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Efforts to improve education outcomes often involve lengthening the school day or the school year in hopes that spending more time in school will boost student learning. Yet, as Frederick Hess explains, U.S. students spend as much or more total time in school as their peers in other industrialized nations. What matters more than the amount of time is how that time is used. Although research into time usage at school is limited, existing studies have shown that much time spent in school time does not involve actual learning time, either because of interruptions or other non-learning activities or because students are not engaged. Hess suggests that, before adding time to the school day or year, it's important to understand what schools are doing with their time, rethink their routines, and seek to ensure that they are using time wisely and well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses how schools promote a sense of belonging among students. Educators Rising students were asked about their schools' efforts in this regard. Some students mentioned that their schools offer various programs, clubs, and extracurricular activities that emphasize togetherness and identity. However, they also suggested that schools should do a better job of publicizing these opportunities and encouraging students to participate. Other students mentioned the importance of sharing information about different clubs and activities so that students can find the ones that suit them. They also emphasized the need for schools to embrace students' cultures and showcase the accomplishments of smaller clubs and teams. Additionally, students mentioned the importance of schools taking an active role in fostering a sense of belonging, such as through providing support and addressing issues of diversity and inclusion. Overall, the article highlights the perspectives of different students on how schools can improve their efforts to promote belonging. [Extracted from the article]

Whenever these students finished their work for the day, they would be free to play educational games, read, tutor other students, or engage in any productive activities they chose. Students completed more homework and in-class work and averaged higher scores in class and on benchmark tests, and the classroom atmosphere was one of positive engagement. True mastery is a lot of work for teachers, especially as students have more autonomy. The greatest resource for students might be fellow students, as they work together to solve problems, find answers to questions, or informally quiz each other. [Extracted from the article]

This article presents the results of a 2023 PDK Poll on public opinion regarding expanding time in school. The poll found that 19% of respondents preferred longer school days only, 26% preferred a longer school year only, 17% preferred both options, and 36% preferred neither. The results were similar for adults with a child under 18 at home. There were also differences in preferences by race/ethnicity, with white respondents showing a preference for longer school days, black respondents showing a preference for longer school years, and Hispanic respondents showing a more balanced preference. Additionally, the article notes that Americans across the country generally prefer longer school years to longer school days, with the Midwest and West regions showing the most pronounced difference. The survey was conducted in June 2023 and included a representative sample of 1,002 adults. [Extracted from the article]

Q: I'm self-conscious about asking this because I worry that I may be more noise-sensitive than other teachers. Teacher distracted by "loud" classroom next door And while I do keep a fairly calm and quiet classroom myself, I doubt my students would notice much of a difference between my class and their other classes. [Extracted from the article]

MAP: Digging deeper into 2023 PDK Poll results GRAPH: Digging deeper into 2023 PDK Poll results GRAPH: Digging deeper into 2023 PDK Poll results POLL POINTS Who supports a four-day school week?. [Extracted from the article]

And at a time when educators' morale is low, teachers are resigning in droves, and retention is a real issue, I can't imagine any official in your district would want to offend a current staff member. Teacher received a robo-rejection letter from their own employer Q: I decided to look for a leadership position in my own school district. [Extracted from the article]

I promised Casey and her mom that we would sing "Happy Birthday" and give her the birthday bag on Monday. I also started making "birthday bags", filled with trinkets and candy, that I could give to the lucky student just before dismissal, as we sang the birthday song. That's when Casey walked back over to me with her mom, who asked, "Did you get to hand out those birthday invitations?". [Extracted from the article]

Teachers are dedicated, wise, and thoughtful change agents who need more time to identify problems they see in their schools or classrooms and work individually and collectively on solutions. They need both more time for individual planning and time to collaborate with colleagues who teach the same grades or the same subjects. A productive day of teaching requires substantial planning time to choose effective strategies, design lessons, prepare materials and collaborate with others. Any good teacher will tell you this, and they do, whenever they are asked. Some possible ways to provide more time for planning without breaking the school budget are by shortening the school day for students, embedding more teacher work days into the school calendar, or creatively increasing staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses how schools' implementation of expanded learning time (ELT) practices can offer opportunities to expand effective teaching and student learning. The authors look at the ways in which schools' ELT strategies may allow them to partner with community-based organizations and youth development programs and increase teacher leadership. Topics include the use of educational technology to efficiently use classroom time, changes to teacher education to include teacher preparation for hybrid teaching roles, as well as the ways in which educational tests can support effective teaching.

The article discusses attempts to change the length of time students spend at school. The author notes that education reformers have supported lengthening school time to improve academic achievement and discusses proposals to extend the school year, eliminate summer vacations for students, increase instructional time in the school day and lengthen the school day. Proposals to replace public schooling with distance education, homeschooling and Internet-based education are also discussed. The author notes how educational costs, lack of research regarding the effect of extended school time on academic achievement and a focus on preparing students for the workforce have prevented implementation of proposals to extend school time.

Presents the findings of the 1991 Gallup poll which surveyed public attitudes toward education in the U.S. Overview of the goals for education of the U.S. administration; Opinion on the proposal to extend the school day of public shools; Percentage of respondents who favor the voucher system.

Suggests summer programs as another way to find out whether or not more learning time would be a good investment. The suggestion to lengthen the school year by `A Nation at Risk'; The idea that school should not be confused with learning; How the SPIRIT program operates.

The article looks at the Brazilian public education system, focusing on how increased investment and reforms have helped addressed low academic achievement levels. The author goes on to suggest that reforms related to topics such as teacher development, a national curriculum, and the length of school days can help continue the development of the education system.

The article reflects on the 1983 United States government education reform document titled "A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform" and the progress of teacher professionalism as it pertains to a teacher's daily schedule. The author highlights the low status teachers as professionals hold in society and examines its reasons that include low salaries, pressure from administrators and government officials to conform to standards and other educational agendas, and lack of dedicated time throughout the day for professional development.

The article discusses four areas of educational comparison between the U.S. and other countries, as reported in the Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Programme of International Student Achievement (PISA) studies. The four areas are time spent at school, homework, technology, and schools as agents of social change. The author discusses productive use of time, student engagement, teaching to the test, the influence of books on academic achievement, and family-friendly policies to help reduce poverty. He cites various areas in which the U.S. compares unfavorably with other countries.

The article discusses Ontario, Canada's political commitment to full-day preschool and kindergarten programs. Several issues regarding Ontario's full-day programs including the influence of research to shape political agendas, the complications regarding putting the program into practice, and what public services could look like after financial crisis ends are explored. The educational research surrounding early childhood in Ontario is considered. The report by Charles Pascal, head of the Atkinson Foundation, on how the Canadian government could best carry out this commitment, which is located at the web site www.ontario.ca/en/initiatives/early_learning/ONT06_018876, is discussed.

The article discusses several reports that investigated issues in education. Melodye Bush and Michael Colasanti of the Education Commission of the States looked at virtual high schools in the U.S. although such places cannot grant diplomas but these can be given by the students' local school districts. State policies in Massachusetts, Michigan, and Alaska regarding the correct amount of instruction time or the length of the school day is also examined. Data from a report by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education regarding the amount of Title I funding given to schools.

The article presents the results of a Gallup Poll concerning Americans' support for measures to lessen school days for high school students and increasing their time spent using computer technology at home for education.

The article discusses various reports published within the issue including one by Larry Cuban on attempts to change the hours of the school day and another by Derek Greenfield on teacher beliefs.