in Rural High Schools Across - The Tech Edvocate - VSAY .IN. The average length of the K-12 school day is 8:30 to 3:00, engaging U.S. students in school for 6.64 hours a day over the span of 180 school days. List of the Major Cons of a 4-Day School Week 1. Your typical school week: Monday-Friday with the hours sometime between 7 am- 4 pm. 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. The challenges of implementing such a schedule for parents, administrators, and even some teachers have caused some Colorado school districts to return to the traditional schedule instead of the alternative 4-day schedule. Con: A lengthened school day may impede upon extracurricular activities, especially in secondary education. 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. Companies have been experimenting with shorter work days for at least a decade and, despite announcements that the 40-hour week is dead, there have been mixed results from the experiments. Many school districts still operate Monday-Friday, even on a 4-day week. Many of these districts are small and rural, such as Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Wyoming. 6 Benefits of Shorter School Days | Should There Be a Change? - ID Tech A story on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's website said: Other schools are worried about academic performance. It matches the class schedule to a parent's work schedule. Better Employee Engagement A 4 day week can lead to happier and more committed employees. The Cons of Longer School Days. Pros of the 4-day School Week. By switching to a 4-day school week, the number of transitions can be reduced because more time can be spent on each subject. Pros and cons of school dress code | University News 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. Special correspondent Lisa Stark of Education Week reports on the pros and cons for students, families and schools. Approximately 1,800 schools in the U.S. have extended learning hours, but there are many pros and cons of extended school days. Children have more time to participate in other activities that help them learn more. Kuss Middle School in Fall River, Mass., has risen from a Level 5 to a Level 1 after implementing extended learning time. . Theyre from moments we remember having fun, whether that was in the classroom, the playground, or the athletics field. That means the students in those districts have better opportunities to learn. school schedules from 5 to 4 days. (Lewis) In Bonneville, Idaho the school started later in the day which resulted in absences dropping 15%. Good for working parents: This would lead to less wraparound care for working . How a shorter school day affects students - articledocument.com 10 Reasons Why School Days Should Not Be Shorter? (TOP 5 Tips) Home Pros and Cons 20 Major Pros and Cons of a 4 Day School Week. The Pros and Cons of Year-Round Schools - Scholastic Colorado, juvenile crime increased by 73% whenever a school changed their Massachusetts, a pioneer in extended learning time (ELT), has made significant progress in this field. The Pros and Cons of a 4-Day Week for Employers & Employees In 1095or in 1905, depending on your sourcesRoberto Nevelis of Venice, Italy, is often credited with inventing the concept of homework. Spread the loveAre you looking for strategies to encourage students to take care of their personal property? 4. This could be especially true for students who are struggling in a particular subject or for students who have a lot of homework. Weekend sporting events make it easier to get students to them, especially when they are an away event, because the school day doesnt interfere on a Friday. The benefits are many. Another is that shorter days could lead to shorter attention spans in classrooms. 5. Many school The Pros and Cons of Taking Summer Classes This extra hour can make the day pretty long especially for younger students, which can often lead to a loss of focus later in the day. 4-Day School Weeks Are on the Rise - What Are the Pros and Cons? Spread the loveThis program assesses 15-year-old students schooling in countries that form part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. 4-day school weeks add You still have to go to practice, and dont forget the piles of homework that need done. Younger people shouldn't have to work as long as some adults do. . Every community has their own unique requirements that must be addressed by school scheduling. This creates challenges for families that range from transportation to daycare and could make it difficult for parents to be fully involved with their childs education. 4. Student performance may improve with a 4-day school week. How To Switch School Districts Without Moving? There are potential reductions in the financial costs of running a school district. There are a few potential drawbacks to shorter school days. Since the approach to curriculum development and pedagogical style varies by state and district, data must be disaggregated to evaluate specific impact. For others, perhaps not. The school day had to accommodate available daylight and the requirements of helping with the family farm. Longer school days may have some positive impact on student achievement, but research on their effects is lacking. If so, keep reading. If schools only had one day off per week, millions of dollars would be saved. Long summers are known to cause "summer slide," or the decline of academic skills and knowledge over the course of the extended vacation. Spread the loveEducation is a collaborative process, as it takes many stakeholders working in unison to help students succeed academically. In this article, we will examine this question in depth. The National School Board Association estimates that approximately 135,000 guns are brought to America's 85,000 public schools each day. She is the author and co-author of 12 books and serves as a consultant in K-12 and higher education. Spread the loveThis term describes a manner of classifying gifted students to place them in properly segmented classrooms. Students usually go to school about 6 hours each day in most districts. These schools save all this money from just switching to a shorter week. 2 Students Should Be Getting More Rest In addition to students having more time to focus on important activities, a shorter school day would give them more time to rest. How do longer school days affect students? The school day was originally created to meet the needs of farmers. 1. 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. All rights reserved. It almost forces some families into taking their vacation time from work during these holidays to accommodate the needs of their children. It also means that certain holiday vacations, such as Thanksgiving, are extended to a full week, and that can be a scheduling concern for many families. Teachers are frequently overworked and required to perform tasks that are outside their job description. flexibility to teachers schedules and as a result, makes their jobs more By shifting to a 4-day schedule, it becomes easier to transport students to all after-school events and activities because there is an extra day available to plan activities without running into mandatory school times. There are many changes with switching the school days. The list just gets longer. 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. Alexander Alvarez, Reporter November 16, 2021. If young kids are too weary to concentrate or perform well in class, they may experience weariness or fall asleep during class time. 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.
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