3. According to the vast majority of states, spanking your child is against the law. Spread the loveAre you looking for strategies to encourage students to take care of their personal property? In the United States, only five states require recess in elementary schools, with Texas not one of them. Are shorter school days better? - Global Answers 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. . Black Boys in Crisis: Why Arent They Reading? According to new research, the four-day week is a popular way for parents and students to spend quality time together. If so, keep reading. Pro: An extended school day provides more time for students to learn and the possibility of providing individualized attention for students in need. There are improvements in the school financially. Many of these schools are already operating on an alternative schedule because that is what works best for their community. It provides a realistic way for schools to remain open and also has added benefits beyond saving money. Con: Not all students need one-on-one assistance, and some may even experience boredom or burnout from the extended school day. flexibility to teachers schedules and as a result, makes their jobs more Parents can drop-off their kids in the morning, then pick them up in the afternoon, without worrying about work. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Extended School Days Advantage: More time to devote to learning. In this article, we will examine this question in depth. The. After-school activities begin at that point, which means some students dont make it back home until 8pm that night. Some students believe that having a four-day school week allows them to get more rest and to be in a less stressful atmosphere than they would otherwise have. 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. remediating them begin to take a bite out of the budget. Imagine a school year that gave the students one week off after every quarter and every Friday off. The shorter the school day, the better? 10 Reasons Why School Days Should Not Be Shorter? (TOP 5 Tips) recess is not only ineffective but also harmful to students who may feel that the punishment is excessive. But you see with shorter school days youd have more spare time to complete school work. What's the Difference Between Burnout and Demoralization, and What Can Teachers Do About It? Some families find that aligning the school day with typical parent work schedules is a family-friendly approach. Why did they switch to 4-day school weeks? 2. . It starts too early, ends too late, and occurs far too often. A small portion of the districts cash is saved, but not as much as intangibles. Shorter school weeks or longer school days are reasonable solutions when there is a shortage of funding, or possible budget cuts coming to the school district. That may mean reducing Spring Break to 2 days instead of having the entire week off. 2. These 300 would have to find some alternative to school on Fridays if the Moniteau County R-1 School Districts schedule changed from a five day week to a four day week. Who Sang For Troy In High School Musical? Instead, an investment should be made in improving teaching strategies and new technology that could transform the learning process. During recess, limit the number of games or activities that students can participate in. STP every day allows students to do their schoolwork, resulting in reduced overall stress. In the standard 5-day school week, sports practices occur after school. The Pros and Cons of a Four-Day School Week - ThoughtCo Spread the loveBeing a teacher is a tough job. Well, for some rural schools across the nation, this has become a reality. 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. Accidents, absences, and absences all fall on the decline, and students academic performance rises. That means the average cost, per student, is about $700. 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. The Pros and Cons to Longer School Days Granby School District in Colorado shifted to a 4-day schedule for their 1,100 students. How To Switch School Districts Without Moving? Why School Days Should Be Shorter? (Solution) - Public school What Grades Is Elementary School? If you are arrested for spanking your child, you may face charges of assault, battery, child abuse, or domestic violence. 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. How does it impact your success? There is no one answer to this question as every disabled students experience is unique. 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. A switch to a 4-day schedule gives teachers more time to use teaching styles that are more effective. What we envisage may not be the most straightforward or the most conventional ideas. According to The Notebook, longer school days add to low energy and exhaustion. Year-round education (YRE) is being considered or adopted by some districts. Why Should School Days Be Longer? (Best solution) Copyright (c) 2023 Matthew Lynch. The school districts may operate classes Monday-Thursday on a 4-day week (or Tuesday-Friday in some instances), but they are still operational from an administrative standpoint on the off-day. There are 21 states that have four-day school districts. This leads to added costs that some families, living paycheck to paycheck, may not be able to afford. I say this because we would have to start. 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%. List of the Advantages of 4-Day School Weeks 1. 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. 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 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. What are the pros and cons of longer school days? His conclusion was that the best way to solve poverty was to educate the children in public schools. 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. The Pros and Cons of the Four-Day School Week - LINQ Many say that the four day school week is good for students. When looking at the benefits of a longer school year, the opportunity for expanding subject matter and the individualized needs of students are factors. 19 Big Advantages and Disadvantages of the 4 Day School Week In 2009, there were 3,000 schools in the United States operating on a year-round basis. About 20% of the states school districts incorporate a 4-day schedule of some kind. Con: A longitudinal study in New Mexico looked at the performance difference in K-3 students from seven different school districts. Most schools, when Year Round Schooling: Should it Be Implemented? Schools are facing many issues today. It may eliminate common holidays, such as Memorial Day or Labor Day, from the schedule. Longer school days may have some positive impact on student achievement, but research on their effects is lacking. Students usually go to school about 6 hours each day in most districts. Keeping schools open five days a week is not financially feasible. New Haven teachers in an unprecedented move allowed their teacher unions to take over the rewriting of their contracts. 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. Pro: Education is a priority, and funding should not hold back efforts to provide more effective academic preparation for students. It creates a long school day for students. The benefits of going to a 4-day week for schooling is that it offers teachers and students an additional day for rest every week. Better Employee Engagement A 4 day week can lead to happier and more committed employees. 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. There are potential savings to food programs and other important areas of infrastructure because the school district is closed 1 additional day each week. That means half of parents will enjoy the alternative school schedule and half will hate it. Adds flexibility to teachers schedules. Pro: In 2004, the school day was lengthened for a Massachusetts school to address the issue of underperforming students. Students with less sleep have difficulty paying attention in class and are likely to have lower grades. Finally, shorter school days could result in less time for extracurricular activities, which could have a negative impact on student morale. The driving force behind the proposal to lengthen the school day is the assertion that more instructional time would yield greater academic gains. One of the biggest concerns of a 4-day school week is the length of seat time that younger students must complete. Underperforming schools and the lagging performance of U.S. students in comparison to other countries is a concern. Oklahoma Department of Education examined the economic effect of going to a 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. 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 . The most popular is a 32-hour work week, which means people work 8 hours per day, 4 hours in a week. Con: School districts across the U.S. are struggling to make ends meet. The University of New Mexico Newsroom: Research Study Yields Unexpected Conclusion About Longer School Years. 6. 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. For some, a 4-day week makes perfect sense. 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%. that the flexibility of the 4-day work week helps them get more done. The basic assumption of a 4 day work week is fulfilling the duties in a shorter amount of time, instead of the usual five-day workweek and receiving the same pay. 2023 The Black Well Firm. It might help school districts save money. A longer school day would involve substantial funding for teacher salaries and facility maintenance. What are the Pros and Cons of 4-Day School Weeks? What are the pros and cons for students, teachers and school boards? Delaying school start times has been shown to have positive outcomes for students and families in overwhelming scientific research. "I get really tired throughout the day and I would love shorter school hours." 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. Spread the loveUsually, people are under the wrong impression that geography does not offer many job opportunities, and there are no jobs for a geographer. Rural areas report that their student attendance has increased since switching to the 4-day school week. To be competitive in a global market, students need to be exposed to a wide variety of subject matter. 5. Extending the school days even longer would further cut into valuable time to bond with family. The Pros and Cons of Year-Round School for Kids - Verywell Family 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. If so, keep reading. configuration, but nine districts were actually spending more. Games occur in the evening, often on the weekend. According to author accounts, teachers and students suffer as a result of recess being taken away as a punishment for behavior. These schools save all this money from just switching to a shorter week. Massachusetts, a pioneer in extended learning time (ELT), has made significant progress in this field. The program not only saves districts money, but it also allows students to spend more time with their families. Students are still getting the same amount of instruction in terms of minutes, just in a shorter number of days. Shortening the School Day | Education - Seattle PI Because of this, school districts dont have a hard The schedule change also shifted how teachers assigned homework, making it more efficient and focused. The school day was originally created to meet the needs of farmers. Pros and cons of school dress code | University News As a result, learning is less effective due to budget constraints. The schedule forces teachers to spend small blocks of time on specific topics without really being able to dig into in-depth issues. A potential decline in academic performance for vulnerable groups. If so, keep reading. There are numerous advantages and disadvantages to each. The current school schedule is a major downgrade from the 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM distance learning schedule. Extended School Year Pros & Cons | GEDDES - raymondgeddes.com It is encouraged for students to try new things in order to benefit from them. They may also experience irritability and fatigue. 1. 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). They were located in 7 western states in the U.S. and all but 13 of them identified themselves as being a rural school district. Most parents have employment which requires them to be present for 8 hours per day, 5 days per week. These actions often negate the benefits of the 3-day weekend because it really isnt a true 3-day weekend. Does precision really make a program successful? The capital, insurance, maintenance, and administrative costs remain relatively constant. The Advantages and Disadvantages Of Four-Day Work Week - The Adecco Group Financial problems is was most of a four day school week is about. Most school districts are sticking to the 5-day schedule. Overall, there are pros and cons to shorter school days. Sara Blackwell teaches Employment Law at University of South Florida in Tampa and she is a published author. If so, keep reading. On the other hand, there have been studies that found no significant difference in overall academic achievement between four-day districts and five-day districts. The average time for school that is scheduled in a 4-day week is either 7:30am-5pm or 8am-5:30pm. This extra hour can make the day pretty long especially for younger students, which can often lead to a loss of focus later in the day. 12 Pros and Cons of a 4 Day School Week (2023) teams may need to practice, professional development sessions may convene, etc. Shorter, intense courses in which a semesters worth of content is delivered at an expedited rate were deemed to be more successful by students in a recent study by academics at the University of Texas at Austin. Unbiased Longer School Days Pros and Cons | Navajo Code Talkers Spread the loveAre you looking for ways to teach students appropriate mealtime manners? Should We Have Shorter School Days? - The BlackWell Firm The 4-day schedule eliminates one full driving day for the transportation department. Students in a 4-day school week are packing 180 days into a condensed 145-day schedule. Do students learn better in shorter classes? 4. 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 ). 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.