Year-Round Schooling

Year-Round Schooling (YRS) is a hotly debated topic among parents and educators. With the backing of President Obama’s administration, the issue seems most likely to heat up even more so in the coming years. Currently most schools operate under the agrarian-based schedule of 180 days per year with a 3 month break over the summer months. The YRS schedule, which has been adopted by some schools, consists of smaller breaks throughout the year without the large summer gap (i.e. 45 school days and then a 15 day break). The number of actual days in school, however is unchanged in most schools (180 days) and many schools utilize a multitrack calendar in which there are different tracks of students on different schedules. In this model there is always at least one track on vacation all year round.
There are several proposed benefits of YRS. First, the multitrack calendar can allow schools to maximize resources. For example if there is always a track of students on vacation, schools can fit more students into smaller buildings and save millions in new building costs. Many proponents of YRS also believe it will prevent the regression they feel many students experience from being off for three months in the summer and thus lead to improved student achievement. A study by the New York Board of Regents (1978) found that students forget information over the summer months, particularly disadvantaged students and students for whom English is a second language. Another advantage to YRS is that schools can also offer intersession which include remedial, advanced and enrichment programs.
Some parents are also proponents of YRS because working parents will not have to worry about what to do with their children in the summer. More teachers might also to be able to seek extra compensation for the summer months. Also, although YRS would perhaps cut down on vacations in the summer month, some in the travel industry believe such a schedule would be a boon to selling vacations during other times in the year, which are currently thought of as off-peak months.
Opponents of YRS maintain the point that research into the effect of YRS on student achievement is mixed and contradictory. For example some research has found that students in schools with YRS programs achieve as well or slightly better than their peers in traditional schools programs (Palmer & Bemis, 1999; Kneese, 1996). Other research, however has found no significant relationship between YRS and improved student achievement (Cooper, et al., 2003). Clearly with the multitude of variables it may be difficult to fully understand this relationship. For example many times schools who adopt a YRS schedule are also making many other significant changes in their schools which can also affect student outcomes.
Other opponents to YRS point to the many family issues that may be created by moving to this type of calendar. For example families with children in different YRS tracks at a school or children who attend both YRS and non-YRS schools will have much difficulty arranging vacations or even just days for a babysitter. YRS could also destroy entire towns which have been summer long vacation destinations as well as the summer camps business in general. Finally YRS could also become very expensive in terms of keeping facilities (i.e. air conditioning in buildings) going through the summer months as well as the extra pay teachers would demand to come in throughout the year.
In conclusion there is no clear evidence for the efficacy of YRS, though the topic does raise some valid points to consider in improving student achievement. Some solutions could be considered to ensure year-long learning taking into consideration some of the practical concerns involved. YRS could be an option for students and parents who would rather use the summer to further develop their education. Working parents may be interested in paying school districts extra for academic supports especially after-school for unsupervised children. Supplemental education programs can also be utilized in in summer vacation towns such as morning classes (i.e. 730-1130am)to ensure at least some year-long learning. Such modifications could be helpful in swaying some of the detractors to YRS programs.
By:
Richard Allen

http://www.edweek.org/rc/issues/year-round-schooling/
http://www.auburn.edu/~enebasa/html/home.pp.html
http://www.ericdigests.org/1992-4/year.htm
http://712educators.about.com/cs/reformtime/a/yearrounded.htm