Tuesday, June 08, 2010
A measure to cut costs for school districts is proving to have unexpected benefits for students. More than 120 districts across the United States are currently experimenting with four-day school weeks, brought about by shrinking budgets that forced administrators to try something new.
But education officials are finding the four-day week has other advantages. In some districts, student test scores have gone up, attendance has improved, and teachers too have missed fewer days, producing less need for substitutes. One district in Georgia is expecting its graduation rate to top 80%, the first time that’s happened in three years.
Many of the districts trying four-day weeks are in rural areas. Many students who have no place to go on the off day are spending them at local churches or Boys & Girls Clubs
Experts say it’s too early to make a full assessment of the four-day week. Some believe the experiment is not hurting academics, while others claim the cost-savings has not been significant and students in some areas have struggled as a result of the condensed school period.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
4-Day School Weeks Gain Popularity Across U.S. (by Dorie Turner, Associated Press)
Four Day School Week (National Conference of State Legislatures)
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