use Readworks - Should School Be Year-Round?
Many students say that June is the best time of year. In most places, school lets
out as summer begins. Some students don't spend summers at home or at
camp, though. They are in school instead. That is because they go to
year-round schools.
Students in some year-round schools go to school the same number of days as
students in regular schools. But they get mini-breaks throughout the year
instead of one long summer vacation. The mini-breaks are a few weeks long.
For example, students at some year-round schools often get a few weeks off at
Thanksgiving instead of just a few days.
More and more schools are becoming year-round places of learning. The
National Association for Year-Round Education states that the number of
students in year-round schools has tripled in the last ten years. By 2001, there
were about 3,000 year-round schools.
Could your school be next? Would you want your school to be year-round?
Read the arguments that follow. Then decide.
Yes, Schools Should Be Year-Round.
Year-round schools are better than regular schools. Students in year-round
schools have more breaks. They get to enjoy time off in every season.
Year-round schools allow families to plan vacations in times other than
summer. Students in year-round schools are less likely to have to miss school
for a trip.
Frequent breaks are good for students. They have less stress when they go back
to school after a break. They become more eager to learn. One student said, "I
love it. Just about the time I'm really tired, I get a break."
Breaks also give teachers time to plan better lessons. Teachers in regular
schools are so busy teaching that they have less time to plan lessons for their
classes. Students in year-round schools tend to remember what they learn.
That is because their breaks aren't too long. Teachers don't have to spend time
going over things that students have forgotten over the summer. All schools
should be year-round.
No, Schools Should Not Be Year-Round.
Year-round schools are a bad idea. Summer is a great season. Students should
be able to enjoy their summers.
Some families plan vacations over the summer. Year-round schools restrict
family vacations. They also don't allow students to go away to camp or take on
summer jobs to earn money.
Too many breaks disrupt learning. The breaks allow teachers to focus on a
topic for only a few weeks. During mini-breaks, students are away from school
long enough to forget what they learned.
In regular schools, lessons are not broken up by frequent breaks. Teachers can
spend more time on one topic. Teachers also don't have to plan around as
many breaks. Summer can also be very hot. Many schools don't have air
conditioning. How can students learn in a hot classroom?
Christopher Newland, a researcher at Auburn University, said that year-round
schools do not help students learn. Newland said, "The evidence is that it
would be as useful as changing the color of the school buses."
Regular schools work just fine. There is no need to change to year-round
schools.
Copyright © 2009 Weekly Reader Corporation. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Weekly Reader is a registered trademark of Weekly Reader Corporation.
Article #2
“The Pros and Cons of Year-Round School Calendars”
By Andrew Warner
|March 15, 2023, at 3:35 p.m.
For most children in the United States, the word “summer” evokes images of a carefree
two- to three-month-long escape from the classroom.
But that summer break looks different for those on year-round school calendars, also
known as balanced school calendars.
What Is Year-Round Schooling?
School districts using a year-round or balanced calendar redistribute the standard 180
days of classroom instruction more evenly over the course of a year.
Although students at a school with a balanced calendar might only get four or five
weeks off in the summer, they’ll also get two weeks or so off in the fall, winter and
spring. Some schools on this calendar also use a multi-track system, meaning that
students are assigned to different groups, each with its own vacation schedule.
Though the vast majority of schools using a year-round calendar feature 180 days of
instruction, some districts have tried extended year-round calendars, which add on extra
school days in an effort to increase student achievement. Experts note, however, that
these are fairly rare in the United States.
There are many different ways to divide up the balanced calendar, but a common model
is the 45/15 version, wherein students attend school for a 45-day period, followed by a
15-day vacation. This cycle repeats four times throughout the school year, taking into
account holidays that take place throughout the year (students on a balanced calendar
still receive three days off around Thanksgiving, for example).
How Year-Round Schooling Got Started
Though longer, year-round school calendars were fairly common in the early days of
American schooling, the traditional nine-month calendar prevailed as the norm by the
beginning of the 20th century.
The year-round calendar as we know it today was introduced in the 1970s, as school
districts looked for a way to deal with rapidly increasing student populations. By
scheduling students on different tracks with staggered vacations, administrators could
expand the capacity of existing school buildings. However, the number of public schools
using this calendar declined from 6% in 1999 to just 3% in 2018, according to an
analysis published in EducationNext. Many districts that do year-round schooling are in
the South and West.
But since the COVID-19 pandemic, a few states and districts are looking at balanced
calendars as a way to combat the learning loss that occurred following the shift to
remote and hybrid learning in 2020. For example in Washington, the state
superintendent's office used some of its emergency pandemic funding to introduce the
Balanced Calendar Initiative, which has provided grants to more than 40 school districts
to study the balanced calendar’s potential for their district.
“The COVID-19 pandemic really gave school districts a reason to look at how we
organize when teaching and learning happens,” says Latoya Dixon, assistant
superintendent of academic innovation and professional learning at York School District
1 in South Carolina, which will be transitioning to a balanced calendar for the 2023-2024
school year.
Here are some of the pros and cons of year-round calendar systems.
Pros of Year-Round School
More Frequent, Evenly Spaced Breaks
One of the advantages of a balanced calendar is that students get more frequent breaks
throughout the year, which proponents of the model say can help reduce burnout among
teachers and students.
Daniel Jones, a public high school teacher and doctoral student in educational
leadership at St. Louis University, says he suspects that longer breaks during the school
year could have a positive effect on students’ mental health, particularly in a
post-pandemic world.
Dixon also notes that in her state, students on the traditional calendar have a slightly
longer semester in the spring than they do in the fall.
“In terms of instruction, a student who takes Algebra I first semester receives 87 days of
instruction, versus a student who takes Algebra I second semester gets 93 days,” she
says, noting that the balanced calendar levels out this difference by creating more even
periods of instruction.
Intercession Instruction
Year-round education allows for additional enrichment opportunities during the short
breaks or "intercessions" that occur throughout the school year, allowing students to
either catch up or get ahead in their studies.
Jones and Dixon agree that the year-round calendar can create some challenges for
working parents who need to coordinate childcare during the added breaks throughout
the year. To make up for that, many schools on balanced calendar systems offer
additional instruction during those breaks.
“Some people have a misconception that year-round schools just let the kids go,” Jones
says. “But they understand a lot of parents are working, so a lot of those schools will
offer programming or enrichment opportunities during those intercessions.”
Less Summer Learning Loss
Advocates of year-round calendar systems often cite reduced summer learning loss as
a reason to shift away from the traditional calendar.
The logic here seems sound – since students have shorter summer breaks, there’s less
time to forget what they learned during the school year.
That said, a study by Paul von Hippel, associate dean for research at the University of
Texas—Austin’s School of Public Affairs, found that while the year-round approach did
increase summer learning, learning decreased during other times of the year, ultimately
evening out the amount of learning loss between both calendars.
Cons of Year-Round School
Little Evidence of Academic Benefits
Von Hippel notes that much of the research cited in favor of the year-round calendar
falls flat upon further scrutiny, as studies showing significant academic benefits tend to
look at a fairly small sample size, and are often not even peer-reviewed.
He says studies that analyze data from several school districts show little in the way of
significant educational improvements when schools switched to a year-round calendar
– and some even see slight declines in academic performance.
“This is really what policymakers should be looking at,” von Hippel says.
Childcare Difficulties
Year-round education can pose a challenge for working parents who need to arrange
childcare during breaks that don't align with their work schedules. When her district was
voting on whether or not to adopt the balanced calendar system, Dixon says this was
the most frequent complaint that skeptics of the calendar brought up.
Though childcare may be hard enough to figure out during the summer, it can be even
more challenging to schedule ways to keep your child safe and occupied during those
additional breaks, when most full-day camps and recreation programs are not available.
This challenge might even discourage some parents from staying in the workforce
altogether – von Hippel cites a 2013 study that found mothers in districts on the
year-round calendar were less likely to enter the workforce when their children started
kindergarten.
Shorter Summers
It’s no secret that the summer is a popular time for families to take time off. Shortening
the season can make it harder for families to find the time for traditional summer
vacations like hiking, camping or spending time at a nearby beach.
A briefer summer break also makes it harder for kids to attend a sleepaway camp or for
teens to work a summer job or internship.
For families with multiple children, planning a vacation on the year-round calendar can
be especially tricky. This is particularly difficult on a multi-track system, where one child
might be on break while another child is in class, von Hippel says.
And given the fact that families often plan vacations well in advance, the transition from
a traditional calendar to a balanced one can also be challenging. In addition to childcare
troubles, Dixon says some parents in her district voted against the switch because
they’d already scheduled their summer vacations and would have to go through the
trouble of rescheduling to accommodate the new calend. prompt dont make it less 4 paragraph
Year-round schooling has both pros and cons. One advantage of a balanced calendar is that students get more frequent breaks throughout the year, which can help reduce burnout among teachers and students. Additionally, the year-round calendar allows for additional enrichment opportunities during short breaks, providing students with the chance to catch up or get ahead in their studies. Another benefit is reduced summer learning loss, as shorter breaks mean less time for students to forget what they learned during the school year.
On the other hand, there is little evidence of academic benefits associated with year-round schooling. Studies have shown little in the way of significant educational improvements when schools switch to a year-round calendar, and some districts have even seen slight declines in academic performance. Childcare can also be a challenge for working parents who need to arrange care during breaks that don't align with their work schedules. Shorter summers can make it difficult for families to plan traditional summer vacations and can also impact opportunities for teens to work summer jobs or internships.
In conclusion, while year-round schooling offers advantages such as more frequent breaks and reduced summer learning loss, it also poses challenges in terms of academic performance, childcare, and family vacation planning. Schools and districts considering a switch to a balanced calendar should carefully weigh the pros and cons to determine what is best for their students and community.
- Should School Be Year-Round or not school be year round
The debate over whether schools should be year-round is a complex one with valid arguments on both sides. Proponents of year-round schooling argue that it provides students with more frequent breaks throughout the year, reducing burnout and allowing for additional enrichment opportunities. It also helps to combat summer learning loss and ensures that students retain information better with shorter breaks. Additionally, year-round schooling can help teachers plan better lessons and maintain consistency in instruction.
On the other hand, opponents of year-round schooling argue that there is little evidence of significant academic benefits associated with this calendar system. Studies have shown mixed results, with some districts even experiencing slight declines in academic performance after switching to a year-round calendar. Year-round schooling can also pose challenges for working parents in terms of arranging childcare during breaks that don't align with work schedules. Shorter summers can make it difficult for families to plan traditional vacations, and can limit opportunities for teens to work or intern during the summer.
Ultimately, the question of whether schools should be year-round or not depends on the specific needs and circumstances of each school and community. It is important for school administrators, teachers, parents, and students to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of year-round schooling and make an informed decision based on what will best serve the educational needs and well-being of students.
do not make it less 4 paragraphs
Year-round schooling has both pros and cons. One advantage of a balanced calendar is that students get more frequent breaks throughout the year, which can help reduce burnout among teachers and students. Additionally, the year-round calendar allows for additional enrichment opportunities during short breaks, providing students with the chance to catch up or get ahead in their studies. Another benefit is reduced summer learning loss, as shorter breaks mean less time for students to forget what they learned during the school year.
On the other hand, there is little evidence of academic benefits associated with year-round schooling. Studies have shown little in the way of significant educational improvements when schools switch to a year-round calendar, and some districts have even seen slight declines in academic performance. Childcare can also be a challenge for working parents who need to arrange care during breaks that don't align with their work schedules. Shorter summers can make it difficult for families to plan traditional summer vacations and can also impact opportunities for teens to work summer jobs or internships.
In conclusion, while year-round schooling offers advantages such as more frequent breaks and reduced summer learning loss, it also poses challenges in terms of academic performance, childcare, and family vacation planning. Schools and districts considering a switch to a balanced calendar should carefully weigh the pros and cons to determine what is best for their students and community.
not school be year round
Opponents of year-round schooling argue that there is little evidence of significant academic benefits associated with this calendar system. Some studies have shown mixed results, with some districts even experiencing slight declines in academic performance after switching to a year-round calendar. Additionally, year-round schooling can pose challenges for working parents in terms of arranging childcare during breaks that don't align with work schedules. Shorter summers can make it difficult for families to plan traditional vacations and can limit opportunities for teens to work or intern during the summer.
While proponents of year-round schooling highlight advantages such as more frequent breaks, reduced summer learning loss, and additional enrichment opportunities, opponents raise important concerns about academic performance, childcare difficulties, and limitations on traditional summer activities. Ultimately, the decision on whether schools should be year-round should be carefully considered based on the specific needs and circumstances of each school and community. It is important for stakeholders to weigh the pros and cons of year-round schooling to determine what will best serve the educational needs and well-being of students.