A number of U.S. higher education institutions are converting from quarter-to semester-based academic calendars; in fall 2012, seventeen Ohio institutions did so. Over a two-year time period, college student samples were recruited from a large, public, urban, Midwestern university that was undergoing a transition from a quarter-based to a…

Chabot College began in 1961 on the semester system and converted to the quarter system in 1966. This study was conducted in order to determine whether or not Chabot should return to the semester system. Questionnaires distributed to students and faculty revealed that whereas 88 percent of the responding students favored the quarter system, 52…

For the past two years McKinley High School has been operating on a quarter system in which the September through June school year is divided into four 9-week instructional periods. A formal evaluation was conducted with the intention of getting firsthand information from students and staff on the advantages and disadvantages of the system. A…

This 10-year follow-up three-part evaluation describes how well the City of Buena Vista (Virginia) Public Schools implemented a year-round school program for high school students. The focus of the program was the organization and development of a tuition-free extended-school-year quarter plan that included a voluntary fourth quarter. The…

Six Atlanta, Georgia, school systems initiated a four-quarter school year program in 1968-69. An exploratory study was conducted to develop procedures and instruments for a comprehensive examination of the plan. Strong support exists in all groups interviewed -- superintendents and steering committee members, students, parents, teachers,…

A three-phase study was conducted at the College of the Redwoods (C/R) to determine if the college calendar should be changed, and if so, how. The first phase of the study consisted of establishing priority criteria for consideration of alternative forms of calendar organization, identification of calendar alternatives, and compilation of a list…

The question of which calendar is best for Barstow College (BC) is addressed in terms of general considerations connected with academic calendars, the intended effects of the quarter system, the issue of cost effectiveness, and the advantages and disadvantages of both calendars. First, introductory material discusses BC's conversion to a quarter…

After reviewing types of college calendars (traditional semester, early semester, trimester, and quarter) and previous research on the use of various school calendars, this paper describes a survey conducted by Ocean County College, a medium-sized college currently using a traditional semester calendar, to determine the views of students, faculty,…

This document reports that many community colleges are considering changes in their traditional semester calendars. In California, the most common question facing colleges is whether to switch from the traditional (in California) 18-week semester to a 16-week one. This paper details the results of a student and faculty survey conducted at…

This document provides an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of five different academic calendars, including: traditional semester, early semester, quarter, trimester, and "4-1-4." The present California State Code defines the academic year of the California Community Colleges as 175 days, based on the K-12 standard. This…

A trend toward adoption of the early-semester calendar, which runs from August to May with exams before Christmas vacation is discussed, along with other changes in college scheduling for curriculum development, increased efficiency, student job scheduling, student retention, and decreased paperwork. (MSE)

This study was conducted to examine the feasibility of adopting the year-round school program. The presentation includes a review of the literature, a discussion of suggested school calendars and the appropriate transfer procedures, an examination of the effects of the plan on curriculum and facilities, a summary of financial components, a…

In an effort to determine the most effective school calendar system, a task force was formed at Pennsylvania's Reading Area Community College to examine the advantages and disadvantages of converting from the college's current term calendar to a semester system. The task force examined the experiences of 11 other institutions that had undergone…

This report summarizes the available information on year-round schools. The document narrates a brief history of the year-round school, describes several variant related program types, and presents some of the advantages and disadvantages of such programs. One section of the report offers pro and con views on the subject of the extended school…