In a world where money holds power, time is money. This is especially true for high school and college students. Many teenagers are on the verge of becoming adults and having to face the real world. Many school districts around the country have made the switch to a four-day school week. Research from all around the country has begun to back up how schools are wasting our time.
According to NWEA, the Northwest Evaluation Association– the company responsible for a large portion of the nation’s statewide testing, about 90% of schools adopting a four day school week are in rural areas. Many people are concerned about how much curriculum their children are losing out on by making the switch. Research shows that there are little to medium negative impacts for students, largely stemming from the two to seven weeks of curriculum lost every school year.
The positives outweigh the negatives when it comes to making the decision to switch to a four-day week. Many districts that have made the switch report overall budget savings, increased student morale, and better student behavior. This also improves students’ opportunity to get a job, which helps students gain important life skills that stretch beyond their academics.
Districts have also reported students having improved attendance as their day off can be used for traveling, going to appointments, extracurricular activities, or even sleeping in. This allows for students to prioritize their punctuality during the week as they have a consistent three-day weekend to do whatever is necessary to catch up.
Moving a district to a four-day school week would change less than many would expect. Tyler Nickel, an assistant principal at Rocky Mountain High School, commented on whether or not Poudre School District had thought about making the shift, “There are always conversations about looking at efficiency,” she said. “But also, there’s the factors of seat time and hours spent, so there’s a lot to it.” Mrs. Nickel was unaware of any intention for Poudre School District to convert to this schedule.
There are many other things that go on behind the scenes to allow for a school to function. In a school like Rocky Mountain High School, where there are over 25 sports and more than 50 student led clubs, scheduling is crucial. Especially in the world of sports, clear scheduling is necessary to let the school function. Many worry that athletics would change if a change like this would happen.
“[Four-day school weeks] does not impact how we schedule,” said Mrs. Gina Donohoue, the Athletic Assistant for Rocky Mountain. “Students might miss more class because we are limited with availability, space availability” A lot of the work that goes into coordinating events like this would stay the same. “I wouldn’t say that it would be extra work. I’d think we’d get a little more creative with gamedays.”
Schools with four-day school weeks are thriving. While some changes would need to happen in a district like PSD that is well established, the question is, is it worth it? Can you put a value on time, and, if so, are schools wasting it?
