Does Every Minute Really Count?

School systems across the country are watching Massachusetts… the first state to adopt and fund longer days in multiple districts, reported the Boston Globe on November 30th (Tracy Jan, staff writer).

Ten Massachusetts public schools embarked on an experiment last fall that lengthen the school day by at least 25 percent, giving students extra doses of reading, writing, and math, and let teachers come up with creative ways to reinforce their lessons.

The state has spent approximately $1,300 per student, with a total cost of nearly $20 million to implement the program, which has grown to 18 schools in eight districts. Most are located in low-income, low-performing, urban schools. Thirty-three schools in 16 districts hope to convert to longer days in fall 2008. And more than 100 schools, including those in suburbs such as Andover and Winthrop, are in the pipeline for lengthening their days in the next two years.

And it seems to be doing exactly what teachers, principals and legislators hoped it would…

The data, shows longer days boosted students' MCAS scores in math, English, and science across all grade levels, according to a report to be presented at a national conference in Boston on expanded learning time. Students outpaced the state in increasing the percentage of students scoring in the two highest MCAS categories.
Writer Tracy Jan describes how schools typically converted from a six-hour day – “which some have written off as an antiquated schedule designed to meet the needs of farms and factories” - to an eight- or nine-hour day.



Read complete article:
“Longer school day appears to boost MCAS scores”
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/mcas/articles/2007/11/30/longer_school_day_appears_to_boost_mcas_scores/

Related Article: “Saved by a (Later) Bell”
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2007/04/29/saved_by_the_later_bell/

Ask Yourself:
Is our school day long enough?