Why shouldn't schools switch to a four-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.

Why shouldn't there be 4-day school weeks?

Fewer hours mean lower grades, research shows

Students on a four-day schedule, especially those with the least hours in school, have lower English language arts and math scores than students on a five-day schedule.

How do 4-day school weeks affect 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 should school be 5 days a week instead of 4?

Responders could choose from five options when stating why they are against the 4-day school week. Answers included: longer school days, getting home later after activities, less time with family during the week due to longer school days, less time to work after school, or other.

What are the cons of shorter school days?

More schools switching to 4-day week

Are 4 day school weeks better?

In addition, some studies have shown that student attendance improves under a four-day school week. With a longer weekend, students have more time to rest and engage in extracurricular activities, which can lead to better attendance during the week. This, in turn, can lead to improved academic performance.

Why shouldn't schools have shorter days?

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.

How does a 4 day school week affect grades?

At first blush, a 2022 study of the effects of shortened school schedules in 12 states seems pretty bleak. Nationwide, researchers found significantly lower math and English/language arts achievement at schools using four-day weeks during the time period from 2009-2018 than in schools using a traditional schedule.

What state has 4 days of school?

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.

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.

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 do 4-day weeks affect students?

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.

Does 4-day school 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.

Why a four day work week is good?

The four-day workweek is becoming increasingly popular as companies strive to find unique ways to support their employees' mental health and happiness. Some of the main benefits of a shorter workweek include increased productivity, decreased business expenses, and a smaller carbon footprint.

What states have a 4 day school week?

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.

What are the benefits of shorter school days?

Starting schools for shorter time mean well-rested students with 8 hours of sleep with their superhero capes ready. Studies suggest that shorter school week give attendance and test scores a high-five! The four-day school week could help students and teachers reduce their stress and fatigue from the long workday.

How many weeks is 180 school days?

Typically, an average U.S. school year has approximately 36 weeks or 180 days.

What state has the shortest school year?

The most? Seven states set minimums less than 180 days, with Colorado having the lowest requirement at 160 days.

What state has the longest school year?

Kansas requires 186 school days, while Illinois and North Carolina mandate 185 school days. These states have slightly longer academic years compared to the majority. On the other hand, some states have fewer required school days.

Is a 4 day school week better for teachers?

Indeed, in the 12 rural school districts we visited, school administrators, teachers, students, and parents reported that the shorter week did indeed improve school morale. Teachers reported feeling less burned out and missing fewer instructional days due to illness or exhaustion.

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.

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.

What country has the shortest school day?

Finland has the shortest school days! In Finland, children get a 15-minute break every 45 minutes. This equates to an average of three hours and 45 minutes of educational instruction each day. Primary school children in Germany go to school from 8:30–11:30.

What is bad about 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.

Are long school days bad?

No Direct Correlation Between Longer Days and Higher Achievement. While studies have found that longer instruction time can improve achievement, the correlation is not exact and depends on other factors, such as classroom environment, quality of instruction, and student ability.