Successful change results when two conflicting realities--organizational initiation of change and implementation of change at the individual level--are linked. The Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL 1995) has proposed a set of six "sacred" administrative strategies that foster the link: (1) Create a context conducive to change; (2)…

This digest discusses the rationale for changing school calendars. It describes what some districts are doing and advises school leaders and board members on the issues that typically arise when a calendar is changed. It examines the nationwide push toward a longer school year, driven in part by so-called high-stakes testing and mandated increases…

This study determined the attitudes of parents and/or guardians toward year-round schools in Scotland County, North Carolina for students enrolled during the 1998-1999 school year in one of the six K-5 year-round school programs. Data were analyzed using several statistical procedures that included mean scores, standard deviation, standard error,…

There definitely appears to be a resurgence of interest in the year round school. Apropos, the authors offer a summary of the extended school calendar and discuss selected models that are now being used or being considered for use in various parts of the country. (Editor)

Argues that year-round schools make good business sense by providing (1) a more efficient use of capital investments, (2) an alleviation of uneconomical and undesirable peaks in working and recreation, and (3) a more sensible way of looking at teacher salaries. (JF)

Describes a plan that overcomes two serious problems of year-round schools: (1) the difficulty of providing individualized continuous instruction and (2) parental rebellion. (Author)

A series of articles discusses the importance of summer vocational agricultural education programs in terms of teaching, planning, and evaluation. That agricultural production is a year-round activity and that most of the growing takes place in the summer months are only two reasons to support summer programs. (JOW)

Describes a year-round alternative school program for disruptive students that relies on community resources to help the students and also involves parents. (IRT)

Capsule summaries of eight projects reveal clues to key findings in educational research. (MB)

Argues that, although few teachers initially understand or trust year-round scheduling, it is a concept that can work well. Provides some options for building and maintaining music programs in school systems that operate on year-round schedules. (DB)

Discusses the possible benefits scholastic journalism could derive from some education changes: year-round school; expanding use of technology; site-based management; longer school days; increased parental involvement; grant-writing; school-local business relationship; and cooperative teaching. (SR)

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…

Most research on year-round education has focused on the effectiveness of year-round versus traditional-calendar schools. This paper presents findings of a study that examined student differences within a year-round elementary school by attendance cohorts (tracks). Specifically, the study sought to determine track differences in writing…