Year-round school in the United StatesFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Year-round schooling (YRS) has been present from the 1900s.[1] YRS first appeared in urban areas, because they were not tied to the agriculture cycle.[1] The first towns that implemented YRS were Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C., Cleveland, Buffalo, and Detroit.[1] These towns had schools sessions for 48 or more weeks at a time.[1] The types of school schedules that were used were the 12-1 (12 weeks in school with 1 week break between the 12 weeks, which was more popular) and 12-4 (4 weeks off in August and school ran continuous after).[1] The first summer school was introduced in 1865 at the First Church of Boston, MA.[1] In 1916 there would be 200 elementary schools offering summer school.[1] In 1971, a survey showed that 84% of the surveyed educational authorities predicted that all United States schools would be year-round within 15 years.[2] In 1973, states that provided year-round schooling options were: Washington, Nevada, California, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, Vermont, Kentucky, and Missouri.[1] By 1975, Oregon, Wyoming, Montana, Ohio, South Carolina, North Carolina, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Louisiana, Texas, and Tennessee adopted YRS for at least one school, however Vermont dropped YRS.[1]

ControversyIn favor of year-round schoolBusiness perspective

Many businesses dislike year-round calendars, because there is more competition for students trying to get jobs on their vacations since not all students have the same vacation time.[3] Businesses also find it easier to provide jobs on a year-round basis instead of having many in the summer for students.[2] Year-round schools also allow for students to graduate at different times, allowing for a decrease in unemployment when compared to all students graduating together and trying to get the few jobs that are open during that time.[1] Businesses also don't have the trouble of having a large volume of employees trying to take off the same vacation time for children getting out of school for summer, since the children would have different vacations.[1] Schools that adopt YRS are also better for industries that have a high volume of people in a short amount of time, because the different vacations allow for students to be open for employment more readily and for vacationers to be more spread out instead of all at once.[1][2] Some tourist destinations that are very popular in colder months would benefit from this.

Attitudes

Several different studies have been conducted to learn more about the attitudes of students who attend year-round schools. The majority of these studies show that students' attitudes towards school did significantly increase as they spent more time on a year-round schedule.[4] Students who attend year-round school say that calendar is more balanced than their peers who have a typical school calendar.[5]

Effect on students

Students who attend year-round schools typically do as well as or slightly better in school than their peers who attend a traditionally scheduled school.[4]

At-risk students are those who come from a low-income family, have a disability, are of an ethnic minority, or are influenced by something else that may cause them to perform poorly in school. In 1994, a study of three year-round schools showed a substantial gain in academic achievement for at-risk, low performing students. More frequent, short breaks provide struggling students more time for help.[6] These breaks can be used for remedial courses, tutoring, and enrichment, if needed.[5]

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction researched the achievement differences between year-round and traditional-calendar using data from more than 345,000 North public schools. It was found that student achievement in year-round schools was statistically the same as it was in traditional schools. Another study compared the mathematics performance of 44 students in 5th and 6th grades on a year-round track with that of 40 students on a traditional track in the same school, which found no achievement gap.[7]

A study conducted by the Ohio State University found that, over the course of a full year, students showed no significant improvement in reading and math scores in year-round schools compared to those students whose were in schools that followed the traditional academic calendar. Year-round schools do not add more school days to the 180 standard academic calendar. The total number of school days and vacation days remains unchanged, but instead is distributed throughout the year. Thus, students are not gaining more instructional days.[7]

The state of California's Department of Education claims that year-round schools' third-graders had an average increase of 9.5% on standardized tests and 13.3% in reading scores.[5]

Smarter students would have the ability to graduate faster by being enrolled during their vacation times to allow for lessons.[3] Class sizes are reduced, creating better learning environments.[3] Another plus for students is that instead of failing an entire year of school, a student would only fail 45 days on a 45-15 plan, making it so that the student doesn't fall behind as much as a traditional school calendar.[2]

Effect on teachers and administration

Studies show that even though around 50% of parents are in favor of the year-round schedule before it is implemented, almost 80% are in favor of it after the first year.[4] Parents and families are able to still arrange daycare as well as vacations. The year-round schedule provides more opportunities for family vacations. This schedule can also save families money because they are able to take vacations during off-peak times.[5] Teachers would also be able to increase their income by teaching days of class on their vacations.[1][2][8] Some teachers also favor Year-Round School, because they can have flexible contracts, as in different vacation times.[3]

OppositionRural perspective

Most of the main opposers to year-round schooling come from an agricultural background. This is because the kids would have to attend school in the summer, which is when most of the farm work is done. The families' livelihood depends on some children being able to help out on the farm. This is one of the main reasons most schools do not have year-round classes.[citation needed]

Costs

If schools are open for longer, the operating and maintenance costs may increase up to 10 percent.[9] These costs may add up and in turn interfere with budgets for other programs that are already struggling with funding such as the arts, sports and other extra-curricular activities that are state funded.

With today's current economic state, students often have to save up their own money to be able to attend college. This means they often will seek summer or part-time jobs to do so. Year-round schooling may create difficulties for teens to be able to maintain part-time or summer job to save up their money.[10]

Effect on students

There is research that suggests year-round schools have positive effects on students who are at risk for academic problems, including those from underprivileged backgrounds and those who are poor performers in school.[7]

Students with attention learning disabilities may experience difficulties with longer school days. Younger elementary students who are not psychologically fully developed may not see any additional benefit to extended days. This in turn may increase behavioral issues within the classroom.[11]

After school activities may experience conflicts with longer school days. They may also experience budgeting issues with extended schooling sessions into the year.[10]

Another problem that students would face would be being distracted by other students or friends that are on their vacation, which would affect their grades.[8]

Students and teachers would have impersonal relationships due to different schedules for both groups.[1][3][8]

Many people argue that students get bored during summer vacations, when there is much less activity and stimulation, so attending school for a year would be a benefit to them.[citation needed] However, many children need a break from school for time to relax and if they have to attend school for an entire year, they will have negative attitudes about learning and their education.[citation needed]

Year-round school schedules are subject to considerable debate among both proponents and critics. Advocates of year-round schools cite increased performance because students have less time to forget important learning material than they might during a longer summer break. Opponents claim decreased family time and difficulty scheduling childcare as reasons to avoid year-round schedules. Students at both traditional and year-round schools attend approximately 180 days of class, as the South Dakota Department of Education reports, but the allocation of the days can have a tremendous impact on families, students and school staff.

More Frequent BreaksThere are both advantages and disadvantages to having frequent breaks throughout the year. Year-round school allows students to be engaged in their learning for the majority of the year. Although year-round schedules vary from school to school, most students attend classes for 2-3 months at a time, and then have between one and three weeks off before starting the cycle again, according to the National Education Association. Frequent breaks might be a great option for students and teachers to re-energize and recharge. However, they might also cause scheduling problems in families with other children in schools with a different schedule or for those struggling to secure child care for the short breaks throughout the year.

Effects on BudgetAdvocates claim a year-round calendar allows school facilities to be used most effectively because they are not sitting empty for months at a time during summer break. Families' budgets might benefit from the reduced costs associated with being be able to travel in off-season times. However, the frequent breaks might force parents to take frequent time off work, line up potentially expensive short-term childcare solutions or even leave children alone in the home while they work. Older students might suffer financially if they

would normally secure full-time summer employment during a traditional summer break.

Absences and BurnoutA year-round schedule might reduce absences because the frequently scheduled breaks allow for sick or exhausted teachers and students to recover and recuperate before returning to school. Both teachers and students might feel less burnout when they get more extended time off throughout the year. However, others might become overwhelmed with the seemingly endless cycle of year-round school or struggle with focus each time classes resume after a short break.

Academic AchievementA year-round schedule might make it easier for students to access tutoring, particularly economically disadvantaged students, the California Department of Education reports. Students are also less likely to forget material over a short break than they might be over the traditional summer vacation. However, there is no guarantee of improved academic achievement, as Paul von Hippel, researcher and sociologist at Ohio State University discovered. Teachers might not have as much time to access continuing education courses in a year-round calendar. Those students who would normally benefit from summer school might miss out on remedial or supplemental classes.

More Frequent BreaksThere are both advantages and disadvantages to having frequent breaks throughout the year. Year-round school allows students to be engaged in their learning for the majority of the year. Although year-round schedules vary from school to school, most students attend classes for 2-3 months at a time, and then have between one and three weeks off before starting the cycle again, according to the National Education Association. Frequent breaks might be a great option for students and teachers to re-energize and recharge. However, they might also cause scheduling problems in families with other children in schools with a different schedule or for those struggling to secure child care for the short breaks throughout the year.

Effects on BudgetAdvocates claim a year-round calendar allows school facilities to be used most effectively because they are not sitting empty for months at a time during summer break. Families' budgets might benefit from the reduced costs associated with being be able to travel in off-season times. However, the frequent breaks might force parents to take frequent time off work, line up potentially expensive short-term childcare solutions or even leave children alone in the home while they work. Older students might suffer financially if they would normally secure full-time summer employment during a traditional summer break.

Absences and Burnout

A year-round schedule might reduce absences because the frequently scheduled breaks allow for sick or exhausted teachers and students to recover and recuperate before returning to school. Both teachers and students might feel less burnout when they get more extended time off throughout the year. However, others might become overwhelmed with the seemingly endless cycle of year-round school or struggle with focus each time classes resume after a short break.

Academic AchievementA year-round schedule might make it easier for students to access tutoring, particularly economically disadvantaged students, the California Department of Education reports. Students are also less likely to forget material over a short break than they might be over the traditional summer vacation. However, there is no guarantee of improved academic achievement, as Paul von Hippel, researcher and sociologist at Ohio State University discovered. Teachers might not have as much time to access continuing education courses in a year-round calendar. Those students who would normally benefit from summer school might miss out on remedial or supplemental classes.

Would year round school or a longer school day solve our nation's concerns about

school performance? Would it help to produce more globally competitive citizens? It is

questions like these that lay at the heart of debate about whether or not to have longer

school days or to make school a year round institution.

Why Have Year Round School?

Many who argue for year round school believe that more is better.

United States President Barack Obama is among them. ""The-challenges of the new

century demand more time in the classroom." he stated.

Frederick M. Hess, Director of Education Policy Studies for the American Enterprise

Institute for Public Policy Research, notes that few countries offer more than seven

consecutive weeks of vacation for students--as opposed to the United States' average

of thirteen weeks. Hess suggests that following the agrarian calendar is an

anachronistic way of running schools.

What Does the Research Say About Year Round School?

Not all educators agree that more time is better and the research, including studies

published in the  Economics of Education Review (2008); Phi Delta Kappan (2007) and

research conducted by Elena Silva, a policy analyst at Education Sector, back them up. 

In fact, all of these studies found that for most students there is no correlation between

the length of the school day or year and academic achievement. What they did find,

however, was that how the time in the classroom was spent was incredibly important.

In other words, it's not how long kids are in the classroom, it's how engaged in learning

they are while there are there.

The Pros of a Year Round School or Longer School Day

Shorter summer breaks mean students are less likely to incur summer learning loss, which may

decrease the number of students being served by  intervention programs .

Remediation needs can be addressed during the school year as opposed to during summer

programs, possibly decreasing retention rates and decreasing the need to includesummer

school in local budgets.

Vacation time can be more evenly distributed throughout the year, making it easier toschedule

family vacations and giving students opportunity to regenerate more frequently. This may cut

down on the need to re-teach skills after long vacations, allowing teachers to use classroom

time more efficiently.

Families who struggle to find childcare or pay childcare expenses will benefit from such

programs as will children who are in sub-par childcare during summer vacation or afterschool.

The school system would be more like that of other countries, providing students with the ability

to have a more global educational experience.

Multi-tracking systems , those in which groups of students are on different school schedules,

may allow for more school consolidation.

Students with lower test scores increase academic skills with more instructional time. (Silva,

2007)

The Cons of a Year Round School or Longer School Day

School maintenance costs, including day-to-day upkeep and utilities, can increase up to 10

percent if schools are open for longer. (Silva, 2007).

Students who have difficulty with attention, either due to disability or because young elementary

students are not developmentally ready to attend for longer periods of time are unlikely to get

more out of a longer school day. This, too, may increase the amount ofbehavioral issues in the

classroom.

Teens who need to work  to help support themselves or make money for college may have

difficulty holding or finding a job. (Silvernail & Bickford, 2009)

Budgets and staffing issues simply may not allow for extended school programs. Many schools

already struggle to pay teachers a competitive wage, making it hard to keep high quality

teachers. The cost of teaching as a full-time endeavor may not be feasible either locally or

federally.

Multi-tracking programs  mean that parents could possibly have students on different schedules.

After school activities , such as sports or the arts may suffer or get lost in the shuffle (or budget)

if school days are longer.

Students in year round school may miss out on opportunities to spend time with children of

other ages and/or learn about nature as typical summer camp experiences may no longer be a

part of the childhood experience.

In fact, all of these studies found that for most students there is no correlation between

the length of the school day or year and academic achievement. What they did find,

however, was that how the time in the classroom was spent was incredibly important.

In other words, it's not how long kids are in the classroom, it's how engaged in learning

they are while there are there.

The Pros of a Year Round School or Longer School Day

Shorter summer breaks mean students are less likely to incur summer learning loss, which may

decrease the number of students being served by  intervention programs .

Remediation needs can be addressed during the school year as opposed to during summer

programs, possibly decreasing retention rates and decreasing the need to includesummer

school in local budgets.

Vacation time can be more evenly distributed throughout the year, making it easier toschedule

family vacations and giving students opportunity to regenerate more frequently. This may cut

down on the need to re-teach skills after long vacations, allowing teachers to use classroom

time more efficiently.

Families who struggle to find childcare or pay childcare expenses will benefit from such

programs as will children who are in sub-par childcare during summer vacation or afterschool.

The school system would be more like that of other countries, providing students with the ability

to have a more global educational experience.

Multi-tracking systems , those in which groups of students are on different school schedules,

may allow for more school consolidation.

Students with lower test scores increase academic skills with more instructional time. (Silva,

2007)

The Cons of a Year Round School or Longer School Day

School maintenance costs, including day-to-day upkeep and utilities, can increase up to 10

percent if schools are open for longer. (Silva, 2007).

Students who have difficulty with attention, either due to disability or because young elementary

students are not developmentally ready to attend for longer periods of time are unlikely to get

more out of a longer school day. This, too, may increase the amount ofbehavioral issues in the

classroom.

Teens who need to work  to help support themselves or make money for college may have

difficulty holding or finding a job. (Silvernail & Bickford, 2009)

Budgets and staffing issues simply may not allow for extended school programs. Many schools

already struggle to pay teachers a competitive wage, making it hard to keep high quality

teachers. The cost of teaching as a full-time endeavor may not be feasible either locally or

federally.

Multi-tracking programs  mean that parents could possibly have students on different schedules.

After school activities , such as sports or the arts may suffer or get lost in the shuffle (or budget)

if school days are longer.

Students in year round school may miss out on opportunities to spend time with children of

other ages and/or learn about nature as typical summer camp experiences may no longer be a

part of the childhood experience.

Would year round school or a longer school day solve our nation's concerns about

school performance? Would it help to produce more globally competitive citizens? It is

questions like these that lay at the heart of debate about whether or not to have longer

school days or to make school a year round institution.

may allow for more school consolidation.

Students with lower test scores increase academic skills with more instructional time. (Silva,

2007)

The Cons of a Year Round School or Longer School Day

School maintenance costs, including day-to-day upkeep and utilities, can increase up to 10

percent if schools are open for longer. (Silva, 2007).

Students who have difficulty with attention, either due to disability or because young elementary

students are not developmentally ready to attend for longer periods of time are unlikely to get

more out of a longer school day. This, too, may increase the amount ofbehavioral issues in the

classroom.

Teens who need to work  to help support themselves or make money for college may have

difficulty holding or finding a job. (Silvernail & Bickford, 2009)

Budgets and staffing issues simply may not allow for extended school programs. Many schools

already struggle to pay teachers a competitive wage, making it hard to keep high quality

teachers. The cost of teaching as a full-time endeavor may not be feasible either locally or

federally.

Multi-tracking programs  mean that parents could possibly have students on different schedules.

After school activities , such as sports or the arts may suffer or get lost in the shuffle (or budget)

if school days are longer.

Students in year round school may miss out on opportunities to spend time with children of

other ages and/or learn about nature as typical summer camp experiences may no longer be a

part of the childhood experience.

Would year round school or a longer school day solve our nation's concerns about

school performance? Would it help to produce more globally competitive citizens? It is

questions like these that lay at the heart of debate about whether or not to have longer

school days or to make school a year round institution.

Why Have Year Round School?

Many who argue for year round school believe that more is better.

United States President Barack Obama is among them. ""The-challenges of the new

century demand more time in the classroom." he stated.

Frederick M. Hess, Director of Education Policy Studies for the American Enterprise

Institute for Public Policy Research, notes that few countries offer more than seven

consecutive weeks of vacation for students--as opposed to the United States' average

of thirteen weeks. Hess suggests that following the agrarian calendar is an

anachronistic way of running schools.

What Does the Research Say About Year Round School?

Not all educators agree that more time is better and the research, including studies

published in the  Economics of Education Review (2008); Phi Delta Kappan (2007) and

research conducted by Elena Silva, a policy analyst at Education Sector, back them up. 

In fact, all of these studies found that for most students there is no correlation between

the length of the school day or year and academic achievement. What they did find,

however, was that how the time in the classroom was spent was incredibly important.

In other words, it's not how long kids are in the classroom, it's how engaged in learning

they are while there are there.

The Pros of a Year Round School or Longer School Day

Shorter summer breaks mean students are less likely to incur summer learning loss, which may

decrease the number of students being served by  intervention programs .

Remediation needs can be addressed during the school year as opposed to during summer

programs, possibly decreasing retention rates and decreasing the need to includesummer

school in local budgets.

Vacation time can be more evenly distributed throughout the year, making it easier toschedule

family vacations and giving students opportunity to regenerate more frequently. This may cut

down on the need to re-teach skills after long vacations, allowing teachers to use classroom

time more efficiently.The very thought of sending kids to school year-round makes some parents cringe. They balk at the idea of kids

attending schools with no summer break. They question the value of a continuous school year interspersed with

several short breaks. While the schedule is definitely not what the majority of adults grew up with, it's not nearly as

onerous as some people think. Rather than giving kids less time off, a year-round schedule offers the same 180 days

of schooling as the traditional calendar, created long ago to ensure children were home to help their parents harvest

crops.

What Exactly Is Year-Round Schooling?

Kids in year-round schools attend classes for anywhere from six to nine weeks in a row, broken up by

two- to four-week vacations. That, say some educators, keeps the learning process ongoing with

minimal disruption. A Duke University study even suggested kids attending year-round schools are at a

slight advantage, because they don't forget what they learned during the long summer break.

Schools in fast-growing areas transition to year-round schedules as a way to ease overcrowding. When

that occurs, kids are placed on multi-tracks, and alternate tracking in and out of the school, a process

that keeps the buildings in constant use.

 

The Multi-Schedule Juggle

Frequent breaks are a mainstay of year-round schooling, but they aren't for everyone. Patricia

McCracken, who grew up attending a year-round school in Virginia Beach, Virginia, says she found the

two-week breaks, which occurred every six weeks at her school, to be disruptive. "It was really hard to

get involved in the work because as soon as you geared up, you had to gear back down again."

Mary Brown, a middle-school teacher in Wake County (where three-week breaks occur every nine

weeks), says she doesn't see that as a problem at her school. "Our schedule offers the kids a break

from school right when they need it," she says. Earlier this year, after their first three-week break, she

says, the kids seemed refreshed. "They didn't have the bored, glazed-over look of kids who had been

in school for weeks on end with no break in sight."

Juggling different school schedules is one of the toughest problems parents of children in both year-

round and traditional schools face. Many high schools don't employ a year-round calendar because of

sports schedules. And teens want to be able to take summer jobs.

The year-round schedule can make finding appropriate childcare a problem too. Because her mom was

a teacher in a traditional school, McCracken says, "It meant my sister and I were basically latchkey

kids for two or three years because it was impossible to find a babysitter for two weeks every six

weeks." As year-round schooling becomes more common, however, communities are meeting the

demand by offering track-out programs for kids who aren't in school.