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. 6 Pages. Workers Have a Better Work-Life Balance. Comments . But recently, there has been a move towards shorter weeks across the United States. If the schools made 40 minute periods, the students could learn just as much as they would in a 50 minute period.One of the biggest benefits of this system is the financial savings. Since an entire day is cut off the week, that extra time needs to be made up during the remaining four days. A smaller carbon footprint. It may improve overall student attendance. One example is moving to a four-day school week. Decreased need to re-teach skills after long vacations, allowing teachers to use classroom time more efficiently. This will surely come from rethinking education during and after the time of COVID-19. This got me thinking about the pros and cons of longer vs. shorter trips. 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. School districts that implement a 4-day week see a significant decrease in the number of behavioral problems in their student body. Each state has different guidelines for schools that want to try this schedule. Sample 90-30 Schedule Naturally, there are countless factors that go into determining the right length and format of a school day, along with the right amount of homework for kids and the myriad of other important issues in the education world. It makes sense that we now need to spend more time educating children, especially in the STEM fields, where knowledge is advancing rapidly and . Extending the school days even longer would further cut into valuable time to bond with family. Wildbit, a company based in the US, a portion of whose workforce works remotely, tested the 4-day week to see whether the shorter working hours will affect employee productivity. Opportunity to relax and really immerse yourself in the experience. But students in about 4 percent of public schools attend on a year-round . This is a physically demanding position, which means it isn't right for everyone. Pros. The utilities -- heating, air conditioning, electricity -- of the actual school buildings would be in use fewer hours and contribute to the savings. Children between the ages of 12 to 18 need at least eight hours of sleep each night, and in some cases, sometimes even nine. . Schools seem to be reluctant to call snow days. N.p., 13 Jan. 2017. The HIA aimed to assess the impact of the four-day school week on . However, these basics vary, depending on a company's policy. Longer-lasting learning with shorter, more intense bursts of instruction. Currently the school day is about six and a half hours and goes about 180 days a year. Over the past few decades, school requirements have become increasingly difficult, demanding more of students and teachers alike as educational standards have changed. While a shortened school day can bring about the advantage of more free time and even increased hours to study, there are distinct disadvantages that are brought on by the lack . Often, school districts choose a four-day school week to reduce expenses. Here are some examples:Pros of a Shortened Workweek - For many employees, one more day of the weekend (or a day off mid-week, depending on how companies create their guidelines) means one more day of leisure. The potential savings of shortening a school day 1.5 hours might result in a system savings of 6 percent to 20 percent of the overall budget, depending upon buildings and staffing. Pros. 6. The Pros And Cons Of Shorter School Days. The Pros of a Longer School Day Matches Parents Schedules. A Lack of Supervision Creates Problems. 5. There are many facts about a four-day school week to consider. Students can experience less stress; with shorter class periods some students work at a different pace than other students and will rush to finish their work. Let's explore some of the pros and cons of longer school days to see if they might make sense in the new era of educational models. Updating parents on students' grades and progress. While the working day is slightly longer, there is an overall reduction in the working week. Radiographers spend a lot of their day on their feet. Some people stress that disciplines like music and art must be included and upgraded in an extended school year. Says English teacher Mark Aguilar. Florida's inflation-adjusted education spending per student has roughly doubled in the last 30 years -- to $7,473 in 2000-01. Cons of being a radiographer. Most teachers arrive an hour before school starts and leave 1-2 hours after school ends. The driving force behind the proposal to lengthen the school day is the assertion that more instructional time would yield greater academic gains. Nurses at a care home . 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. 1283 Words. Because, as with everything, there are pros and cons to a longer days, and shorter weeks. There were enough benefits from the experience to take the concept global. From research . Another benefit of a shorter school week is attendance. Taking only one class is practically a . The Pros And Cons Of Shorter School Days 1283 Words6 Pages A lot of parents are shaking their heads at the consideration of a four-day school week, and a longer school day. To compare, a regular semester generally lasts 16-18 weeks. https://vittana.org . Like the 45-15 and 60-20 plans, this schedule factors in holidays. Pros of the 4-day School Week. The fact that is that the pros and cons of four-day school weeks need to be fully understood before an informed opinion can be formed. It offers more free time. Countries with shorter working hours typically have a smaller carbon footprint, so that reducing the working week could also have an environmental . They are able to rest thoroughly. The Pros and Cons of a Four-Day School Week. Therefore, they won't feel as stressed with time management . The Melstone School District in Montana also shifted to a 4-day school week. Naturally, standards of teaching and learning in reading, math and science must be improved. Preparing students for standardized tests. The pros and cons of 4-day school weeks are not a suggestion that kid should spend less time in school. Most four-day week schools operate Monday through Thursday, with a few opting for Tuesday through Friday. 2. On top of that, you will likely only be taking 1-2 classes at a time instead of four or more. Therefore, they won't feel as stressed with time management . Students are more rested and focused; therefore, they are less . Five-day schools still have the edge in many districts. . Elizabeth Perle 1). . 2. Having a three-day weekend twice a month can do wonders for work-life balance. References. It is easier to recruit teachers and administrative staff with the 4-day work week. There's a lot of walking, standing and moving things around as a radiographer. School districts consider shorter school days for several reasons, including saving money and providing students the ability to participate in more extracurricular activities. "10 Main Pros and Cons of 4 Day School Weeks." Green Garage. If a longer lunch allows high school students to leave campus, they might opt for unhealthy fast-food options; on the other hand, this extended time might allow them to seek out healthier dishes than those available in the cafeteria. Over the course of a 2-year period on this alternative schedule, they reported up to a 20% increase in student attendance. Underperforming schools and the lagging performance of U.S. students in comparison to other countries is a concern. Very Costly. A shorter working day is very attractive to employees and results in lower staff turnover and makes it easier to recruit top people. This increases students learning opportunities. Students have more time outside of school to focus on other important aspects of . There were also reduced sick days requested by their teaching staff. This includes what superintendent Chris Fiedler calls "harder vacancies," such as special ed and secondary . Grading homework, tests and assignments. Another big advantage of 4-day school weeks is that it allows children to have more free time on their hands pursue . Increases student attendance. However, class time is not for socializing. Cons. Or alternatively, employees may choose to have an midweek extra day off. • Shorter trailers could drastically reduce the amount of time audiences have to wait for a movie to start. 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. The 4 school days week reduces discipline referral frequency. Shorter days can only be seen as a positive thing and would benefit students, teacher, and administrators. The pros and cons of longer days and shorter breaks. Some students thrive with this idea, while others do not. Those against extended lunches might argue that budget . Some research indicates there may be slight academic benefits to extending the school day. The Cons. Quality time is better than the quantity of time spent. Resolving classroom conflicts. . One study published by the Economics of Education Review found a correlation between the four-day school week schedule and a rise in juvenile crime. Pros. Pros: 1. The four-day school week is an advantage because it can reduce discipline referral frequency, reduction in financial cost and can impulse a better morale for the teacher and the students. Additional costs savings from a shorter day include less . What this information shows is that schools which are in primarily rural districts do get an opportunity to add some flexibility to their finances and schedule. The idea has been to cut hours while keeping pay the same. . Employees are less likely to be stressed or take sick leave as they have plenty of time to rest and recover. The two terms, of course, are divided by one or two weeks of lovely finals. As a result, they return to work feeling ready to take on new challenges. They also said students can gain more time for fun and still receive an excellent education. Cutting that by 20% means a savings of $4 billion, if implemented nationwide. Cons of Longer School Days. An eight-hour day is pretty undesirable for elementary-aged kids. To put it plainly, the cons outweigh the pros. Good Essays. More difficulty scheduling meaningful family time. In addition, numerous schools begin at around 7:30-8:30. In some school districts where test scores have been historically low, the introduction of a four-day week has led to a dramatic improvement in student achievement. Proponents claim a four-day work week helps attract and retain quality teachers. Mainly operating Monday through Thursday, students endure longer days to compensate for the shorter school week. The number of referrals can decline by as much as 70% in some areas. Based on your argument, if school hours were shorter, there would be more time after the day has ended for these types of outbursts. Here are some of the pros and cons of year-round school. Juggling . The Pros And Cons Of Shorter School Days. Pros and cons of shorter work weeks. Greengarageblogadmin. Some specific benefits that a 4-day work week gleans for organizations include: Increase in Productivity - it is well-known that an overworked employee is much less productive than an employee working a reasonable number of hours each week. Even though only a slight improvement in performance was seen, the important thing is that a shortened school week does not negatively affect the learning abilities of students, which matters most. The four-day schedule has a nearly 50-year history in the United States, and of the 15,000 school . Shorter school weeks or longer school days are reasonable solutions when there is a shortage of funding, or possible budget cuts coming to . A four-day working week could mean some of those individuals would be able to better juggle their families with work commitments and be more likely to be in employment. School animals can make students feel more secure and happy. Collaborating with other teachers on school-wide events and projects. Discipline issues improve at schools with a 4-day week. If the schools made 40 minute periods, the students could learn just as much as they would in a 50 minute period.One of the biggest benefits of this system is the financial savings. 27% increase in productivity. In other words, the quality of education must be improved rather than providing more of the same mediocre learning environment. Other pros and cons exist in the school lunch debate. The Pros And Cons Of Shorter School Days. 30% increase in sales. Your typical school week: Monday-Friday with the hours sometime between 7 am- 4 pm. For many American students and their families, summer is sacrosanct, a nice long break from school to recharge and refresh. There are many financial benefits from a 4 day school week.With only 4 days in a week, that is one less day theschool has to pay for lunches . Web. In addition to encouraging companies to join the pilot program, 4 Day Week Global offers training, mentoring, networking and research to help make the transition to a shorter workweek more feasible. There are pros and cons to the most common model currently in K-12 and . Decreased need to re-teach skills after long vacations, allowing teachers to use classroom time more efficiently. 3. From 2015 to 2017, Sweden conducted a trial study into a shorter work week. 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. Underperforming schools and the lagging performance of U.S. students in comparison to other countries is a concern. 01 May 2017. According to a 2003 report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the U.S. ranked 15th in reading literacy, 25th in mathematics and 21st in sciences globally. Students say that at school, they can enhance the overall . This added flexibility is why they are such staunch proponents of the 4-day school schedule. Jimmy Linderman, superintendent of the Chattooga County School District in Georgia, reports that the discipline referral frequency of students attending school only four days per week falls 73 percent during one year. In some areas where a shortened schedule was implemented, property crime by juveniles increases by 20%. . Perpetual Guardian's introduction of the 4-day work week policy saw a decrease in employee stress . Here are a few: 1. The vast majority of four-day week schools are in small, rural districts; however, in recent years some larger, more urban districts have begun to consider the option of a shorter week. Adds flexibility to teacher's schedules. Children between the ages of 12 to 18 need at least eight hours of sleep each night, and in some cases, sometimes even nine. On the plus side, employees love it. This solution has many mixed opinions from . While Michael Gove says shorter holidays and longer days could help to improve outcomes, a quick internet search reveals he is cherry-picking his facts, finds our headteacher diarist. Increases the cost. From research . The number one reason for lengthening the school day is to provide teachers with more time for instruction. With seven or eight trailers and in-house advertisements often running before the feature presentation, it's not unusual for a movie to start a full 20 minutes or more after its advertised showtime. When the learners are in school for longer hours, parents may be required to pay a higher amount of money and this may make some of the parents strain financially because of the cost. In the United States, $17.5 billion each year is spent on school bus transportation. "I get really tired throughout the day and I would love shorter school hours.". On the 90-20 plan, students attend school for 90 days, followed by 30 days off. In 2009, there were 3,000 schools in the United States operating on a year-round basis. 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. A rapid (HIA) was chosen to research the impact of the four-day school week on youth. Open Document. Elizabeth Perle 1). Pros of the 9/80 Work Schedule. 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. Pros. Some people stress that disciplines like music and art must be included and upgraded in an extended school year. There are many financial benefits from a 4 day school week.With only 4 days in a week, that is one less day theschool has to pay for lunches . Although longer school days may seem effective, there is no correlation between longer school hours and student success, and less time is set aside for students to . Since introducing the four day week, the company has seen many positive results, including: 12% decrease in costs. 8. The shift to a four-day school week was a strategy employed by many school districts in Oklahoma to address an $878 million budget shortfall, subsequent budget cuts, and teacher shortages. Overall, a shorter school schedule resulted in a 7% increase in math scores and a 3% gain in reading. The school year consists of two 90-day learning blocks, with a 30-day break after each. That means the average cost, per student, is about $700. 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. In other words, the quality of education must be improved rather than providing more of the same mediocre learning environment. Published On: August 16, 2021. Maintaining order in the classroom. Before deciding to extend the school day, consider changes that can be incorporated to solve the specific issues the school is facing. Learners will only be equipped with the knowledge and they may not . There . Block days are used in schools to divide the amount of classes that you have per day. The Cons of Longer School Days. It does not allow time for other activities. are shaking their heads at the consideration of a four-day school week, and a longer school day. Answer (1 of 14): No, pets at school should not be permitted. The students would be able to retain the same . After Colorado's District 27J switched to four-day school weeks, their recruiting prospects jumped from a handful of applicants to over 100 per opening. (Reference 1) Other countries who students score higher than U.S. students actually have shorter school days than U.S. schools currently have. 13 Block Scheduling Pros and Cons. A four-day week can help lessen the cost of . 4. Students who attend year-round school have the same number of school days as their counterparts following a traditional schedule. The most popular is a 32-hour work week, which means people work 8 hours per day, 4 hours in a week. Many teachers grade papers at home and perform other duties outside of the "normal" work day. . 1. A shorter day would leave more time for us to enjoy their lives and not have to rush through activities or assignments. Conclusion. Public schools across the country are cutting their budgets in creative ways that challenge community stakeholders. It is also said that students learn accountability from their care. The Pros And Cons Of Shorter School Days 1283 Words6 Pages A lot of parents are shaking their heads at the consideration of a four-day school week, and a longer school day. Demanding days. 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. To see how shorter school days hurt both teachers and students, we need to look at a major structural change in education. In conclusion, U.S. schools should operate on shorter school days. While working as a radiographer, you may experience a few drawbacks, including: 1. No comments have been posted yet. Advantages: The longer hours someone works, the less productive they become, so cutting down the hours from the outset will encourage people to be more productive and they will have more energy to do so. This is "social life gold". It forces teachers to work longer hours too. To boost these scores, some lawmakers and educators are pressing for longer school days and shorter summer vacations. A lot of parents are shaking their heads at the consideration of a four-day school week, and a longer school day. Having well-rested and happy employees can increase their overall work engagement and productivity. The statistics reported by the program are encouraging. 3. In addition, numerous schools begin at around 7:30-8:30. But the extra money hasn't gone into teachers' salaries, which have dropped on average from . (Reference 2) What are the pros and cons for students, teachers and school boards? This will leave more time for students to focus on other activities and comprehend learned material. Currently, most K-12 schools dismiss their students in the mid . Sometimes even starting school earlier in the . 13 Block Scheduling Pros and Cons. Extending the school day is a hot topic for educational policy making bodies. Reduce crowding:Year-round program can reduce overcrowding in the institution by proving three different schedules for the students to follow. Decreased need to re-teach skills after long vacations, allowing teachers to use classroom time more efficiently. Pro: It keeps you from having to venture out in bad weather. Participating in school meetings. Teachers are already putting in a full day of work. The school days are spread more evenly over the year, with more frequent short breaks and the absence of a 10-12 week summer break. Over the last century, humans have acquired a staggering amount of knowledge and understanding. Class runs Monday- Thursday with an added 40-60 minutes each day to compensate for the lost time by not having the schools run on Fridays. If something goes wrong . Colleges with a semester system divide their school year into two semesters: one in the fall, which usually runs from August to December, and another in the spring, which starts in January and ends in May. Teachers report that the flexibility of the 4-day work week helps them get more done. 2. The Melrose Patch Moms Council discusses keeping kids in school longer during the day, and for longer during the year. Benefits of shorter school days for kids and teens. We would be able to do everything at a slower and calmer pace rather than rushing.By cutting time out of the school day, the students' education level would not be hurt. But slowly over the nation, schools are switching to a four day school week. Increase Engagement and Productivity. Each semester lasts about 15 weeks, and students take four to . Use of multi-track schedules allows classrooms to be in constant use while keeping the student's population low. Community Corner Discuss: Longer School Days/Years—Pros and Cons? Sacrifices Family Time. Extending the school year may help make teaching a full-time, more lucrative profession for educators if year-round schools can cut costs through multi-tracking programs. A 4 day week can lead to happier and more committed employees. Naturally, standards of teaching and learning in reading, math and science must be improved. Shortening the school day by even an hour or two can allow a district to save dramatically on its utility costs. School days are lengthened to deliver the same amount . Social Life. There is less guilt behind an e-learning day and less pressure for schools to still make people come in during .