President Barack Obama says American kids spend too little time in school, putting them at a disadvantage with other students around the globe. The president, who has a sixth-grader and a third-grader, wants schools to add time to classes, to stay open late and to let kids in on weekends so they have a safe place to go.
Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan say kids in the United States need more school because kids in other nations have more school. "Young people in other countries are going to school 25, 30 percent longer than our students here," Duncan told the AP. "I want to just level the playing field."
Charter schools are known for having longer school days or weeks or years. For example, kids in the KIPP network of 82 charter schools across the country go to school from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., more than three hours longer than the typical day. They go to school every other Saturday and for three weeks in the summer. KIPP eighth-grade classes exceed their school district averages on state tests.
Regular public schools are adding time, too, though it is optional and not usually part of the regular school day. Their calendar is pretty much set in stone. Most states set the minimum number of school days at 180 days, though a few require 175 to 179 days.
Summer is a crucial time for kids, especially poorer kids, because poverty is linked to problems that interfere with learning, such as hunger and less involvement by their parents. Some studies suggest they actually fall back. Wealthier kids have parents who read to them, have strong language skills and go to great lengths to give them learning opportunities such as computers, summer camp, vacations, music lessons, or playing on sports teams.
Comments
Great piece, Kevin.
More time learning makes sense, but we have to make a call for richer content too.
Yes please keep my kids in school longer! That will stop the video games!
To me, such a process will only serve to make the smart smarter, and the less intelligent less intelligent. Most high achieving students will want to go to class more in order to fortify their academic background, while those less inclined to achievement will find some way to become less involved, which can lead to a rise in drop out rates and such. If you cannot keep kids in school for seven hours, how will they bear a 9 to 10 hour day?
I could not agree with you more.
What is key for the current administration is modeling; looking at successful programs like KIPP or the research done by Harris Cooper as a guide for success.
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