Playtime in Tech Class
School Calendar ReformByChris TaylorArkansas State
[email protected]
1Year Round SchoolingHistory?Traditional vs. Year Round?Methods
of Implementation?Is it effective?
School Calendar Reform
The IssuesSchool Calendar HistoryTraditional CalendarOriginated
during Colonial timesSchool Year influenced by growing seasonRural
students3 to 6 months of schoolUrban students11 to 12 months of
school
School Calendar History, cont.Early 20th
CenturyIndustrialization & UrbanizationFamilies move to
citiesPublic demand for standardized school yearPost World War
II180 day school year unofficial standard
School Calendar History, cont.Year Round Calendar1870s summer
Vacation Schools1907 William WirtSuperintendent of Gary, Indiana
schools50 weeks, 12 hours per day, 7 days per weekOther districts
followedLittle Research During Depression & WW II
School Calendar History, cont.National Council On Year Round
EducationFounded 1972Voluntary organizationClassroom space21st
CenturyNCYRE becomes official non-profit organizationEconomic
valueTypes of Year Round SchoolsSingle TrackMost CommonReduces
Summer Learning Loss45/15Students and Faculty on same
scheduleMulti-TrackMaximizes SpaceMaximizes ResourcesAlternating
Student BlocksLower student numbers on campusTypes of Year Round
Schools, cont.Extended YearLeast common methodAdds days to existing
year200 day yearDays added during summer
IntersessionKey feature in all formatsRegularly scheduled breaks
from instructionReduces student and teacher burnoutCan be
coordinated with community for student enrichment
opportunitiesVacationImprovement in student achievementSmall
increasesLow socio-economic students show improvementStudents with
high educational background parents favor traditional calendar.Is
it Effective?No cure all methodResearch scatteredMore research
neededBenefits may not outweigh difficulty of
implementationConclusion
Alexander, K. L., Entwisle, D. R., & Olson, L. (2007).
Lasting Consequences of the Summer Learning Gap. American
Sociological Review, 72(2), 167-180.Ballinger, C. E., & Kneese,
C. (2006). School Calendar Reform: Learning in All Seasons. Lanham,
Md: Rowman & Littlefield Education.Glines, D. (1997). YRE:
Understanding the Basics.McMillen, B. J. (2001). A Statewide
Evaluation of Academic Achievement in Year-Round Schools. Journal
Of Educational Research, 95(2), 67.Mitchell-Hoefer, M. D. (2010,
January 1). The Effects of a Year-Round School Calendar in a
High-Risk Elementary School: A Comparative Study. ProQuest LLC.
ReferencesWrldPLTown 1 (Underscore)Copyright 1998, The Microsoft
CorporationNathan GriggAcoustic Guitar (steel)Acoustic Guitar
(nylon)Drums Reverse CymbalAcoustic Bass
Melody*mergedGuitar*mergedDrums*merged10*merged12*merged
