To see how shorter school days hurt both teachers and students, we need to look at a major structural change in education. Delaying school start times is associated with a decrease in bedtimes and an increase in sleep for every minute the school day is delayed. In Alabama, the school year lasts 180 days and the school day lasts 7.03 hours. The organization 4 Day Week Global sponsored the program. How To Switch School Districts Without Moving? The ability to express oneself via electives can make children happier and more cooperative in the classroom. Disadvantage: Less time for extracurricular activities. It may improve overall student attendance. Going to the 4-day schedule can create scheduling conflicts with other districts, particularly with sporting events, performances, and groups like 4-H. Four day school weeks have been discussed by many schools, and some schools already have them. Students are tired and cranky by the end of the day. Certain activities or games should be prohibited (for an indefinite period of time). Spread the loveOne of the questions that I am frequently asked is, what does a good teacher look like? 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. The schedule change also shifted how teachers assigned homework, making it more efficient and focused. Moving to the 4-day schedule shifts student movement patterns, reducing the number of lost transition minutes. There are a variety of health issues that can be caused by a lack of sleep. 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. From the moment you walk into the second you walk out. Many break times have been incorporated in the calendar, such as morning recess, afternoon recess, snack time, and so on. Longer school days may have some positive impact on student achievement, but research on their effects is lacking. Black Boys in Crisis: Why Arent They Reading? Should schools go to a 4 day school week instead of 5 days? The There are many changes with switching the school days. According to ASCD, many disciplinary issues that students face come from scheduled transitions. 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? My main concern is that most kids will not be able to focus by the end of the day because the school days will be longer,and so there would be no point in trying to teach at the end of the day. One of the biggest concerns of a 4-day school week is the length of seat time that younger students must complete. not just on the weekdays when students were out of school. Long summers are known to cause "summer slide," or the decline of academic skills and knowledge over the course of the extended vacation. It changes the holiday schedules for the school district. 1. During class time, young kids who are too exhausted to concentrate or perform well may experience tiredness or fall asleep. Teachers report Cutting that by 20% means a savings of $4 billion, if implemented nationwide. When busing and after-school activities are included in that timeframe as well, some older students may find themselves putting in 12-hour days at school every day. This could be especially true for students who are struggling in a particular subject or for students who have a lot of homework. Oklahoma Department of Education examined the economic effect of going to a The school days are spread more evenly over the year, with more frequent short breaks and the absence of a 10-12 week summer break. In New Mexico, 18 of the states 89 school districts are currently using this alternative schedule. 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. Does this sound exciting and rich with possibilities? When students are too tired or mentally exhausted to concentrate at the end of the day, the last hour becomes meaningless. 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. Saving on utilities school buses, and long term building wear and tear. 1. 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. 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. 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. Four day school weeks may not be a realistic situation for all schools throughout the nation, but for those that it is possible, the four day school week saves money, improves test scores, and further improves the school as a whole. 4. There are a few reasons why shorter school days could be beneficial. Pros of the 4-day School Week. It might help school districts save money. 1. 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 . Students feel less pressure because they have more time to study at their own pace at home, especially in the later grades. That means one of the biggest expenses for the district is immediately cut by 20%. In the United States, $17.5 billion each year is spent on school bus transportation. Increasing the length of school days may result in attention deficit and exhaustion, rendering the additional class time unproductive. Savings on school buses and long-term building wear and tear have also been reported. The school day is too long. Sometimes, schools are forced to travel during the school week to play some games or attend certain events. Data is an important variable if youre considering the longer school days pros and cons list. The 4-day schedule eliminates one full driving day for the transportation department. Another is that shorter days could lead to shorter attention spans in classrooms. What are the Pros and Cons of 4-Day School Weeks? The disadvantage is that more time does not equate to more learning. Shorter School Days Are the Way. Employment opportunities with a 3-day weekend are increasing. The Chattooga County School District in Georgia shifted to a 4-day school week. The schedule forces teachers to spend small blocks of time on specific topics without really being able to dig into in-depth issues. An eight-hour day is pretty undesirable for elementary-aged kids. This may not seem like a lot, but when you factor in homework and after-school activities, it can be a lot for a student to handle. It may reduce the number of discipline referrals for students. The only question is does it hurt students education but the statistics are showing that is clearly not the case one bit. 2. Schools are facing many issues today. This occurs because a large number of students are moving around the school campus. Sometimes even starting school earlier in the . This has been a hot topic especially the states that dont have as large of an economy. 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. More teaching: Covid-19 has resulted in a lot of disruption in teaching. Rural school districts and small school districts benefit the most from a 4-day schedule because of their natural isolation. 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. How do longer school days affect students? So it is illogical to think that a four day week will help other grade levels. Schools can save up to 20% on some budget-line expenses with a 4-day week. 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. Easier to recruit employees. 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. Schools are able to switch to a four-day week by simply increasing the length of their school day. List of the Major Cons of a 4-Day School Week 1. In Lexington, Oregon, Morrow County was able to save about $250,000 their first year, but out of a budget of $14 million. There are potential reductions in the financial costs of running a school district. The school also doesn't have to pay anyone that is on an hourly schedule. Teachers would be required to reimagine their curriculum and would need extra time to develop a curriculum to fit an expanded day. In some situations, a single teacher may be responsible for over 100 students. The reason why school districts are going to a 4 day school week is to save money and the states that you see switching to a 4 days are states that have economic problems such as Oklahoma. 2. In YRE, the number of days in school equals the number of days in a calendar year (180 days). According to a Center for American Progress study, traditional school schedules are out of sync with the current economic environment. Some schools do not allow recess to be used as punishment, while others may do so on a case-by-case basis. School districts consider shorter school days for several reasons, including saving money and providing students the ability to participate in more extracurricular activities. In the United States, the average school day is around six and a half hours long. It can help teachers and students better manage the process of learning. 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. There are several major pros and cons of a 4-day school week which must be considered by school districts looking to make this kind of change. In the United States, about 50% of all companies are either offering or thinking about offering a 4-day workweek for their workers. Many companies have found that when workers are able to work a schedule which suits their needs, letting them work how they like, then their workers are more productive. It is critical to maintain a consistent schedule and not change it on a weekly basis in order to give students the best chance of success. We call for a relatively radical and certainly quite comprehensive reorganization of Americas P-20 system. Why should school weeks be shorter? But recently, there has been a move towards shorter weeks across the United States. So what are the pros and cons of 4-day school weeks? Students usually go to school about 6 hours each day in most districts. The Alaska school year averaged about 180 days in length, and the school day was 6.48 hours long. Their child is at home while they are at work, which is problematic for parents of younger children. Children would get up early and help with chores, go to school and then help out on the farm until sundown. One is that it would likely mean that teachers would have to teach more classes, which could lead to burnout. In Colorado, 31 of the states 176 school districts are currently using a 4-day school week. The list just gets longer. Over the course of a 2-year period on this alternative schedule, they reported up to a 20% increase in student attendance. The average national cost that schools need to pay for each students bus transportation is $459. The capital, insurance, maintenance, and administrative costs remain relatively constant. Out of a budget of $5.5 million, they saved $206,000. The decision to implement such a schedule must therefore be handled at the local level. At the same time, teacher attendance rates also rose, which is a trend still seen in these districts, 20+ years later. Home Pros and Cons 20 Major Pros and Cons of a 4 Day School Week. Shifting to this schedule does have certain disadvantages, especially for working parents. It is possible to have a negative impact on some laboratory classes by reducing the number of minutes in class each day. When a school opts to go with an early start time, then students are spending less time sitting in traffic as they head to class. Research has shown that in this configuration, students who are low-income, minority, or special needs dont fare too well academically. by elenam112 states This means the school would be open longer, resulting in larger electrical and heating bills. Schools would need to stay open later at night for after school activities and stay open early in the morning for students who are dropped off early. configuration, but nine districts were actually spending more. But slowly over the nation, schools are switching to a four day school week. If so, keep reading. Increase Engagement and Productivity. Too Early to Tell An understandable concern for parents, teachers, and students about the 4-day school week is the extended time required to be at school during the day. Also, since special populations fare poorly in this configuration, the costs of Some are facing the debate about whether to keep standardized tests or not. Such as emotional and behavioral problems, violence, depression, alcohol use, impaired cognitive function, etc. Staff recruitment is easier with the 4-day school week for school districts. Your email address will not be published. It's almost the end of the first semester, and realizations are starting to set in. 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. As a result, learning is less effective due to budget constraints. 1. According to the vast majority of states, spanking your child is against the law. 3. That may mean reducing Spring Break to 2 days instead of having the entire week off. Spread the loveBuilding a culturally responsive classroom is hard. Over the course of their first year on this new schedule, they reported that the frequency of discipline referrals for their students dropped by 73%. The school day was originally created to meet the needs of farmers. But the extra money hasn't gone into teachers' salaries, which have dropped on average from . Some districts take just one week off at Christmas instead of two weeks because of these conflicts. Changing the Moniteau County R-1 School districts schedule to a four-day week would be detrimental to students safety and involvement in activities. The kids groan, complain about getting out of bed, and struggle to get through the morning routine. With the 4-day schedule, another 1.5 hours is added to their school day, every day. When the new school day was implemented, the system was relieved of the need to cram math, reading, and science into a short period of time, allowing for more time to be spent on subjects that students enjoy and teachers enjoy. There tends to be less student exhaustion, which allows them to focus more on the learning process. Long school days can cause eating problems for students who don't eat at school, or who use up all their energy while learning. "I get really tired throughout the day and I would love shorter school hours." However, disabled students often face additional challenges in accessing education and achieving academic success. Changing the system could result in many more. At the same time, the constant back-and-forth for students limits the amount of fun they can have. If a student lives an hour outside of town and have an 8am school bell to meet, then theyre on the bus at 7am. If no other elements are in place, it is highly unlikely that extending the school day would result in increased student learning. 4. 2. In addition, they are given a week off for major holidays and 2 weeks of summer vacation at their parents discretion. (5) Most costs that were reduced were Operations and maintenance, heating and cooling, janitor supplies. The longer school days of a 4-day week make it almost impossible for teens to find a job after school. Copyright (c) 2023 Matthew Lynch. There can be no one answer to this question because it is a matter of case by case. If school doesnt get out until 4pm, then the student makes it home at 5pm. There will be days, even with the best efforts of everyone involved, where a student is stuck with an after-hours activity, deep into the night, after being in class for most of the day. Because of this, school districts dont have a hard Shorter school days should be used in the United States education system since they have several advantages. This got me thinking about the pros and cons of longer vs. shorter trips. As with any innovation, shorter workweeks have advantages and disadvantages. Lets face it our best school memories arent from tests or pop quizzes. A small portion of the districts cash is saved, but not as much as intangibles. Some educators believe that extending the school day until 5:00 p.m. is the answer. We can all agree that school feels like it lasts forever. The Pros and Cons of Year-Round Schools. A 4-day school week is misleading. 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. 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 major pros and cons of a 4-day school week suggest that it can save money for districts, which means taxpayers benefit. Companies have been experimenting with shorter work days for at least a decade and, despite announcements that the 40-hour week is dead, there have been mixed results from the experiments. Some are even cutting arts programs or shortening the school week to balance the budget. Who Sang For Troy In High School Musical? Why did they switch to 4-day school weeks? Additional costs savings from a shorter day include less . But just because the final bell rang doesnt mean that youre done. 1. 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). A 4 day work week would promote an equal workplace as employees would be able to spend more time with their families and better juggle care and work commitments. 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 . There were also reduced sick days requested by their teaching staff. According to The Notebook, longer school days add to low energy and exhaustion. 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. To be competitive in a global market, students need to be exposed to a wide variety of subject matter. It can also be difficult to monitor, as students may be able to find ways to sneak in a recess break even when they are supposed to be punished. NOTE : The information on this website is for general information purposes only. 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? Teachers are frequently overworked and required to perform tasks that are outside their job description. 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. Many of these districts are small and rural, such as Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Wyoming. Pro: An extended school day provides more flexibility for parents, eliminating the need for after-school care. It is critical to avoid producing a longer school day and instead produce a healthier, more balanced, and more engaging one. When properly implemented, extended learning time programs have the potential to increase students academic progress as well as their social and emotional development. It matches the class schedule to a parent's work schedule. 6 Ways to Implement a Real Multicultural Education in the Classroom, Understanding Letter Recognition and Its Role in Preliteracy, The Advantages and Limitations of Homeschooling, 7 Ways Technology Is Impacting Modern Education, How Dumbed Down Education Is Creating a National Security Crisis, 21 Inspirational Quotes That Nelson Mandela Made About Education, The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 7: How Digital Age Teachers Can Win Over Parents, The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 6: 8 Ways That Digital Age Teachers Avoid Burning Out, The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 5: The Archetype of a Great Teacher, PISA (The Program for International Student Assessment): Everything You Need to Know, How International Baccalaureate (IB) Programs Work, Globalization: Everything You Need to Know, So You Want to Attend Graduate School: The 411 on Grad School Admissions Tests, 20 Ways to Teach Kids to Take Care of Their Personal Property, 13 Ways to Teach Students Appropriate Mealtime Manners, 20 Strategies to Encourage Students to Take Care of their Personal Property, 14 Strategies to Teach Students Appropriate Mealtime Manners, 22 Strategies to Help Students Who Cannot Fasten Their Own Clothes, Homogeneous Grouping: What You Need to Know, Merit Scholarships: Everything Your Need to Know, The Importance of Mentoring Young African-American Males, 7 Ways That Black Students are Discriminated Against in U.S K-12 Schools, The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 4: How to Create a Culturally Responsive Classroom, 6 Steps to Data-Driven Literacy Instruction, Four Keys to a Modern IT Approach in K-12 Schools. The average time for school that is scheduled in a 4-day week is either 7:30am-5pm or 8am-5:30pm. Most schools, when Year Round Schooling: Should it Be Implemented? Our individualized learning setup at the Tenney School allows us to offer more instruction in a shorter amount of time. Extending the school day is a hot topic for educational policy making bodies. The. NEA Today: A 9 to 5 School Day: Are Longer Hours Better for Students and Educators? 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. I say this because we would have to start. The ability to offer a 3-day weekend, every weekend, is a powerful motivator for school districts that are recruiting for quality employees. By 2013, a dramatic improvement in scores was credited to the extended learning time. Spread the loveAre you looking for strategies to teach students appropriate mealtime manners? Delaying school start times has been shown to have positive outcomes for students and families in overwhelming scientific research. The four-day school is a phenomenon that has been sweeping across the U.S. 3. 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.
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