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)

Discusses various year-round education plans, their effect on student achievement and dropout rates, and their advantages and disadvantages. If a year-round schedule is to be successful, all parties, including parents, must be involved in the planning process. An 18-month planning period and clearly defined goals and objectives are essential. (17…

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;…

This paper describes benefits of year-round education experienced by principals and teachers in 12 secondary schools in Jefferson County, Colorado. The Concept-6 three-track plan, which was implemented for 15 years, resulted in the following benefits: increased learning time and intensity; fifth-quarter enrichment; remedial intersessions;…

A four-quarter extended school year plan in Buena Vista, Virginia, high schools is described in this paper. The voluntary program is composed of 3 quarters totaling 150 instructional hours, with an optional summer quarter. Advantages of the program include community/business support and student opportunities for remediation and acceleration.…

The most commonly used calendar cycles are described in this paper, with a focus on the advantages and disadvantages of each. Calendar options include the following plans: 45-15 block and staggered, flexible 45-15, 60-20 block and staggered, 90-30 staggered, Concept 6, 60-15, Concept 8, trimester, quinmester, Concept 16, Concept 12, multiple…

Chana High School, a continuation high school in California which provides an alternative approach to education for students unable and/or unwilling to find success in conventional schools is evaluated. The school offers a flexible and personalized instruction approach in an octamester schedule: the school year is divided into seven parts with a…

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)

In 1991, graduate students at North Carolina State University conducted an evaluation of the first 2 years of the Year-Round Education (YRE) Program of the Wake County Public School System. The evaluation involved surveys of 350 parents and 42 teachers that assessed their satisfaction with the program, and brief group interviews with 12 randomly…

This paper addresses the segregation of student populations that results from adoption of multitrack year-round school attendance calendars. Its focus of analysis is the link between student achievement and the use of a multitrack year-round education (YRE) program to structure student attendance. Data for this study consist of achievement test…

Since 1991, the National Education Commission on Time and Learning has been examining the quality and adequacy of student learning time. Innovations being considered address provision of additional learning opportunities, children's well-being, employee productivity concerns, and efficient use of school facilities. Promising practices include the…

Year-round education (YRE) has been brought increasingly to the forefront of the debate over educational reform. Although the results of year-round school studies are mixed, three specific elements are evident in successful programs--reduced curriculum review, increased instructional time, and improved student outcomes. This report introduces the…

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…

A rationale for restructuring American education through changing the school schedule is presented in this paper. The following issues are addressed: the national status of year-round education; meeting children's needs; school year calendars in Europe, Japan, and Russia; and school calendar options. Arguments for year-round schooling are that it…

Outcomes of a four-quarter extended school year plan implemented in a Buena Vista City, Virginia, high school in 1973 are described in this paper. (The school year was divided into three 60-day quarters; each quarter is an independent unit. The tuition-free fourth or summer quarter is voluntary.) The approval process, program objectives,…