Confronting low student performance, staff at a central California elementary school tackled curriculum-alignment problems; identified available instructional, support, information, and human-resource processes; and dealt with the language issue. The school's "Student Portfolio and Assessment System" helped teachers discover feasible…

Findings of a study that explored differences in the degree and type of burnout experienced by California elementary school principals are presented in this paper. Data were derived from a survey that was mailed to a stratified random sample of 200 California elementary principals--100 from year-round and 100 from traditional-calendar schools.…

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;…

The 45-15 plan in this California school district is educating four youngsters in a space designed for three with no overcrowding, is eliminating double sessions, and is relieving taxpayers of the immediate need to build more schools by making fuller use of schools that already exist. (Author)

Growth in student enrollment is a statewide phenomenon in California. Options to overcrowding include year-round education, portable classrooms, new school construction, and maintenance of existing schools. The Association of California School Administrators is seeking specific legislative remedies. (MLF)

Adopting a year-round education schedule can be a traumatic experience in many school communities. A three-part process can help districts implement year-round education: (1) involve as many participants as possible; (2) identify the pros and cons of each factor; and (3) develop a survey instrument to weigh all of the issues. (MLF)

A comprehensive review of research and professional literature on the development of year-round education in the United States is presented in this synthesis, with a focus on policy implementation issues in California. The first part presents an overview of year-round schooling and descriptions of California legislative mandates. Next, a…

This book describes the year-round school program of Chula Vista City School District. It begins with a discussion of the planning that occurred prior to the implementation of the program that includes descriptions of the problem, the legislation needed, and school relations with teachers and parents. The second section examines the first year of…

This study involved the development and use of a cost model to assess the economic consequences of the introduction of a year-round school (YRS) program. The cost model has two components. First, a comprehensive accounting procedure details the costs unique to a year-round calendar and estimates the costs that would have been incurred if the…

Examines the politics of year-round education in Brownfield, California, in the 1970s. Findings showed that Mexican Americans challenged the proposed 45-15 plan because they were excluded from the decision-making process and because the plan conflicted with migrant workers' employment patterns. Formal mechanisms must be activated to guard all…

This document presents an evaluation of the year-round operations (YRO) at the University of California and the California State Colleges. A comparison of YRO and YRO alternatives and the success of conversion planning led to four basic conclusions and recommendations: (1) The concept of YRO is sound and can result in significant total cost…

This report is intended to complement a much briefer companion volume, "A Research Agenda for Year-Round Schools: Executive Summary." Together both volumes fully describe the second phase of a national study of year-round schools (YRS) that was initially begun by the National Council of Year-Round Education in 1975. The bulk of this…

The goal of California's classroom size reduction (CSR) program is to have 20 or fewer students in kindergarten through grade 3 classrooms. Districts receive $650 for each student in a reduced classroom. Describes how districts implemented the plan and offers five lessons from struggles and successes with CSR. A table displays average elementary…

This handbook is designed to aid school districts that are considering either implementing a year-round program for the first time or improving and expanding an existing year-round program. The handbook is organized in 11 chapters that discuss the following topics: introduction to the year-round school, reorganizing the school calendar, adopting…

Outcomes of the Orchard Plan, an experiment designed to reorganize funding to support new models of instructional delivery, are described in this report. Basic elements of the program include an extended school calendar; a reorganization of categorical funding into intersession enrichment courses for at-risk students; a reduction in class size…