ERIC Number: ED414326
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1997-Aug
Pages: 132
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Year-Round Schools Evaluation, 1996-97. Publication Number 96.10.
Curry, Janice; Washington, Wanda; Zyskowski, Gloria
The Austin Independent School District (AISD) (Texas) has been involved in year-round education for 5 years. In 1995-96, 11 elementary schools and 1 middle school had adopted the year-round plan. In all schools, the plan is a single-track plan, so that all students and all teachers have the same schedule, in which students are in school for approximately 60 days and then out for approximately 20 days of "intersession." Schools held instructional activities during two of the intersessions, and some schools offered sessions for 1 week during the breaks. An evaluation of the year-round schools included information on Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) results. TAAS scores showed steady improvement for the year-round schools over the past 4 years. In the 1996-97 school year, economically disadvantaged African American and Hispanic students generally achieved higher TAAS scores than they did in Title I schools in general or in the district as a whole. The majority of staff members in the year-round schools were highly in favor of the calendar, as were parents and administrators. Of responding parents, 76% were in favor of the year-round calendar. Most disadvantages reported centered on the inconvenience of the nontraditional calendar, as was especially evident in the middle school. Recommendations are made for increasing the number of year-round schools at the elementary, but not the middle-school, level. Appendixes present the staff and parent surveys, list the percent of students passing the TAAS, and list demographically similar schools. (Contains 10 tables, 45 figures, and 22 references.) (SLD)
Publication Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Austin Independent School District, TX. Dept. of Accountability, Student Services, and Research.
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Texas Assessment of Academic Skills
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A