Long school days can cause eating problems for students who don't eat at school, or who use up all their energy while learning. (Lewis) In Bonneville, Idaho the school started later in the day which resulted in absences dropping 15%. First and foremost, an extended school day would provide students with extra learning time. When properly implemented, extended learning time programs have the potential to increase students academic progress as well as their social and emotional development. It may reduce the number of discipline referrals for students. That is because larger districts offer more activities, manage more student events, and operate essentially 7 days per week during the school year anyway. that the flexibility of the 4-day work week helps them get more done. If schools only had one day off per week, millions of dollars would be saved. Your typical school week: Monday-Friday with the hours sometime between 7 am- 4 pm. If so, keep reading. It is possible that children will be better prepared to concentrate when it matters because they will have more opportunities to move around and avoid being distracted by classroom rules. 6-7. They can explore and discover various hobbies and interests, maintain their stress levels and get more sleep. 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. Moving to the 4-day schedule shifts student movement patterns, reducing the number of lost transition minutes. But the extra money hasn't gone into teachers' salaries, which have dropped on average from . Elizabeth Perle 1). Those human beings that seem larger than life and almost achieve Godlike status. Teachers in Seattle are deciding how to use an additional 20 minutes on top of the usual school day. This provided the teacher with more freedom with curriculum and time management. The Cons. Some school districts shifted to a 4-day week not because of financial needs, but others did so to make it easier to schedule sporting events or after-school activities. 2. Programs like student tutoring or sports, teacher/parent meetings, staff development, and building maintenance still happen on the fifth day, which negates many of the cost-savings opportunities that the 4-day schedule appears to offer. Games occur in the evening, often on the weekend. Spread the loveThe International Baccalaureate Program is a very intensive pre-college program in which when students get involved, they get college credit. In general, taking away recess as punishment may be seen as unfair or too harsh, especially for young children. If young kids are too weary to concentrate or perform well in class, they may experience weariness or fall asleep during class time. 6. Since an entire day is cut off the week, that extra time needs to be made up during the remaining four days. What we envisage may not be the most straightforward or the most conventional ideas. Having students to fit 5 days' worth of classroom time into 4 days would make for a tiring schedule, where many of the younger school children would find it very difficult to focus on their study for such long periods. Additional costs savings from a shorter day include less . There are many changes with switching the school days. So what are the pros and cons of 4-day school weeks? . Changing the system could result in many more. After-school jobs are a common way for teens to make money. 6. Second, it would allow students to get more sleep, which is important for their health and well-being. The school day could be shortened to give children and teenagers more time for movement, brain breaks, and other activities that have been shown to increase learning outcomes. It changes the holiday schedules for the school district. Shorter work weeks can improve employment productivity and provide families with more meaningful time together. Pros of Year-Round School. So it is illogical to think that a four day week will help other grade levels. That can make it difficult for some students to pay attention to the information being provided. 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. If practicums can be included with small group discussions, the retention rate can top 90% for some students. Spread the loveWe all have our heroes. For non year-round schools the dropout rate is 5%, which is more than all year-round schools. 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. Research has shown that in this configuration, students who are low-income, minority, or special needs dont fare too well academically. In many US school districts, the first class begins 1-2 hours after most parents need to be at work. But recently, there has been a move towards shorter weeks across the United States. The Edvocate plans to be one of key architects of this revival, as it continues to advocate for education reform, equity, and innovation. In many cases, it is in the best interests of students to reduce costs and have minimal impact on instruction. Better sleep: Delayed start time could help teens sleep during . Adds flexibility to teacher's schedules. His conclusion was that the best way to solve poverty was to educate the children in public schools. Many school districts still operate Monday-Friday, even on a 4-day week. This is one reason school districts use to implement dress codes. 3. Many schools are, in fact, offering year-round services now to accommodate the changing needs of their communities. These will be some pros of a four day school week. Who Sang For Troy In High School Musical? In the standard 5-day school week, sports practices occur after school. Changing the Moniteau County R-1 School districts schedule to a four-day week would be detrimental to students safety and involvement in activities. Revisiting Using Edtech for Bullying and Suicide Prevention. Spread the loveAre you looking for strategies to help students who cannot fasten their own clothes? One way to address these issues is to shift the traditional school schedule into a 4-day week. The final class ends 1-2 hours before the work day ends for most parents. 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. 4. We can all agree that school feels like it lasts forever. Con: A longitudinal study in New Mexico looked at the performance difference in K-3 students from seven different school districts. Required fields are marked *, on Why School Days Should Be Shorter? Increasing the length of school days may result in attention deficit and exhaustion, rendering the additional class time unproductive. Spread the loveAre you looking for ways to teach students appropriate mealtime manners? There are some drawbacks to shorter school days, as well. First, it would give students more time to focus on their homework and studies outside of school. 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. Some districts take just one week off at Christmas instead of two weeks because of these conflicts. What's the Difference Between Burnout and Demoralization, and What Can Teachers Do About It? 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. Most students in the four-day districts80 percent of high school students and 90 percent of elementary studentsspent their "off day" at home. These are more reasons CHS should move to a four day school week. There are a few potential drawbacks to shorter school days. If no other elements are in place, it is highly unlikely that extending the school day would result in increased student learning. Saving on utilities school buses, and long term building wear and tear. You should approach these strategies with your childs teacher instead of punishing him or her. The Alaska school year averaged about 180 days in length, and the school day was 6.48 hours long. They can supervise their children at the bus stop in rural districts as well. 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. They also said students can gain more time for fun and still receive an excellent education. Advantages of a Shorter Work Week People who work a four-day week say they're healthier, happier, and less time-pressured, according to a report in The Atlantic - and their employers say their employees are much more focused and efficient. In general, ELT has received positive feedback; however, some schools have had more difficult transitions than others. Delaying school start times will assist students in developing the skills required to reach their full potential. Most parents work a 5-day schedule and struggle to adapt to a 4-day school schedule. During recess, limit the number of games or activities that students can participate in. There are positive outcomes that may occur, but there are negative outcomes that must also be managed. The idea has been to cut hours while keeping pay the same. 4 day school week would be better for schools without a doubt because you save money and kids will be more refreshed and not burned out also their behavior is showed to become better. Children would get up early and help with chores, go to school and then help out on the farm until sundown. Student performance may improve with a 4-day school week. There should be year round schooling because it can help students learn more and forget less, other classes are included and childcare is provided, teachers get more time to plan and teach lessons. 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. That additional day can also be used for staff development time instead of taking away a school day to do so. It also means that they would have more time to mark the voluminous quantity of homework that they have to complete every night. Sometimes even starting school earlier in the . Extending the school day is a hot topic for educational policy making bodies.