After millions of American schoolchildren fell behind during the COVID-19 pandemic, some states and school districts are looking at year-round school calendars as a way to recoup lost learning. Typically, year-round calendars don't increase learning time but rather spread school days more equally across 12 months, with a shorter summer vacation…

The National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL), an organization dedicated to redesigning and expanding school time to improve opportunities and outcomes for high-poverty students, has again teamed up with the Education Commission of the States (ECS), whose mission it is to foster the exchange of ideas on education issues among the states, to…

In recent years, lean economic conditions have led to state and local agency budget cuts, including reductions to elementary and secondary education. To compensate for less state funding and decreasing local revenues, many state legislatures have passed policy and funding bills that give school systems more latitude in making finance and program…

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)

The author surveys the status of and issues surrounding year-round programs in secondary schools in order to provide background for deciding which school calendar is the most effective educationally, financially, and socially. The best programs and those discontinued are listed, as are the dates of the most important developments in year-round…

Combining the Copernican Plan (a block-schedule variation) and year-round schooling may make both proposals more palatable to the general public. Since the plan leaves facilities, teacher contracts, and current budgets virtually unchanged, serious public resistance is unlikely. Principals should first introduce Copernican scheduling and then use…

Analyzes responses of 300 parents of children educated in a district enrolling 36% of its elementary students in a multitrack year-round school. Neither calendar was perceived as perfect; parents whose children attend year-round schools had difficulties scheduling family activities. However, these problems do not necessarily detract from parents'…

Summarizes a survey focused on the job satisfaction/burnout of 97 Florida principals heading year-round schools. Principals most enjoyed school-improvement initiatives, contacts with students, and staff development activities. Major stressors included problems with personnel and parents, heavier workload, scheduling problems, lack of "down…

A balanced or modified school year is a rearrangement of the traditional school calendar to provide more continuous learning throughout the school year. Students receive the same amount of instructional time as those on the traditional calendar but in-school time is more evenly balanced with out-of-school time throughout the year. It has been the…

The purpose of the Year-Round Education (YRE) Evaluation Project is to provide formative evaluation information to Orange County (Florida) Public Schools decision-makers about the year-round education schedule piloted in three elementary schools. Employing YRE means reorganizing the traditional school calendar into shorter instructional sessions…

This report summarizes the statewide evaluation of Utah's year-round and extended-day schools, two scheduling models developed to expand the capacity of existing school facilities to serve the needs of a burgeoning student population in some Utah school districts. When asked about their family's experience with year-round education, a substantial…

The idea of converting to year-round education (YRE) comes from different sources, such as communities concerned about idle youth and taxpayer groups upset about empty buildings during the summer. The most prevalent reasons are overcrowded schools and unavailable construction funds, due to failed school bond proposals or refusal to raise taxes.…

This document addresses the concept of a year-round educational system (YRES) as an alternative schedule for education, the associated costs of an extended school year, the operational costs for single and multi-track YRES calendars, and the potential for the avoidance of capital costs in multi-track calendars. Topics include the reduction of…

Year-long schedules can eliminate summer learning loss. Year-round schools also benefit students with varied learning needs, provide intersession remediation and enrichment opportunities, help second-language students learn English, maintain student interest in learning, feature ongoing extracurricular activities, and offer periodic staff…

Year-round schools operate 12 months rather than the traditional 9- or 10-month schedule. On a multitrack year-round schedule, attendance is staggered so that some students are on vacation while others attend school the usual number of days (about 180). Year-round schools can usually accommodate more students and offer an alternative to…