Recent research shows no significant educational benefits from providing summer schools, extended school years, or year-round schooling to disadvantaged students. However, the severe educational difficulties faced by these students, combined with the many practical reasons for deviating from the traditional school year, are strong reasons why educators continue to hope for improvements in student achievement from these programs. While it is unfair to expect such improvements without a clear picture of how students learn over time, it is also clear that the programs themselves are in need of improvement. Program management problems associated with summer school include the following: (1) short duration; (2) loose organization; (3) little time for advance planning; (4) low academic expectations; (5) emphasis on "fun"; (6) discontinuity between the curriculum of the regular year and summer school; (7) time lost to establishment of teacher-student relationships; (8) teacher fatigue; (9) low attendance rate; and (10) homogeneous classes. Problems associated with year-round schooling include the following: (1) curriculum changes when schools switch from 9-month to year-round; (2) lack of support and assistance to teachers in adapting to the change; (3) insufficient provision for teacher fatigue; (4) administrative complexity of staggered schedules in secondary schools; and (5) parent objections. Additional research is needed on both student learning and the effects of various program components. A list of 10 references is included. (Author/FMW)