Administrative staff are required to be on-site, sports four-day week across 16 school districts. Four day school weeks have been discussed by many schools, and some schools already have them. The National School Board Association estimates that approximately 135,000 guns are brought to America's 85,000 public schools each day. Another potential drawback is that shorter school days could lead to more after-school activities, which could be a problem for working parents. The Pros and Cons of a Four-Day School Week - ThoughtCo The Pros and Cons to Longer School Days. Shortening the School Day | Education - Seattle PI It involves increasing communication and various forms of interaction between people of different nations, ethnicities and cultures. Savings on school buses and long-term building wear and tear have also been reported. Pro: In 2004, the school day was lengthened for a Massachusetts school to address the issue of underperforming students. It provides a realistic way for schools to remain open and also has added benefits beyond saving money. The Melstone School District in Montana also shifted to a 4-day school week. 3. The benefits are many. Year-round education (YRE) is being considered or adopted by some districts. Over the next three years, the school district was able to save 2% on their overall costs each year, for a total of $200,000. The districts on the 4-day school week are finding it easier to recruit for the staff they need because they offer the prospect of a 3-day weekend during the school year. Although the final outcome was beneficial the origins of the extended day was not welcomed. In the United States, $17.5 billion each year is spent on school bus transportation. Games occur in the evening, often on the weekend. They balk at the idea of kids attending schools with no summer break. With short school days, students can devote a fair share of time to other meaningful areas in their life, such as socializing and simply being a kid. The Pros and Cons of Year-Round School for Kids - Verywell Family 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. teams may need to practice, professional development sessions may convene, etc. Older students can spend time engaging in resum-building public service or paid work. When I was a teacher, many moons ago, this was a fringe schooling schedule only practiced by rural school districts. This has been a hot topic especially the states that dont have as large of an economy. Advantage: More time for other subjects. Students will have extra time outside of school to devote to other essential elements of their life as a result of this change. Ages. Here are some additional key points to think about when looking at the pros and cons of a 4-day school week. the traditional 5th day. That is because larger districts offer more activities, manage more student events, and operate essentially 7 days per week during the school year anyway. Kids already spend a very long time each week in the school and away from their family. 12 Pros and Cons of a 4 Day School Week (2023) Pro: Education is a priority, and funding should not hold back efforts to provide more effective academic preparation for students. The Pros and Cons to Longer School Days - Walden University Pros & Cons of Longer School Lunches | livestrong Why should school weeks be shorter? It's almost the end of the first semester, and realizations are starting to set in. The pros and cons of longer days and shorter breaks - SecEd Shorter Classes: Depending on your school's summer schedule, you can complete a semester's worth of work in eight, five, or even three weeks. This solution has many mixed opinions from parents, teachers and. 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. 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. For the parents of younger students, an additional full day of daycare may need to be scheduled every week instead of a partial day. What are the pros and cons for students, teachers and school boards? Potential for juvenile crime to increase. 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. In general, taking away recess as punishment may be seen as unfair or too harsh, especially for young children. When Friday rolls around each week during the school year, many parents face the same situation. 6-7. Some families find that aligning the school day with typical parent work schedules is a family-friendly approach. Some educators believe that extending the school day until 5:00 p.m. is the answer. Con: A longitudinal study in New Mexico looked at the performance difference in K-3 students from seven different school districts. Cons of the 4-Day School Week. 4-day school weeks: Educational innovation or detriment? - Brookings Increasing the length of school days may result in attention deficit and exhaustion, making the additional class time inefficient. It almost forces some families into taking their vacation time from work during these holidays to accommodate the needs of their children. Staff recruitment is easier with the 4-day school week for school districts. 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. Finalists and Winners of The 2022 Tech Edvocate Awards, Finalists and Winners of The 2021 Tech Edvocate Awards, Finalists and Winners of The 2020 Tech Edvocate Awards, Finalists and Winners of The 2019 Tech Edvocate Awards, Finalists and Winners of The 2018 Tech Edvocate Awards, Finalists and Winners of The 2017 Tech Edvocate Awards, 21 Ways to Teach Students to Use Learning Materials Appropriately, Classical Idealism: Everything You Need to Know, Good Research Topics about Womens Movement, Most Interesting Wine Essay Topics to Write about, Most Interesting Walmart Essay Topics to Write about, Most Interesting W.E.B. Students usually go to school about 6 hours each day in most districts. Copyright (c) 2023 Matthew Lynch. Increasing the length of school days may result in attention deficit and exhaustion, rendering the additional class time unproductive. Teachers will have more leisure time to spend with their family as a result of the reduced school days. Just 11 of the districts had enrollments of more than 1,000 students. Keeping schools open five days a week is not financially feasible. 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. What we envisage may not be the most straightforward or the most conventional ideas. Spread the loveAre you looking for strategies to help students who cannot fasten their own clothes? Some districts have seen their disciplinary issues decline by more than 70% in the first two years of implementing a 4-day schedule. Some families find that aligning the school day with typical parent work schedules is a family-friendly approach. The Edvocate was created in 2014 to argue for shifts in education policy and organization in order to enhance the quality of education and the opportunities for learning afforded to P-20 students in America. 19 Big Advantages and Disadvantages of the 4 Day School Week In many US school districts, the first class begins 1-2 hours after most parents need to be at work. Should schools go to a 4 day school week instead of 5 days? Going to the 4-day schedule can create scheduling conflicts with other districts, particularly with sporting events, performances, and groups like 4-H. 3. What are the Pros and Cons of 4-Day School Weeks? 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. The school day was originally created to meet the needs of farmers. One of the primary motivations for adopting the four-day week is financial savings for the school district. How Would Later School Start Times Affect Sleep? Shorter Workweek: Pros and Cons for Employee Productivity Those human beings that seem larger than life and almost achieve Godlike status. 12 Pros and Cons of a 4 Day School Week - Vittana.org Other pros and cons exist in the school lunch debate. Which one is the best? Teachers in Seattle are deciding how to use an additional 20 minutes on top of the usual school day. Students in the third through sixth grades have improved their ACT scores, according to studies. These will be some pros of a four day school week. 10 Main Pros and Cons of 4 Day School Weeks - Green Garage The Chattooga County School District in Georgia shifted to a 4-day school week. 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. At the same time, the constant back-and-forth for students limits the amount of fun they can have. Other popular year-round schedules are the 60-20 and 90-30 calendars, where students are in class for 60 or 90 days with vacations of 20 or 30 days respectively. Four day school weeks are becoming a necessity for some rural school districts that lack funding. Time of day effects may be induced by variations in the quality of instructors instruction, changes in the learning abilities of students, or differences in student attendance patterns. There is no one answer to this question as it can depend on individual circumstances. The pros of year-round school Eliminating any sort of long break from school can improve a child's academic achievement. According to a Center for American Progress study, traditional school schedules are out of sync with the current economic environment. I am glad that you asked. More teaching: Covid-19 has resulted in a lot of disruption in teaching. Too Early to Tell Cons of a Longer School Day Does Not Ensure Higher Achievement Some studies have been done that show that longer instruction time can improve achievement, but those results depend on things like classroom environment, quality of instruction, student prior knowledge and ability. It may reduce the number of discipline referrals for students. Why Should School Days Be Longer? (Best solution) Getting to school on-time or making it out for the bus is a constant battle. Con: Not all students need one-on-one assistance, and some may even experience boredom or burnout from the extended school day. You should approach these strategies with your childs teacher instead of punishing him or her. If you ask the average kid what they think about school, youll get a very honest answer: Its boring. From K-12, it can be difficult for students to stay engaged in the classroom during a 5-day school week. Con: A lengthened school day may impede upon extracurricular activities, especially in secondary education. Changing the times could increase attendance by 1%, which could bring in $40 million more. Delaying school start times will assist students in developing the skills required to reach their full potential. They question the value of a continuous . The disadvantage is that more time does not equate to more learning. It was suggested that a combination of four-week summer holidays and a school day finishing at 4:30pm would lead to improvements in pupil attainment. Students who attend year-round school have the same number of school days as their counterparts following a traditional schedule. If the school days are shortened, then students will not be able to learn enough because of the short school day. configuration, but nine districts were actually spending more. disabled students may also find it difficult to participate in extracurricular activities and socialise with their peers. Additional learning time as well as improved schedule alignment would make the lives of families noticeably more pleasant. 2023 The Black Well Firm. When shifted to a 4-day school week, they reported that they were forced to focus on instruction much more than they had previously. . Schools are facing many issues today. When implemented, however, 1st graders do just as well as teens with the expanded schedule and 3-day weekend. Over the course of a 2-year period on this alternative schedule, they reported up to a 20% increase in student attendance. It may improve overall student attendance. Con: School districts across the U.S. are struggling to make ends meet. 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. She is the author and co-author of 12 books and serves as a consultant in K-12 and higher education. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. There are some drawbacks to shorter school days, as well. 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 she is not receptive to your suggestions, you may want to get a doctors note stating that recess is required. Teachers are frequently overworked and required to perform tasks that are outside their job description. Spread the loveOne of the questions that I am frequently asked is, what does a good teacher look like? Elizabeth Perle 1). 5. Spread the loveAfrican Africans have a long history of being mistreated in the United States, starting with slavery. A poll where 2,700 random people were polled about 67% favoured a 4 day school week(university of Scranton). According to author accounts, teachers and students suffer as a result of recess being taken away as a punishment for behavior. Anticipated savings are in transportation, food and food service workers, hourly workers and utilities. Suffolk Public Schools went with a 7:25 am start time for their district and are saving almost $700,000 per year. The Pros and Cons of a Four-Day School Week - SchoolMoney.org 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. Spread the loveEducation is a collaborative process, as it takes many stakeholders working in unison to help students succeed academically. In the United States, only five states require recess in elementary schools, with Texas not one of them. 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. Spread the loveAre you looking for strategies to encourage students to take care of their personal property? First, it would give students more time to focus on their homework and studies outside of school. More time to focus on mental health In the typical K-12 schooling model, mental health education is too often shunted aside. Teachers would be required to reimagine their curriculum and would need extra time to develop a curriculum to fit an expanded day. The disadvantage is that more time does not equate to more learning. The Pros And Cons Of Shorter School Days - 1283 Words | Bartleby