When I was a teacher, many moons ago, this was a fringe schooling schedule only practiced by rural school districts. Teachers are frequently overworked and required to perform tasks that are outside their job description. Why did they switch to 4-day school weeks? Less time in school could allow students the freedom to discover other interests that are fulfilling and stimulating. All rights reserved. the traditional 5th day. Anticipated savings are in transportation, food and food service workers, hourly workers and utilities. 6. Shortening the school day by even an hour or two can allow a district to save dramatically on its utility costs. According to a Center for American Progress study, traditional school schedules are out of sync with the current economic environment. Opportunity to relax and really immerse yourself in the experience. In YRE, the number of days in school equals the number of days in a calendar year (180 days). It also means that students face more daily seat time, in exchange for a 3-day weekend which may not materialize with their after-school commitments. Many of these schools are already operating on an alternative schedule because that is what works best for their community. The Rural areas report that their student attendance has increased since switching to the 4-day school week. Many school districts still operate Monday-Friday, even on a 4-day week. Most parents have employment which requires them to be present for 8 hours per day, 5 days per week. After 12 hours of being away from home, students struggle to find time to study during the 4-day school week. Some school districts have reported saving If so, keep reading. Those against extended lunches might argue . But just because the final bell rang doesnt mean that youre done. (Question). It also means that they would have more time to mark the voluminous quantity of homework that they have to complete every night. Spread the loveAfrican Africans have a long history of being mistreated in the United States, starting with slavery. It is also good for teachers and the whole school. One is that it would likely mean that teachers would have to teach more classes, which could lead to burnout. The majority of these are found in the western United States, including Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, and Oklahoma, Thompson said. There is a variety of emotional and behavioral problems, depression, alcohol use, and impaired cognitive function that can contribute to this. That means the average cost, per student, is about $700. Another potential drawback is that shorter school days could lead to more after-school activities, which could be a problem for working parents. Shorter school days should be utilized in the U.S. education system as it comes with many benefits. They also said students can gain more time for fun and still receive an excellent education. It is a program for mostly rural and small school districts. 2. This occurs because a large number of students are moving around the school campus. What they discovered was unexpected. Suffolk Public Schools went with a 7:25 am start time for their district and are saving almost $700,000 per year. configuration, but nine districts were actually spending more. A potential decline in academic performance for vulnerable groups. manageable in a myriad of ways. Most schools, when Year Round Schooling: Should it Be Implemented? It might help school districts save money. All of these consequences just because nobody wants to shorten the school day. The Cons. Overall, a shorter school schedule resulted in a 7% increase in math scores and a 3% gain in reading. From the moment you walk into the second you walk out. The requirements for total education time do not change just because a school district goes to a 4-day school week. There are potential reductions in the financial costs of running a school district. Required fields are marked *, on Why School Days Should Be Shorter? Year-round schooling has been proposed as a better option for students than a traditional 9-month schedule. List of the Advantages of 4-Day School Weeks 1. In some situations, a single teacher may be responsible for over 100 students. Alexander Alvarez, Reporter November 16, 2021. Adds flexibility to teachers schedules. Easier to recruit employees. What are the pros and cons of shorter school week? Schools may even have to purchase lights for after school activities. Having well-rested and happy employees can increase their overall work engagement and productivity. It can help teachers and students better manage the process of learning. The kids groan, complain about getting out of bed, and struggle to get through the morning routine. Also, since special populations fare poorly in this configuration, the costs of 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. Long school days, on the other hand, can present some challenges and, at the very least, unsatisfactory outcomes. It may reduce the number of discipline referrals for students. 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. When it comes to school, we most likely understand what its like to go to school all year. Ages. Your email address will not be published. If you are arrested for spanking your child, you may face charges of assault, battery, child abuse, or domestic violence. This could be especially true for students who are struggling in a particular subject or for students who have a lot of homework. But slowly over the nation, schools are switching to a four day school week. Advantage: More time to devote to learning. Some educators believe that extending the school day until 5:00 p.m. is the answer. The Melstone School District in Montana also shifted to a 4-day school week. This provided the teacher with more freedom with curriculum and time management. There have been several studies that reported the 4-day school week had positive effects on student's math and reading scores. There are some drawbacks to shorter school days, as well. remediating them begin to take a bite out of the budget. These are more reasons CHS should move to a four day school week. 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. School administration, associates with principal office also went down. Data is an important variable if youre considering the longer school days pros and cons list. 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. Elizabeth Perle 1). Some students and parents have been advocating for shorter school days, and there is some evidence to suggest that shorter days could be beneficial. school schedules from 5 to 4 days. 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. Spread the loveGlobalization is the growing interconnectedness of countries around the world. Dr. Kelly Meier earned her doctorate from Minnesota State Mankato in Educational Leadership. 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. They question the value of a continuous . That also makes scheduling problematic for many families. Teachers can use more time in the day to go on field trips or expand content areas. According to the findings, relocating some math classes to the morning and other subjects, such as English, to the afternoon might result in an increase in students GPAs and test outcomes. Data from the National Association of Year-Round Education . 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. Schools can save up to 20% on some budget-line expenses with a 4-day week. Children need the opportunity to rest and re-energize, and theyre often overextended with activities, homework and part-time jobs. First and foremost, an extended school day would provide students with extra learning time. The organization 4 Day Week Global sponsored the program. Games occur in the evening, often on the weekend. The idea of having a four-day school has been around for several decades, and has been considered at least since the 1930s, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. One is that it would likely mean that teachers would have to teach more classes, which could lead to burnout. The schedule forces teachers to spend small blocks of time on specific topics without really being able to dig into in-depth issues. Children have a six-week summer break and ten days of off every 45 days of class. 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. Most parents work a 5-day schedule and struggle to adapt to a 4-day school schedule. This issue occurs at all grade levels. Traditional vs. Another is that shorter days could lead to shorter attention spans in classrooms. There are numerous advantages and disadvantages to each. So it is illogical to think that a four day week will help other grade levels. It is important to consider all of the factors before making a decision. Shorter school days should be used in the United States education system since they have several advantages. Shorter school days that start later in the day could alleviate this problem, promoting healthy habits and the many benefits that go with a solid sleep routine. Students will have extra time outside of school to devote to other essential elements of their life as a result of this change. If something goes wrong . Students attending a 4-day school schedule may have requirements for their education that fall outside of the normal work schedule for their parents. Additionally student involvement and safety would suffer. Schools would also have to change their bus transportation systems which are designed to run as efficiently and inexpensively as possible. The Oakridge School District in Oregon reported that their test scores improved when they shifted to this alternative schedule as well. Since an entire day is cut off the week, that extra time needs to be made up during the remaining four days. 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. We call for a relatively radical and certainly quite comprehensive reorganization of Americas P-20 system. Spread the loveBeing a teacher is a tough job. 5. Bisbee Unified School District (AZ) saved $154,000, Duval County Public School (FL) saved $7 million, and Lake Superior School District (MN) $200,000. Those that had implemented the alternative scheduling found that student attendance could rise by more than 20. In addition, they are given a week off for major holidays and 2 weeks of summer vacation at their parents discretion. The schedule change also shifted how teachers assigned homework, making it more efficient and focused. Students already feel like their school day is too long. Oklahoma Department of Education examined the economic effect of going to a Extending the school year may help make teaching a full-time, more lucrative profession for educators if year-round schools can cut costs through . The capital, insurance, maintenance, and administrative costs remain relatively constant. Some districts take just one week off at Christmas instead of two weeks because of these conflicts. In order to squeeze the regular five-day workload into four days, it would necessitate the closure of vital services on that additional day and the lengthening of working days on the other days. Read the Full Transcript Judy Woodruff: For many American students and. Our individualized learning setup at the Tenney School allows us to offer more instruction in a shorter amount of time. So what are the pros and cons of 4-day school weeks? When Friday rolls around each week during the school year, many parents face the same situation. We can all agree that school feels like it lasts forever. There are many changes with switching the school days. Going to the 4-day schedule can create scheduling conflicts with other districts, particularly with sporting events, performances, and groups like 4-H. Some research indicates there may be slight academic benefits to extending the school day. Finally, some parents worry that shorter days could mean that their children would have less time to participate in extracurricular activities. As a result, students dont have to miss school to help out. If no other elements are in place, it is highly unlikely that extending the school day would result in increased student learning. Other pros and cons exist in the school lunch debate. For others, perhaps not. 3. There were also reduced sick days requested by their teaching staff. How To Switch School Districts Without Moving? Schools are facing many issues today. 1. By 2013, a dramatic improvement in scores was credited to the extended learning time. By switching to a 4-day school week, the number of transitions can be reduced because more time can be spent on each subject. One is that students might not have enough time to receive all the instruction they need in a particular subject. I say this because we would have to start. Increasing the length of school days may result in attention deficit and exhaustion, making the additional class time inefficient. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Extended School Days Advantage: More time to devote to learning. After analyzing Colorado schools operating on four-day school weeks, (Dam) reports that transportation costs can be reduced by 20%. What's the Difference Between Burnout and Demoralization, and What Can Teachers Do About It? Kids already spend a very long time each week in the school and away from their family. The decision to implement such a schedule must therefore be handled at the local level. Year-Round Schedules Many people think of the school year as starting in August or at the beginning of September and continuing for 10 months. The Chattooga County School District in Georgia shifted to a 4-day school week. There are positive outcomes that may occur, but there are negative outcomes that must also be managed. According to the vast majority of states, spanking your child is against the law. Many school 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. Pro: An extended school day provides more time for students to learn and the possibility of providing individualized attention for students in need. Well, for some rural schools across the nation, this has become a reality. Longer school days make no sense when there is so much else we could be doing with our time. In New Mexico, 18 of the states 89 school districts are currently using this alternative schedule. 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. For non year-round schools the dropout rate is 5%, which is more than all year-round schools. 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. 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. There are improvements in the school financially. According to the majority of the researchers, the inconclusive results do not imply that decisions to change schedules should be made based on test scores. Obesity, anxiety and stress, as well as lower grades, can all be attributed to a lack of sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. 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. It matches the class schedule to a parent's work schedule. On top of that, you will likely only be taking 1-2 classes at a time instead of four or more. 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 strategies to help students who cannot fasten their own clothes? Since the approach to curriculum development and pedagogical style varies by state and district, data must be disaggregated to evaluate specific impact. 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.