In this age of education innovation and reform, schools must evolve and react to current policy trends. This accessible book offers research-based insights into six key educational trends and issues that are impacting K-12 learning today: year-round schooling, assessments, educating minorities, anti-intellectualism, issues of social promotion and…

A combination class is formed when students from two adjacent grades are placed in one classroom under the supervision of one teacher. Two recent studies indicate that combination classes may contribute to lower student achievement in multitrack year-round schools. (eight references) (MLF)

Eight high schools in three California school districts are on multitrack year-round schedules. Interviews with personnel from these schools and from two districts considering a year-round schedule highlight the effect of year-round schedules on student learning, management issues, extracurricular activities, and school culture. (MLF)

Schools adopt extended year calendars for various reasons, including fuel conservation and improvement of educational opportunities for students. This article describes a program in Jefferson County (Colorado) established to alleviate overcrowding in a large suburban school district that failed to pass bond issues for funding new schools. (MLH)

This conference presentation examines planning tools that provide professional development opportunities to build capacity and improve student achievement, focusing on year-round education. It emphasizes how to bridge the current gap between professional development practices and a professional's capacity to enable students to meet standards by…

The September-June calendar makes little sense instructionally or academically, as it was designed for the agricultural economy of the early 1800s. This article suggests that year-round education, originally a response to overcrowding, can benefit students' learning process, increase attendance, and reduce vandalism and instructional costs per…

For the Oxnard (California) School District--expected shortly to become the second fastest growing in the United States--year-round education is both cost and educationally effective. Three year-round program analyses, other cost benefits, and improvement in student achievement are outlined in terms of comparable data for traditional schools. (KS)

Presents strategies for solving 13 common personnel problems that frequently emerge with the implementation of year-round schools. Issues focus on staffing and working conditions. (MLF)

This article reviews research on mathematics learning and forgetting, especially for students with learning and other disabilities. It notes the important role of mathematical language and the substantial loss of mathematics achievement over the summer vacation. Year-round schooling is encouraged to eliminate prolonged interruptions in…

Poses six questions for administrators considering a year-round, multitrack school schedule. Discusses probable constraints concerning implementation levels, class organization, staff preparation, and impact on plant maintenance, summer school programs, and community relations. Classroom sharing and summer school present special difficulties;…

Argues that, although few teachers initially understand or trust year-round scheduling, it is a concept that can work well. Provides some options for building and maintaining music programs in school systems that operate on year-round schedules. (DB)

To combat their school dropout problems, Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools created an alternative high school for marginal and high risk students attending conventional high schools and for students who had already dropped out. Classes at North Education Center were scheduled from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and featured year-round, 42-day terms to…

This report on year-round education as it directly affects elementary school libraries focuses on two major aspects of impact: people (site level instructional media center clerks, district personnel, and delivery of library services to both students and staff) and things (the library collection, equipment, and the facility itself). General…

Urges implementation of a 48-week school year offering an optional fourth quarter that could be used for remediation or enrichment. Describes the impact of such a year on students, on parents' schedules, on teachers' salaries and schedules, and on administration. Considers factors affecting public acceptance of such a change. (PGD)

The Oxnard School District initiated a Year Round Education (YRE) program beginning in 1976. In 1984 the district maintained eleven YRE schools and four traditional schools. All the YRE schools are on a 60-20 plan with four staggered YRE tracks and a fifth track offering a traditional school year calendar. This cost analysis outlines how the…