Charter schools like Alain Locke and KIPP schools (a network of some 80 schools that are often lauded for their success with at-risk students) have made big gains in closing gaps in student achievement, partly through expanded schedules. Other schools have been making strides, too – notably in Massachusetts and in the New Orleans system.
"If you want to look at schools where [the achievement gap is narrowing], they're saying they couldn't do it without the added time," says Jennifer Davis of the National Center on Time & Learning in Boston. "Even when you get good teachers into schools, you need added time."
According to studies, low-income students lose more than two months of reading skills over the summer. One conclusion from the studies: More than half the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income students can be accounted for by the differential in summer learning opportunities.
"It's over the summer months that disadvantaged kids fall behind," says Karl Alexander, a sociologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. "If you have parents who themselves didn't succeed in school and aren't highly literate, kids aren't going to get those skills at home."
About one in every four Americans (25%) is a high school dropout
About half (45%) have gone to college for some period of time, but fewer than one in six (15%) have a college degree
This says a lot.It's over the summer months that disadvantaged kids fall behind,
Stupid kids should get to go to summer school.
If they're really stupid, they should be held back to repeat a year.
Guess what? That's how things were when schools worked.
Wanna know what really has to be done?
Of course you do.
What really has to be done is to raise standards of achievement back to their former higher levels, and start using that four letter f-word on report cards.
"Your son f f f f FAILED second grade and will have to repeat the year. More effort on your part might have avoided this, but it's your kid, do what you want".
And if a kid criminally violent or unrepentantly disruptive in class, kick his sorry ass out of school before they impede the learning of the students in the class.
Elementary and high school teachers should have the same authority my physics TA had in college. First day in class there were two girls in the back, talking and laughing away...preventing the students in the class from concentrating on the lecture. So he said, "if you don't want to shut up, get out".
The law requires the kids to be in class you say?
Fine, collect all the trouble makers and put them in a class of their own where they can't interefere with the serious purpose of the school.
Year-round school and longer school days are both good plans. But we really do need to cut down-- way down-- on the amount of homework that's being assigned. It's counterproductive.
Total and utter BULL****. What we need are qualified teachers and a real curriculum that's worth a ****. We don't need longer hours. We need to teach our children information that's worth learning. Homeschoolers prove this every day by using less hours to get more done.Year-round school and longer school days are both good plans. But we really do need to cut down-- way down-- on the amount of homework that's being assigned. It's counterproductive.
You can't ignore the fact that children are just not interested in the curriculum.
For our education process to be successful we need to do much more than just change the day length, or school year.
We don't need longer hours. We need to teach our children information that's worth learning. Homeschoolers prove this every day by using less hours to get more done.
I'm in favor of both, but given my choice I would prefer that we extend the school year.
Can't change it, either. It's something we have to work around, because the curriculum is the material we've determined they need to learn. Best we can do is make it as interesting as possible and then use best teaching practices so that they absorb as much as possible despite the lack of interest.
I'm in favor of both, but given my choice I would prefer that we extend the school year.
200 day school year for everyone, year round.So, should everyone have to go longer, or just those at risk?
Total and utter BULL****. What we need are qualified teachers and a real curriculum that's worth a ****. We don't need longer hours. We need to teach our children information that's worth learning. Homeschoolers prove this every day by using less hours to get more done.
What do you think? Obama was talking about expanding the school year. The reason, apparently, is to help the poor and minority kids and close the gap.
So, should everyone have to go longer, or just those at risk?
Will a longer school day help close the achievement gap? | csmonitor.com
What is it about Japan's system that's better in your mind?
Increasing schooling hours without sufficient funds and with a continual removal of arts ad emphasis being placed on science and tech., creativity declines. A society without creativity cannot innovate, which is why Japan is facing a crisis within the next decade.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?