Is a 4 day school week better than a 5 day week?

Proponents of the schedule claim that it improves school climate and student behavior, but the evidence is mixed. 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.

Are 4 days of school better than 5?

Researchers found that Oklahoma high schools saw less fighting and bullying among students after switching from a five-day-a-week schedule to a four-day schedule. However, the researchers also found that a four-day schedule had “no detectable effect” on student attendance or scores on the ACT college entrance exam.

How effective are 4-day school weeks?

One study found that the four-day week may hurt reading scores more than math scores. A large study released last year found that the shorter schedule held back student achievement in small-town and suburban districts but had little or no effect in rural districts.

Does a 4-day school week reduce stress?

While 4-day did make an impact on average years of experience among teachers, it also made a big impact elsewhere. Parents repeatedly emphasize its effect on childrens' mental health and overall well-being. Many Life School students and parents report reduced feelings of stress and burnout.

What are the cons of a 5 day school week?

What this school district learned from a 4-day week

Why is it bad to have a 4 day school week?

“Probably the biggest downside of a four-day school week is the longer school days, which can challenge students' attention spans, especially younger children,” Pallas adds. “It's important to understand that a four-day school week doesn't decrease the total hours of instruction in the school week," Pallas explains.

Why a 5 day school week is better?

Coming to school five days per week provides the best consistency and routine for children, which we believe is fundamental to strong development at this early, formative age.

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.

How does a 4 day school week affect parents?

A 4-day school week affects students, teachers, parents, and school districts. A major factor for many parents is childcare on the fifth weekday. Many schools offer free childcare these days. According to Rand.org, most parents (84%) prefer a 4-day school week over the traditional five.

What states have a 4 day school week?

Four-day school weeks are rapidly expanding in rural areas across the U.S. 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.

How does a 4 day school week affect grades?

They found no significant differences in academic achievement between districts that used five-day schedules and those that used four-day schedules, as long as the districts with shorter weeks maintained a high or medium amount of instructional time for students.

Why is a 4 day school week better for 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.

Why are school years getting longer?

Over the last century, humans have acquired a staggering amount of knowledge and understanding. It makes sense that we now need to spend more time educating children, especially in the STEM fields, where knowledge is advancing rapidly and where job opportunities remain plentiful.

Should school be 4 days a week pros and cons?

The impact of the condensed schedule differs depending on a range of factors, including the number of hours schools operate and how they structure their daily schedules. Recent research generally finds small drops in student achievement. Staff morale improved under a four-day school week.

Should we abolish homework?

Some educational experts suggest that there should be hours of homework in high school, some homework in middle school, and none in elementary school. Some call for the 10-minute rule. Others say that homework doesn't work at all. It's still fairly unstudied how achievement is impacted as a result of homework.

Is Florida getting 4 day school week?

The extended weekends -- Oct. 12-15, 2024, Feb. 14-17, 2025, and April 18-21, 2005 -- will be added to the school calendar in addition to the weeklong Thanksgiving holiday, the two week Christmas break in December and a one-week pause in March for spring break.

Do shorter school days help students?

Lower Stress Levels: Lengthy school days often contribute to stress and burnout among students due to the continuous pressure of studies. Reducing school hours can help alleviate this stress, leading to a healthier and more balanced lifestyle for students.

How does school affect mental health?

When facing academic stress, adolescents and young adults are more likely to develop anxiety or depression. They also experience less well-being and tend to do poorly in school. When given a better academic situation, or academic support, research suggests that students experience improved mental health.

How long school days affect students?

With such long hours, the students are often left with little to no time to complete their homework and this can lead to a lot of stress and anxiety. Moreover, the long hours can take away from the quality of education that students are getting.

Does a 4 day school week improve sleep?

A 2021 study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that 4-day/week elementary kids got more sleep during the school week than 5-day/week kids, but middle and high school sleep remained the same. Call this one a draw.

Does shorter school days improve mental health?

Shorter school days gives the student more time outside of school to accommodate other aspects of their life. This means a student finally has the time to maintain and work on their mental health. Whether this is in the form of getting restful sleep, decompressing, or pursuing hobbies!

Why are longer school days bad for students?

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.

Was school always 5 days a week?

The concept of having classes five days per week and weekends off did not generally exist before the 20th century.

Why is school so hard and stressful?

The main cause for stressed out students is the heavy coursework they are taking on. Teens who want to get a jump on college may also sign up for extra classes, only adding to the burden. Too often, the teen takes on subjects that exceed their academic ability, causing added stress. Not enough sleep.

Why longer school days are better?

An expanded school schedule engages students more fully, and children learn better in a more stimulating environment. By reducing the pressure on the system to cram math and reading and science into too few hours, the new school day opens up the schedule for subjects that students enjoy and teachers like to teach.