Why are more US schools shifting to a 4 day 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 have some schools in the United States switched to a four-day school week?

Hundreds of school systems around the country have adopted four-day weeks in recent years, mostly in rural and western parts of the U.S. Districts cite cost savings and advantages for teacher recruitment, although some have questioned the effects on students who already missed out on significant learning during the ...

What states are switching to 4-day weeks?

Why the school week should be 4 days?

Pros and Cons of the Four-Day Week

By reducing the number of school days, schools can save money on transportation, food and energy costs. This can be especially important for rural districts where students may need to travel long distances to get to school.

What are the negative effects of a 4-day school week?

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.

More schools switching to 4-day week

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 4 day school week improve mental health?

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.

Do the Japanese go to school on a Saturday?

Until recently, Japanese children had to go to school from Monday to Saturday every week. Now, though, there are no classes on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, and beginning in April 2002 all Saturdays will be free. How is the Japanese school year divided, and how often do kids receive report cards?

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.

What percent of US schools have 4 day week?

There are schools across the country that are dropping a day of school every week. Seven percent of school districts in the U.S. are now just four days long.

Which state has less school days?

What State Has the Fewest Required School Days? Besides the states that do not have a required minimum number of school days each year, Colorado has the fewest required school days in the United States, at 160.

Do any countries have a 4 day week?

Belgium introduces a four-day workweek for employees who want it. Belgium became the first country in Europe to legislate for a four-day week. In February 2022, Belgian employees won the right to perform a full workweek in four days instead of the usual five without loss of salary.

Who started the four-day school week?

The Cimarron School District in New Mexico also began the four-day week schedule in 1973 to save on energy costs (J. Gallegos, personal communication, July 14, 2009). Numerous factors have motivated school districts to change to a four-day school week.

What are the negative effects of longer school days?

Limits Time for Other Activities

From sports to music to dance, many children participate in extracurricular activities designed to teach them new skills and enrich their lives. A longer school day could make participating in extracurriculars more difficult. It can also reduce the free time children need.

Is USA changing to a 4 day school week?

More school districts across the U.S. have switched from a five-day to a four-day school week. With the switch, 27J Schools extended the school day by 40 minutes on weekdays. Teachers now start on Tuesdays at 7:30 a.m. and their workday technically wraps up at 4:32 p.m., Fiedler explained.

Why we should not have a 4 day week?

Fewer Hours Means Less Time to Get Things Done

With fewer hours in the week, there may be limited time to accomplish all necessary tasks. This makes the 4-day workweek impractical for certain industries, including: Healthcare and emergency services that require 24/7 coverage.

How does a 4 day school week affect parents?

Unfortunately, for a lot of parents, a four-day school week translates into an additional childcare cost. Pallas notes some districts that have adopted the four-day schedule offer subsidized care for kids at the school on that fifth day, but even subsidized care means parents are paying for something.

What countries have 4 day school weeks?

As a new school year begins, educators from Poland to Australia to the U.S. are implementing four-day weeks, in a variety of ways. Will this be a short-lived fad, or the beginning of a new approach to education that can reduce stress for students, help recruit teachers and rethink learning altogether?

What country has the shortest school day?

Italy offers a slightly shorter day at 5 hours and 30 minutes. Finland and Brazil, known for their progressive educational systems, average a 5-hour school day, focusing on efficiency and student well-being. Germany presents the shortest average school day, with students spending only 4 hours and 30 minutes in school.

How long is a school day in China?

China School Hours

In large cities like Shanghai, for example, Chinese students spend 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at school with an hour and a half for lunch, but in other areas, kids get to head home for nap time at lunch!

Is school in Japan free?

There are public and private schools all across Japan. Public elementary and lower secondary schools are free, while private schools require much higher tuition fees. All public schools are funded equally. Moreover, they have the same curriculum, and all schools have the same educational expectations nationwide.

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 are the cons of a 5 day school week?

Does a four day school week reduce stress?

Families noted a range of reasons they preferred the four-day week, with some of the most common reasons being increased time with family, reduced stress, and flexibility for appointments.