Here’s a suggestion for improving education that’s sure to get the backing of students…..a shorter school week.
Though it may sound counterintuitive, the best way to improve school test scores is to actually limit the number of days kids spend in school each week. At least according to a new study published in the journal Education Finance and Policy. Researchers looked at 14 schools that made the switch from a traditional five-day week to four, adding several hours to each school day to meet basic instructional hour requirements. They tracked the progress or decline of math and reading test scores among students over the course of two years. At the end of the two-year period, math scores had actually improved for 4th and 5th grade students. Reading scores stayed about the same. Researchers said the lack of a drop was a positive sign and the rise in math scores was a bit of a surprise.
Many school districts across the country have already opted for a four-day schedule in an effort to cut transportation and overhead costs, particularly in rural areas. Colorado has more than 30 percent of school districts operating under the four-day system. Schools in New Mexico and Wyoming also participate in the schedule, while school districts in Oregon, Missouri, Florida and Georgia are considering adopting it, especially in light of this positive report.