Do teachers like four-day school week?

And this isn't the first time a bunch of schools have scaled back to four days, so there is a lot of data to lean on to figure out how well it works. In this episode, teachers love the four-day school week, and it turns out even parents love it, too.

How do teachers feel about 4 day school week?

With an extra day to plan lessons, grade assignments and attend professional development opportunities, teachers can feel more prepared and engaged in their work. This can lead to better job satisfaction, which can translate into better classroom performance.

Is a 4 day school week better for students?

The researchers found that student attendance may have improved slightly at the four-day schools, but the difference was not statistically meaningful. They found that younger students reported getting more sleep, but not students in middle or high school.

Does a 4 day school week improve mental health?

A four day school week will help alleviate some of the rising stress levels in our students, while aiming to enhance student, teacher, and parent mental health. It will help provide better opportunities, allow for time to strengthen families, and shift towards student-centered learning.

What areas of the United States use the 4 day school week most?

As of 2019, over 650 districts across 24 states are using this schedule — a 600% increase since 1999. The schedule is particularly popular in rural Colorado, Montana, Oklahoma and Oregon. As this option grows in popularity, state leaders are eager to learn about the impacts on students and schools.

Some Schools Implementing Four-Day Weeks To Combat Teacher Shortage

What are the disadvantages of a 4 day school week?

The Cons. THE SCHEDULE IS INEQUITABLE. THE COST SAVINGS IS MINIMAL FOR MOST. LONGER DAYS ARE TOUGH ON YOUNGER STUDENTS.

Why is a 4 day school week better than 5?

In support of the claim, research shows the four-day week significantly reduces high school bullying and fighting incident rates and increases the amount of sleep elementary students get. However, surveys of four-day week and five-day week students and families found no differences in their ratings of school climate.

Is the US shifting to a 4 day school week?

Many school districts around the U.S. are moving to a four-day school week to retain teachers. Districts that don't want to raise taxes to pay teachers more are using the long weekend as an incentive. AILSA CHANG, HOST: There are schools across the country that are dropping a day of school every week.

Why is a 4 day school week good for teachers?

Thompson says that the most significant benefit of a four-day week is that it offers flexibility to district administrators, teachers and students. Teachers in four-day districts are usually on the clock on the day that students are out of school, although working on campus is often optional, Thompson said.

Does 4 day school week decrease bullying?

Results indicate that four-day school weeks decrease per-pupil bullying incidents by approximately 31% and per-pupil fighting incidents by approximately 27%, but have no detectable effect on other incident types, ACT scores, or attendance.

What states have 4 days of school?

What States Have Four-Day School Weeks? Several states have introduced four day school weeks, including Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Oregon. In fact, 60 percent of Colorado's districts and around 40 percent of New Mexico and Oregon's districts have implemented a four-day school week.

How many schools in the US have a 4 day school week?

Nearly 900 school districts in the United States currently use a four-day weekly academic schedule. That number rose from 650 districts in 2020 to 876 districts, across 26 states, in 2023.

Is Texas doing a 4 day school week?

In an attempt to recruit teachers, boost student attendance, and promote professional development, public school districts across the state of Texas are making the switch to a four-day school week.

How would a 4 day school week affect students mental health?

Some pros include better mental health, more time for teachers to work on grades, and letting schools save money. If students have a day off in the middle of the week, they have more time to relax, and not get overwhelmed by school. Teachers would have a whole extra day to work on grades.

What is a teachers typical day like?

In addition to teaching, they grade assignments, develop lesson plans, and perform other tasks in which they have some flexibility in determining when and where they work. Teachers' work schedules, too, are unique in that they often are tied to a traditional school year, with an extended break in the summer.

Are shorter school days better?

Supports a Positive Studying Environment. It is no surprise that shortening the school day improves the moods of both students and teachers. When the mood elevates like this, more students are motivated. This creates a positive “ripple” in the classroom for studying and completing work.

Why shouldn't schools have a 4 day week?

One study showed that a four-day week school had almost 60 fewer hours of instruction over the course of a year. Elementary students also tend to fare worse in four-day week schools. Having a day off works out better for high schoolers because they are usually leaving class for sports or other extracurriculars anyway.

Why school days should not be shorter?

Our children could end up losing large amounts of classroom learning - and then they would need even more private lessons to close the education gap. There is no possible way to reduce the day by even one hour without a negative effect on how much and how well our children learn.

Why 23 Utah schools have moved to 4 day weeks?

On the positive side, some schools report that four-day school weeks are a boon for educators because they have an extra day to plan lessons, grade assignments and attend teacher training opportunities.

Which states have 4 day weeks?

Many are smaller and more rural districts in states such as Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Wyoming. Other states, like Alaska, are considering legislation to pilot or allow four-day programs.

Is Saturday a school day in USA?

The typical school week in America is Monday through Friday. Some schools offer Saturday School also, but that isn't too common. The exception might be parochial schools which are Jewish or Muslim schools as their Sabbath days are not on Sundays.

How long is a school day in America?

In the U.S., a typical day of high school starts at about 7:30 a.m. and ends around 3:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Extracurricular activities are typically scheduled in the afternoons and early evenings during the school week; however, some extracurricular activities may also be scheduled on weekends.

Should school days be shorter pros and cons?

What are the disadvantages of longer school days?

Longer school days could result in attention deficit and fatigue, making the extra class time ineffective. When students are too tired or mentally exhausted to concentrate, the last hour of the day becomes useless.