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 ...

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.

Which states are switching to 4-day weeks?

Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado have had four-day schools for a long time. They are a more recent addition in places like Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri. The states are gatekeepers in a way, mandating a minimum number of instructional days or hours.

What are the negatives of the 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.

Is a 4-day school week better for 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.

More schools switching to 4-day week

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.

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.

Do teachers like four day school week?

Studies have shown that parents and students are fans of the change largely because it provides a day to catch up on work, run errands, and spend time with family. This model of shorter weeks is also thought to attract and retain teachers better than the traditional model.

Why should school be 4 days instead of 5 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.

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.

Is the US switching to 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.

Is the USA moving to a 4 day work week?

While the heated debate about working remotely rages on, a new workplace disruptor is slowly emerging – the 4-day week. Thanks to several large trials in the US, UK and Canada, it's a movement that's picking up speed, and some US states have already committed to cutting a day out of the working week.

Is Florida switching to 4 day school week?

Four day workweek trials

A Florida school board is "trying something new" by adding four-day weekends to the school calendar to combat absenteeism. Pasco County School board members voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve three of these "mini-breaks" in October, February and April for the 2024-2025 school year.

Why are they making school days longer?

A powerful, realistic, attainable transformation of American public education, the new school day reinvigorates children's lives, dramatically improving academic success while narrowing the achievement gap, broadening and deepening what children learn, helping teachers become more effective, bringing greatly needed ...

Why are school days shorter?

The four-day school week could help students and teachers reduce their stress and fatigue from the long workday. Shorter school days could enhance students' well-being by allowing them to have more balance and flexibility in spending time on their academic, personal, and social needs.

How long have 4 day school weeks been around?

Although the four-day school week originated in 1936, it was not widely implemented until 1973 when there was a need to conserve energy and reduce operating costs. This study investigated how achievement tests scores of schools with a four-day school week compared with schools with a traditional five-day school week.

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

The research is mixed on the impact of four-day weeks on student achievement, but most studies find small to medium negative impacts on achievement on average. These negative effects are roughly equivalent to a student being two to seven weeks behind where they would have been if they had stayed on a five-day week.

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

In more than 13,000 school districts nationwide, nearly 900 operate on a truncated schedule, up from 662 in 2019 and a little more than 100 in 1999, said Paul Thompson, an associate professor of economics at Oregon State University.

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.

Is Oregon switching to 4 day school week?

More than 1,600 schools across 24 states now have four-day weeks. In Oregon, almost a third of districts have adopted the model. Historically, schools have predominantly shifted to a four-day week in hopes it would save money.

Is Minnesota going to 4 day school week?

Minnesota school districts are switching from the traditional five day school week to a four day week in an attempt to reduce school district expenditures. The four day week can have several important implications that are of interest to the State's tourism industry.

What state has 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.

Do kids do better in school with more sleep?

Children and adolescents who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk for many health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, poor mental health, and injuries. They are also more likely to have attention and behavior problems, which can contribute to poor academic performance in school.

What happens if I get 5 hours of sleep for school?

Five hours of sleep is better than none. But five hours of sleep isn't enough sleep in the long term. Most of us need about eight hours of sleep, and only getting five hours can lead to low energy, poor focus, and long-term health issues.