Longer School Days Effective
Massachusetts Public Schools Experiment Is Successful
Massachusetts Experiment
More time. What would the anticipated results be if the school days were extended from six hours to eight or even nine hours? A few charter schools and a small number of public schools decided to find out in Massachusetts. A total of ten schools extended the school day by 25%. Students received extra
- Reading time
- Writing time
- Math time
- Creative reinforcement of concepts taught
What many find effective is more time for hands-on learning to reinforce concepts taught that day.
Schools also reinstated former programs that were cut because of extra math and reading time added to focus on No Child Left Behind challenges. The following were added into a school day:
- Arts
- Sports
- Extra teacher training
- Team meetings
- Discussion on what and how to teach
MCAS Results
After one year, the following results were noted:
Least proficient students grew
- 7.2 percentage points in math
- 4.7 percentage points in science
- 10.8 percentage points in English
The growth is based on the MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) which is the state’s assessment tool. The average growth of students achieving proficiency in the initial 10 schools was 12.7 percentage points in math on the MCAS.
US Senator Edward M. Kennedy
Senator Kennedy, after reviewing these statistics, is urging Congress to pass a bill that would make the longer school day a reform strategy for the nation. The bill would give schools funding to begin the longer day format. Future funding to continue the programs after the seed money is gone is unknown. Hopefully, this will not be yet another unfunded mandate by the federal government.
The school calendar was originally formed around a society based on agriculture. Children were needed on farms in the summer, before school and after school. Therefore, we have 6 hour school days and summer vacation. Is this system now evolving into year-round school and longer school days?
The Cost
The state of Massachusetts spent $20 million for this program with a $1,300 cost per student in 10 schools. The program was extended to 18 schools for the fall of 2007-2008 with 33 additional schools in the fall of 2008.
It’s Just One Year
Chairman of the Massachusetts state Board of Education, Paul Reville, cautions everyone to not interpret the results from one year as a solution. "It’s a very significant early signal that more time, used well, can make a big difference for students. But more time is a bit like more money. It doesn’t have inherent value; it depends on how you use it."
Charlestown Middle School
Clarence R. Edwards Middle School extended the school day by three hours or until 4:30. All 7th and 8th graders spent an hour each on "math league." Each student participated in the team format game project where students played games based on lessons taught that day.
The longer school day has not only raised scores but the reputations of the schools participating in the pilot program with some parents asking to transfer their children to the longer day schools.
Source: Tracy Jan, The Boston Globe, boston.com, November 30, 2007
Related articles: 10% of Schools Dropout Factories, Why Research Is Ignored
Read previous articles on Educational Issues.
Copyright article 2007 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
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