The impact of class time lengths on student achievement is a complex issue with multiple extraneous factors and without definitive answers. A major theme across many of the studies reviewed is that the amount of instructional time is not so important as how that time is spent. Key points include: (1) The commonly held conception that students in…

Year-round schooling is a form of educational restructuring designed either to increase efficiency by enabling a district to accommodate more pupils without providing new buildings or to modify the school year to improve both academic and nonacademic outcomes. The main forms of year-round schooling include the single-track calendar and multi-track…

Points made in favor of year-round education include: improved attendance; better coordination of students, vacations, and facilities; fewer discipline problems; less stressful teaching conditions; and continuity benefits for special needs students. (CB)

This report examines both the educational and political dimensions of time reform. It presents the findings of a wide range of research on time reform, discusses the impact of various time reforms on the life of schools and beyond, and makes recommendations for policymakers about how to best leverage time in and out of school to improve student…

Past efforts to improve education have focused on curriculum and instruction. Some schools are pursuing more systemic year-round schooling and 4-day week reforms. The Waihe'e Elementary School and the Star of the Sea School, both in Hawaii, are implementing single-track plans for year-round schooling to improve academic achievement,…

This paper presents a case for the implementation of year-round education, arguing that education needs to effectively and efficiently utilize school facilities. The paper focuses on the cost of implementing and operating year-round schools--the impact on support services, transportation, facilities, and maintenance. Data are based on a review of…

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…

Prior to the 1940s, several communities in the United States had adopted year-round education (YRE). This paper presents an overview of YRE, including history, patterns of implementation, various calendars, intersession arrangements, pros and cons, and a list of areas to be addressed when considering YRE. Proponents of YRE argue that it enhances…

This paper was prepared to assist the National Education Commission on Time and Learning. It provides a review of available research on major issues facing the commission and is organized to conform to the commission's legislative mandate as expressed in Public Law 102-62. An overview section reviews the major points discussed in each section of…

Most school practitioners, policymakers, and patrons hold strong opinions on year-round education (YRE). This paper determines which of the various assertions made about YRE are supported by research findings and evaluation studies of YRE. Specifically, the paper summarizes and synthesizes what is currently known about the impact of YRE on…

This paper summarizes findings of the National Education Commission on Time and Learning (NECT&L), which conducted a comprehensive review of the relationship between time and learning in elementary-secondary education. The first section highlights salient research findings. The following sections provide information on these topics: general…

The purpose of a comprehensive study of the design of the school calendar in Virginia was to identify the quality and quantity of allocated time and the amount of time spent and needed for student learning as factors determining the impact of instructional time on educational quality. Synthesizing available research and new surveys and interviews,…

The primary purposes of the doctoral dissertation summarized here were to identify the job satisfaction of teaching staffs of selected extended school year programs in operation during the 1971-72 school year and to analyze the opinions of teachers concerning the effects of the extended school year program on student achievement, pupil-teacher…

The experiences of a variety of postsecondary institutions using different academic calendar options are examined. Several calendar options are described: the traditional semester, the early semester, 4-1-4, the quarter system, the trimester plan, composite plans, and year-round plans. The traditional semester calendar begins in mid-September and…