A three-day weekend allows for extra leisure time, as well as a reduction in commute and energy usage. The move toward a shorter workweek is gaining momentum. on those days off. It changes the holiday schedules for the school district. Lets take a look at some proof. 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. How does it impact your success? While small gains were made in reading, math and writing, there were no statistically significant results for children in the areas of receptive language, social skills or vocabulary. Massachusetts, a pioneer in extended learning time (ELT), has made significant progress in this field. That may mean reducing Spring Break to 2 days instead of having the entire week off. Year-round education (YRE) is being considered or adopted by some districts. An eight-hour day is pretty undesirable for elementary-aged kids. Since students receive dedicated 1:1 teaching for all core subjects, they don't need to bother spending time on topics that aren't on their instructional level. "I get really tired throughout the day and I would love shorter school hours." Schools are facing many issues today. Why should school weeks be shorter? Staff recruitment is easier with the 4-day school week for school districts. We can all agree that school feels like it lasts forever. This issue occurs at all grade levels. Those changes happen because students who are active participants in their learning have more fun in school. 2. One of the biggest concerns of a 4-day school week is the length of seat time that younger students must complete. Lets face it our best school memories arent from tests or pop quizzes. Longer school days may lead to attention deficit and fatigue, making the extra class time ineffective. The most popular is a 32-hour work week, which means people work 8 hours per day, 4 hours in a week. While state requirements vary on the number of instructional days and hours in the year, the majority of states set the school year at 180 days (30 states). The. Custer School District, in rural South Dakota, believed they could save $70,000 with a 4-day school week. 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. Students with less sleep have difficulty paying attention in class and are likely to have lower grades. What we envisage may not be the most straightforward or the most conventional ideas. districts think they will save tons of money by cutting operational costs on In general, taking away recess as punishment may be seen as unfair or too harsh, especially for young children. It is also possible for schools to extend the school day in more districts across the country. Many schools are adding thirty minutes to both the beginning and end of the school day. Obesity, anxiety and stress, as well as lower grades, can all be attributed to a lack of sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Over the course of a 2-year period on this alternative schedule, they reported up to a 20% increase in student attendance. These are the key points that must be addressed first. So what are the pros and cons of 4-day school weeks? This would help not only our school but also the parents if they cant afford the gas. What are the advantages and disadvantages of including issues such as child care? That reduces the effective time they would have for homework once they actually make it home. Teachers report Alexander Alvarez, Reporter November 16, 2021. If she is not receptive to your suggestions, you may want to get a doctors note stating that recess is required. Practices for sports are still held on the fifth day, as are teacher conferences, staff development opportunities, and required janitorial work. After-school activities begin at that point, which means some students dont make it back home until 8pm that night. To avoid this issue, many school districts have considered shifting to a 4-day school week. teams may need to practice, professional development sessions may convene, etc. That means half of parents will enjoy the alternative school schedule and half will hate it. What are the pros and cons of shorter school week? According to The Notebook, longer school days add to low energy and exhaustion. They can supervise their children at the bus stop in rural districts as well. That is because larger districts offer more activities, manage more student events, and operate essentially 7 days per week during the school year anyway. 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. It may improve overall student attendance. A potential decline in academic performance for vulnerable groups. 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. It would also be beneficial to reduce the week in order to promote activity participation. These schools save all this money from just switching to a shorter week. Out of a budget of $5.5 million, they saved $206,000. The Cons of Longer School Days. By having more instruction in class, students can not only get better test scores, but they can also get better grades. 6. Increasing the length of school days may result in attention deficit and exhaustion, rendering the additional class time unproductive. His conclusion was that the best way to solve poverty was to educate the children in public schools. But slowly over the nation, schools are switching to a four day school week. There have been several studies that reported the 4-day school week had positive effects on student's math and reading scores. The only students who actually get to benefit from the 4-day school week are those that do not have any extra-curricular activities in which they are involved. Increase Engagement and Productivity. Cons of the 4-Day School Week. These actions often negate the benefits of the 3-day weekend because it really isnt a true 3-day weekend. Younger people shouldn't have to work as long as some adults do. 1. Shorter school days should be utilized in the U.S. education system as it comes with many benefits. The Rochester City Council established the Extended Learning Time initiative as part of Rochesters ongoing commitment to education. The final class ends 1-2 hours before the work day ends for most parents. 2. Rural areas report that their student attendance has increased since switching to the 4-day school week. Some families find that aligning the school day with typical parent work schedules is a family-friendly approach. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. This leads to added costs that some families, living paycheck to paycheck, may not be able to afford. They balk at the idea of kids attending schools with no summer break. Keeping schools open five days a week is not financially feasible. school schedules from 5 to 4 days. If young kids are too weary to concentrate or perform well in class, they may experience weariness or fall asleep during class time. Theyre from moments we remember having fun, whether that was in the classroom, the playground, or the athletics field. Dr. Kelly Meier earned her doctorate from Minnesota State Mankato in Educational Leadership. 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. A poll where 2,700 random people were polled about 67% favoured a 4 day school week(university of Scranton). There are positive outcomes that may occur, but there are negative outcomes that must also be managed. The Chattooga County School District in Georgia shifted to a 4-day school week. Some students and parents have been advocating for shorter school days, and there is some evidence to suggest that shorter days could be beneficial. Con: A lengthened school day may impede upon extracurricular activities, especially in secondary education. All rights reserved. Additional costs savings from a shorter day include less . Students in the third through sixth grades have improved their ACT scores, according to studies. From the moment you walk into the second you walk out. 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. Colorado, juvenile crime increased by 73% whenever a school changed their It may reduce the number of discipline referrals for students. If the school days are shortened, then students will not be able to learn enough because of the short school day. Certain activities or games should be prohibited (for an indefinite period of time). Although sleep is a huge and major part, it is not the only part. Spread the loveBeing a teacher is a tough job. We were able to build a strong community and school consensus as a result of our programs success. Adds flexibility to teachers schedules. A change in schedule is an adjustment for school officials, students and families. When making a decision about whether to adopt a shorter school week, it is important for school districts to consider the 4 day school week pros and cons. In the 4-day school week Games occur in the evening, often on the weekend. 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. The Chattooga County School District in Georgia shifted to a 4-day school week. 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. What are the Pros and Cons of 4-Day School Weeks? Children have a six-week summer break and ten days of off every 45 days of class. Spread the loveThis term describes a manner of classifying gifted students to place them in properly segmented classrooms. Con: A longitudinal study in New Mexico looked at the performance difference in K-3 students from seven different school districts. According to ASCD, many disciplinary issues that students face come from scheduled transitions. Teachers will have more leisure time to spend with their family as a result of the reduced school days. As a result, kids will be less worried about time management and will be less likely to fall behind on such rewarding activities. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Extended School Days Advantage: More time to devote to learning. Examining the pros and cons of year-round school gives insight into why some education leaders push for its adoption while others argue for sticking to the traditional 10-month schedule. The school districts in New Mexico are one of the best examples of this benefit. What's the Difference Between Burnout and Demoralization, and What Can Teachers Do About It? Some educators believe that extending the school day until 5:00 p.m. is the answer. 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. It may eliminate common holidays, such as Memorial Day or Labor Day, from the schedule. Christmas and Spring holiday weeks may be extended as well. The University of New Mexico Newsroom: Research Study Yields Unexpected Conclusion About Longer School Years. 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? Although families benefit from the 3-day weekend and those scheduling benefits, the non-traditional time off given to students can offset some of that savings. 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. There are a variety of health issues that can be caused by a lack of sleep. There are approximately 300 children enrolled in California Elementary School under the age of eight. It might help school districts save money. There tends to be less student exhaustion, which allows them to focus more on the learning process. 18 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of the Payback Period, 20 Advantages and Disadvantages of Leasing a Car, 19 Advantages and Disadvantages of Debt Financing, 24 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of a C Corporation, 16 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Mediation, 18 Advantages and Disadvantages of a Gated Community, 17 Big Advantages and Disadvantages of Focus Groups, 17 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Corporate Bonds, 19 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of Annuities, 17 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Advertising. Working a couple of hours after school gains experience and disposable income. Sacrifices Family Time. A local news reporter says thevve also saved substitute teacher costs because teachers don't have to take a day off for appointments (Chiaramonte 2 ). A potential decline in academic performance for vulnerable groups. Since an entire day is cut off the week, that extra time needs to be made up during the remaining four days. Going to the 4-day schedule can create scheduling conflicts with other districts, particularly with sporting events, performances, and groups like 4-H. Schools may even have to purchase lights for after school activities. Bisbee Unified School District (AZ) saved $154,000, Duval County Public School (FL) saved $7 million, and Lake Superior School District (MN) $200,000. The disadvantage is that more time does not equate to more learning. Finally, some parents worry that shorter days could mean that their children would have less . 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. The driving force behind the proposal to lengthen the school day is the assertion that more instructional time would yield greater academic gains. over 1 million dollars on utilities, busing, and labor costs. There are numerous advantages and disadvantages to each. Teachers would be required to reimagine their curriculum and would need extra time to develop a curriculum to fit an expanded day. Small group learning with discussion, for example, increases the information retention rate for students up to 80%. What they discovered was unexpected. Additional learning time as well as improved schedule alignment would make the lives of families noticeably more pleasant. In Colorado, 31 of the states 176 school districts are currently using a 4-day school week. Spread the loveBuilding a culturally responsive classroom is hard. After physical activity, children with or without ADHD appear to perform better at attention, memory, and mood. There is no one answer to this question as it can depend on individual circumstances. 1. 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. The ability to offer a 3-day weekend, every weekend, is a powerful motivator for school districts that are recruiting for quality employees. The Edvocate plans to be one of key architects of this revival, as it continues to advocate for education reform, equity, and innovation. 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. 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. the fifth day, but they forget, they will still be open and running activities Spread the loveAfrican Africans have a long history of being mistreated in the United States, starting with slavery. Spread the loveThis term refers to the grouping of students by mental capability, aptitude, or hobbies. 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. We call for a relatively radical and certainly quite comprehensive reorganization of Americas P-20 system. It is encouraged for students to try new things in order to benefit from them. Getting to school on-time or making it out for the bus is a constant battle. 1. In YRE, the number of days in school equals the number of days in a calendar year (180 days). In the United States, $17.5 billion each year is spent on school bus transportation. 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. List of Cons of Implementing 4-Day School Weeks 1. Who Sang For Troy In High School Musical? There is the possibility of making up for lost time, especially those who are at a disadvantage due to the digital divide. 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. Although the final outcome was beneficial the origins of the extended day was not welcomed. The pros and cons of a 4-day school week offer many challenges. schedule, the district adds 40 or so minutes to make up for the time lost on 4 Day School Week Pros and Cons. In the Article by Lisa Lewis, it also talks about how delaying school by 1 hour produces the same benefit as shrinking class size by one-third or replacing a teacher in the 50th percentile of effectiveness with one in the 84th percentile.(Lewis). Cons: The obvious reason for not shortening school days is the lack of learning time. Financial problems is was most of a four day school week is about. That reorganization, though, and the underlying effort, will have much to do with reviving the American education system, and reviving a national love of learning. At the same time, teacher attendance rates also rose, which is a trend still seen in these districts, 20+ years later. Black Boys in Crisis: Why Arent They Reading? The length of the school day in China varies from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. With a shortened school day, the amount of instructional time would be reduced. Kids that go to schools with the 4-day week are often happier, stay happy throughout the school year, and look forward to going to school each day. Student performance may improve with a 4-day school week. First and foremost, an extended school day would provide students with extra learning time. Why weekends should be longer for students? It lists the advantages of the four-day model as: Improved morale and fewer absences: A shorter working week leads to less burnout, making staff happier and more focused in . 4-day school weeks add 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. 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. It involves increasing communication and various forms of interaction between people of different nations, ethnicities and cultures. 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. This added The capital, insurance, maintenance, and administrative costs remain relatively constant. In Lexington, Oregon, Morrow County was able to save about $250,000 their first year, but out of a budget of $14 million. When students are too tired or mentally exhausted to concentrate at the end of the day, the last hour becomes meaningless. They just dont have time to get everything done. Spread the loveAre you looking for strategies to teach students appropriate mealtime manners? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, students are less active when they are not allowed to recess during the school day due to bad classroom behavior. 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. 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. that the flexibility of the 4-day work week helps them get more done. There is a variety of emotional and behavioral problems, depression, alcohol use, and impaired cognitive function that can contribute to this. Other schools are worried about academic performance. By switching to a 4-day school week, the number of transitions can be reduced because more time can be spent on each subject. The school day is too long. List of the Advantages of 4-Day School Weeks 1. 2. There are potential savings to food programs and other important areas of infrastructure because the school district is closed 1 additional day each week. It also means that they would have more time to mark the voluminous quantity of homework that they have to complete every night. In 2009, there were 3,000 schools in the United States operating on a year-round basis. In New Mexico, 18 of the states 89 school districts are currently using this alternative schedule. If a student lives an hour outside of town and have an 8am school bell to meet, then theyre on the bus at 7am. More rest then equates to dealing with less stress over the course of a school year. In many US school districts, the first class begins 1-2 hours after most parents need to be at work. So it is illogical to think that a four day week will help other grade levels. Some are even cutting arts programs or shortening the school week to balance the budget. In 2022, companies in the U.K., the U.S., and Canada instituted a four-day workweek pilot program to test the concept. Many of these schools are already operating on an alternative schedule because that is what works best for their community. manageable in a myriad of ways. Delaying school start times has been shown to have positive outcomes for students and families in overwhelming scientific research. Taking only one class is practically a . Every community has their own unique requirements that must be addressed by school scheduling. When teachers are more effective and efficient, student performance follows a similar pattern. Increasing the length of school days may result in attention deficit and exhaustion, making the additional class time inefficient. Extending the school days even longer would further cut into valuable time to bond with family. Teachers are attracted by the prospect of having a shorter work week. (Question). To be competitive in a global market, students need to be exposed to a wide variety of subject matter. four-day week across 16 school districts. There is no one answer to this question as every disabled students experience is unique. There are positive outcomes that may occur, but there are negative outcomes that must also be managed. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Extended School Days Advantage: More time to devote to learning. Saving on utilities school buses, and long term building wear and tear. They also said students can gain more time for fun and still receive an excellent education. 3. If so, keep reading. If so, keep reading. For school districts struggling with funding issues, the potential savings here could save the budget. In Peetz Colorado a debate is going on four a four day school week. Along with giving kids more time to concentrate on critical activities, a shortened school day would also provide pupils with more opportunity to relax. Extending the school day is a hot topic for educational policy making bodies. A new educational model could be implemented: 9-to-5 schools. Sara Blackwell teaches Employment Law at University of South Florida in Tampa and she is a published author. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that children between the ages of 12 and 18 require at least eight hours of sleep per night, and in some cases as much as nine hours. According to him, providing education to all would be beneficial to society. Better Employee Engagement A 4 day week can lead to happier and more committed employees. Some districts take just one week off at Christmas instead of two weeks because of these conflicts. There are some drawbacks to shorter school days, as well. According to a Center for American Progress study, traditional school schedules are out of sync with the current economic environment. In general, ELT has received positive feedback; however, some schools have had more difficult transitions than others. School districts consider shorter school days for several reasons, including saving money and providing students the ability to participate in more extracurricular activities. Most parents have employment which requires them to be present for 8 hours per day, 5 days per week. There are various school days in the United States. Advantage: More time for other subjects. The National School Board Association estimates that approximately 135,000 guns are brought to America's 85,000 public schools each day. 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. Many school Eleven states set the minimum number of instructional days between 160 and 179 days, and two states set the minimum above 180 days (Kansas and Ohio). That can make it difficult for some students to pay attention to the information being provided. When implemented, however, 1st graders do just as well as teens with the expanded schedule and 3-day weekend. There can be no one answer to this question because it is a matter of case by case. 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. Schools would also have to change their bus transportation systems which are designed to run as efficiently and inexpensively as possible. But the extra money hasn't gone into teachers' salaries, which have dropped on average from . 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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. Some are facing the debate about whether to keep standardized tests or not. With the 4-day schedule, another 1.5 hours is added to their school day, every day. Easier to recruit employees. More than 80% of people in the UK would prefer a four day working week, according to a survey in 2021 by recruitment company Reed. Because the four-day school week has only been around for a decade or so, we simply dont have enough time, data, or research to make a definitive declaration. Students are tired and cranky by the end of the day. 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.

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