Con: Not all students need one-on-one assistance, and some may even experience boredom or burnout from the extended school day. It is important to consider all of the factors before making a decision. Shorter days can only be seen as a positive thing and would benefit students, teacher, and administrators. 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. If so, keep reading. The school districts may operate classes Monday-Thursday on a 4-day week (or Tuesday-Friday in some instances), but they are still operational from an administrative standpoint on the off-day. Many of these schools are already operating on an alternative schedule because that is what works best for their community. For the parents of younger students, an additional full day of daycare may need to be scheduled every week instead of a partial day. When I was a teacher, many moons ago, this was a fringe schooling schedule only practiced by rural school districts. 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. Since the approach to curriculum development and pedagogical style varies by state and district, data must be disaggregated to evaluate specific impact. Rural school districts and small school districts benefit the most from a 4-day schedule because of their natural isolation. More time to focus on mental health In the typical K-12 schooling model, mental health education is too often shunted aside. Pro: An extended school day provides more flexibility for parents, eliminating the need for after-school care. Delaying school start times is associated with a decrease in bedtimes and an increase in sleep for every minute the school day is delayed. Some research indicates there may be slight academic benefits to extending the school day. Arlene Ackerman says she and her students don't have the strength to teach or learn near the end of the school day. They dont usually run wild on the last day of school, instead working, making phone calls, or spending time with family. Here are some additional key points to think about when looking at the pros and cons of a 4-day school week. Some are facing the debate about whether to keep standardized tests or not. Cutting that by 20% means a savings of $4 billion, if implemented nationwide. Over the course of a 2-year period on this alternative schedule, they reported up to a 20% increase in student attendance. 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 . Spread the loveWe all have our heroes. There have been several studies that reported the 4-day school week had positive effects on students math and reading scores. Most parents have employment which requires them to be present for 8 hours per day, 5 days per week. Required fields are marked *, on Why School Days Should Be Shorter? According to The Notebook, longer school days add to low energy and exhaustion. 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. According to the vast majority of states, spanking your child is against the law. Shifting to this schedule does have certain disadvantages, especially for working parents. There are potential savings to food programs and other important areas of infrastructure because the school district is closed 1 additional day each week. Extending the school days even longer would further cut into valuable time to bond with family. Research has shown that in this configuration, students who are low-income, minority, or special needs dont fare too well academically. 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. Moving to the 4-day schedule shifts student movement patterns, reducing the number of lost transition minutes. There are approximately 300 children enrolled in California Elementary School under the age of eight. Along with giving kids more time to concentrate on critical activities, a shortened school day would also provide pupils with more opportunity to relax. 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. Spread the loveOne of the questions that I am frequently asked is, what does a good teacher look like? Advantage: More time for other subjects. Oklahoma Department of Education examined the economic effect of going to a This occurs because a large number of students are moving around the school campus. School districts save money. 4. Finally, teachers and students would have better relationships as they spend more time together instead of being rushed. 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. Accidents, absences, and absences all fall on the decline, and students academic performance rises. List of the Advantages of 4-Day School Weeks 1. The Chattooga County School District reported similar results from their trial with this schedule as well. NEA Today: A 9 to 5 School Day: Are Longer Hours Better for Students and Educators? Teachers have more time to prepare lessons and collaborate during the day. 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. Saving on utilities school buses, and long term building wear and tear. The requirements for total education time do not change just because a school district goes to a 4-day school week. One is that it would likely mean that teachers would have to teach more classes, which could lead to burnout. Pros of Year-Round School. When shifted to a 4-day school week, they reported that they were forced to focus on instruction much more than they had previously. 3. 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. It matches the class schedule to a parent's work schedule. Your typical school week: Monday-Friday with the hours sometime between 7 am- 4 pm. 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. Students are engaged more fully when their school schedule is expanded, and they learn more efficiently when they are exposed to a more stimulating environment. 1. There are 21 states that have four-day school districts. It provides a realistic way for schools to remain open and also has added benefits beyond saving money. Student performance may improve with a 4-day school week. In the United States, the average school day is around six and a half hours long. These crimes occurred all during the week, Financial problems is was most of a four day school week is about. The benefits are many. Custer School District, in rural South Dakota, believed they could save $70,000 with a 4-day school week. Pro: In 2004, the school day was lengthened for a Massachusetts school to address the issue of underperforming students. Shorter school days should be utilized in the U.S. education system as it comes with many benefits. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. His conclusion was that the best way to solve poverty was to educate the children in public schools. On the plus side, employees love it. They need a shorter school day so they can have more time to relax and play. The pros and cons of a 4-day school week offer many challenges. Spread the loveThe Talent Search Initiative has as its aim; the identification of high-performing students by organizing specific tests. Four day school weeks have been discussed by many schools, and some schools already have them. Children would get up early and help with chores, go to school and then help out on the farm until sundown. 4. 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. A three-day weekend allows for extra leisure time, as well as a reduction in commute and energy usage. Having well-rested and happy employees can increase their overall work engagement and productivity. An eight-hour day is pretty undesirable for elementary-aged kids. This added NOTE : The information on this website is for general information purposes only. It starts too early, ends too late, and occurs far too often. However, these basics vary, depending on a company's policy. school schedules from 5 to 4 days. 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. There is the possibility of making up for lost time, especially those who are at a disadvantage due to the digital divide. 3. There tends to be less student exhaustion, which allows them to focus more on the learning process. Spread the loveThe International Baccalaureate Program is a very intensive pre-college program in which when students get involved, they get college credit. How would it sound if school weeks were only four days long and, in doing that, it saved your school money at the same time? Administrative staff are required to be on-site, sports The districts which offer the 4-day work week receive more applications and more qualified applicants than the other school districts. Children have more time to participate in other activities that help them learn more. 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. These schools save all this money from just switching to a shorter week. Adds flexibility to teacher's schedules. Next, parents would not have to get day care except on Fridays instead of the whole summer. After-school jobs are a common way for teens to make money. 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. In 1995, 84 school districts were studied that had already implemented a 4-day school week. 1. Con: A lengthened school day may impede upon extracurricular activities, especially in secondary education. Practices for sports are still held on the fifth day, as are teacher conferences, staff development opportunities, and required janitorial work. 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. Spread the loveAre you looking for ways to teach students appropriate mealtime manners? Granby School District in Colorado shifted to a 4-day schedule for their 1,100 students. This solution has many mixed opinions from parents, teachers and. Adds flexibility to teachers schedules. How do longer school days affect students? This issue occurs at all grade levels. There are some drawbacks to shorter school days, as well. By having more instruction in class, students can not only get better test scores, but they can also get better grades. A story on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's website said: A potential decline in academic performance for vulnerable groups. Those that had implemented the alternative scheduling found that student attendance could rise by more than 20. 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. 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. At the same time, teacher attendance rates also rose, which is a trend still seen in these districts, 20+ years later. Elizabeth Perle 1). This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. In the United States, $17.5 billion each year is spent on school bus transportation. Pros and Cons of the Four-Day Week Proponents of four-day school weeks say that even though cost savings are minimal, they are achieved. Some students and parents have been advocating for shorter school days, and there is some evidence to suggest that shorter days could be beneficial. After physical activity, children with or without ADHD appear to perform better at attention, memory, and mood. This got me thinking about the pros and cons of longer vs. shorter trips. Going to the 4-day schedule can create scheduling conflicts with other districts, particularly with sporting events, performances, and groups like 4-H. Special correspondent Lisa Stark of Education Week reports on the pros and cons for students, families and schools. 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. They question the value of a continuous . that the flexibility of the 4-day work week helps them get more done. There can be no one answer to this question because it is a matter of case by case. 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. With the long break of summer, many people prefer the short breaks of year round schools. Thats two hours of lost time for farm chores, homework, or other responsibilities that rural families have more often than urban or suburban families. Spread the loveAre you looking for strategies to encourage students to take care of their personal property? Long school days can cause eating problems for students who don't eat at school, or who use up all their energy while learning. 2. Younger people shouldn't have to work as long as some adults do. Changing the times could increase attendance by 1%, which could bring in $40 million more. Longer school days may have some positive impact on student achievement, but research on their effects is lacking. 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. The school day was originally created to meet the needs of farmers. 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. 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. The average time for school that is scheduled in a 4-day week is either 7:30am-5pm or 8am-5:30pm. Sometimes even starting school earlier in the . Because of this, school districts dont have a hard The school day is too long. 4 Day School Week Pros and Cons. During recess, limit the number of games or activities that students can participate in. 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. 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? The pros of year-round school Eliminating any sort of long break from school can improve a child's academic achievement. 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. The kids groan, complain about getting out of bed, and struggle to get through the morning routine. Getting to school on-time or making it out for the bus is a constant battle. Taking only one class is practically a . 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. Disadvantage: Less time for extracurricular activities. List of Cons of Implementing 4-Day School Weeks 1. Students are still getting the same amount of instruction in terms of minutes, just in a shorter number of days. It may improve overall student attendance. Changing school start times will increase attendance and money brought in. When it comes to school, we most likely understand what its like to go to school all year. That reduces the effective time they would have for homework once they actually make it home. The average national cost that schools need to pay for each students bus transportation is $459. (Solution). Schools would also have to change their bus transportation systems which are designed to run as efficiently and inexpensively as possible. More rest then equates to dealing with less stress over the course of a school year. 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. 2. Dr. Kelly Meier earned her doctorate from Minnesota State Mankato in Educational Leadership.
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