A student’s performance in school has to be one of the most essential aspects of high school since it not only determines your future but also your success. Some might think that the weekend is the perfect amount of time to relax; however, most students are still doing school work, and they don’t have enough time for themselves. This will likely affect not only their grades but their attitude in school. Even teachers work during the weekend trying to get in grades and plan out their next lesson. One current policy in education that should be improved is that schools adopt an approach of four school days a week because it benefits both the school and teachers, it improves students’ academic performance, and student attendance greatly increases …show more content…
When a student has an extra day off, they can spend more time focusing on their studies and taking the time to master a concept. To illustrate, Katherine Bradley states in an article for the Seattle Post- Intelligencer that “Oakridge School District Superintendent Don Kordosky reported that test scores improved after his district in Oregon implemented the four-day school week.” In other words, students academically improved after having an extra day off. The four-day school week is beneficial because it allows students to fully grasp the lesson they are learning, and if they are having trouble with a certain lesson, during the weekend they can practice it until they can finally understand the material. This is beneficial in the long run as it will allow students to get a better understanding of the material that is being taught to them, thus leading to higher grades. With the extra day off, students have the opportunity to spend more time on any material they are struggling with and use it as an extra day to practice, catch up on their schoolwork, and better themselves academically. Thus, the four-day school week provides students with the extra time and resources needed to understand their lessons thoroughly, resulting in a better educational experience for …show more content…
The four-day school week policy might seem controversial to some because they don’t see the benefits that it actually comes with. The four-day school week enables students to gain an extra day off while still receiving the same amount of instruction, allowing them to devote more time to their studies and other activities.
Works Cited:
Bradley, Katherine. “The Advantages of a Four Day School Week.” Education - Seattle PI, .https://education.seattlepi.com/advantages-four-day-school-week-1548.html Accessed 8 Feb. 2023
Ferrarin, Elena. “4 Ways Transitioning to a 4-day School Week Impacts Districts.” K-12 Dive, 3 Aug. 2022, https://www.k12dive.com/news/4-ways-transitioning-to-a-4-day-school-week-impacts-districts/628601/ Accessed 9 Feb. 2023
Lopez, Brian. “Rural Texas Districts Struggling to Attract Teachers Are Switching Over to Four-Day School Weeks.” The Texas Tribune, 19 July 2022, https://www.texastribune.org/2022/07/19/texas-schools-four-day-weeks/ Accessed 8 Feb. 2023
“4-day Week Being Tested in Some Oklahoma Schools.” NBC News, 31 Dec. 2017, https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/4-day-week-being-tested-in-some-oklahoma-schools-1127027267988 Accessed 10 Feb.
How are the school finances affected by a four day school week? The finances are affected in a positive way in most cases. The four day school week started off as a way for schools to be able to cut costs. They are able to save a considerable amount with transportation, heating, utilities, food and custodial pay. Even though students only go four days a week teacher will still work a full five days to where they are fully devoted to complete their professional development, grading and lesson planning.
With both the student and teacher having three less classes a day cuts down on stress. It also cuts down on the homework load for the student. Teenagers have a lot of responsibilities. Many high school students find it hard to manage their time and balance all of their activities. Many are involved with work, sports, bands, clubs, and many other activities.
It has shown to reduce these costs in most studies. Right now more than 120 school districts across the country are using the four day school week. Studies show that both student and teacher attendance is greater with a four day school week. Some schools show moral and academic performance has also improved. While there are many pros, there are only a few cons.
If you had the chance to do better in something required, wouldn’t you? Four-day school weeks are changing lives all around the United States. Four-day school weeks have changed many things for the better. From helping schools save money, to helping students improve test scores, to even helping parents throughout the work week. Four-day school weeks impact everyone.
These people have suggested a different schedule that eliminates the summer break and incorporates the off days throughout the entire year and students will have frequent smaller breaks instead of one big break. These people believe that this will improve learning because it gives the students less time to forget about the material that they have learned in between lessons. Although the idea might not sound bad, this schedule of schooling actually does the opposite. If the schools were to switch to the schedule with constant breaks the lessons would be frequently interrupted with off days and it would make it more difficult for the teachers to plan their lessons to be effective. In the current schedule when the break is all at once it gives the teachers the opportunity to plan their lessons without these frequent interruptions and days off of school.
This quote helps explain why we should have a four day week. This isn't the only reason though. In addition, not only are tests scores better, but also student attendance. In the article, The Four Day School Week, by Don Kordosky, the author states, “ Attendance in some schools increased 3% as against available instructional hours” (Crosscut: "The Four-day school week: why less really is more").
To begin with, going to school one less day per week means you have to disperse the hours from the day you are not going between four days. This causes students and teachers to go to school for longer hours. By doing so, students are worn out even more than usual due to longer class periods. With the shorter
Teachers and students have more opportunities for quality teaching and quality classroom time. Having a four day school week also helps with the school’s budget. A four day school week helps academic growth. According to a study completed by researchers at Georgia State University and Montana State University “A four day school week had a statistically significant impact on math scores for fifth
Since at least the 1970’s, the topic of year-round schooling has been debated by many people. This new system is spreading across the nation fast, in fact, in 2011-12, there were about 3700 schools that operated on the year-round schedule. (Zubrzycki 1,3). Like any other controversial topic, there are both benefits and drawbacks to the year-round schooling system. For instance, a definite benefit would be that, “...with one group of students always on vacation, a school that was built for 750 students can serve as many as 1000.
I think there should be four day school weeks because students most likely want more free time out of school. The school days will end at 4:00 or maybe 4:30 pm because regular school days wouldn’t be enough learning time. This way we could have longer class periods and it’ll help because you’ll get the help you need and work will be handed in on time. Every student has missing work, longer school days help you get some of it all in and grades will be up. Plus, maybe students could do a little work on the day that they won’t have school.
A lot of people think that the children are in school all year long with no more breaks than the normal ones. They are wrong, because the number of days the children are in school is actually the same as it is now. “This year-long school calendar, which holds a tight grip on the attitudes of Americans, has recently showed signs of loosening,” D. Van Scotter, Richard. “Contemporary World Issues: Public Schooling in America.” Richard D. Van Scotter, Library of Congress, Richard D. Van Scotter, 1991.
The scores that students get on standardized tests are improving, which was the only thing that people were worried about whenever switching to the schedule. This just goes to show that the four day school week is actually a really good schedule and should be implemented into many schools that can use it effectively. In summation, It is clear that a four day school day is very effective compared to a five day school day. It has been proven that the four day school week is the most effective way to make the most out of a school week.
Four-day school weeks have the capability to change student lives. Every school should invest in the four-day school week plan. Implementing this routine would allow teachers more time to teach and give students the option to do their homework during class, in turn creating student success. All of these factors would help to enhance student and faculty life, while promoting success in the classroom. Having a school system run on a four-day rotation would increase their success by offering more opportunities for lesson and work time.
With a five-day school week, the school week is very busy and messy. There is little to no time for extracurricular activities outside school and during the day, there is very little time to fit all of the teaching or lesson into one day. With a shorter school week with longer hours, the week would be less stressful for the students and staff and leave them with much more free time out of school. The author suggests, “If we had a four-day week, things like soccer practice and club meetings could be scheduled for our day off instead of after school” (Fields 28). This describes that with an extra day off during a four-day school week, kids can practice extra-curricular activities during the day instead of after school at night or during the afternoon.
Debate essay Ask anyone and I’m pretty sure they would tell you they want longer weekends. Students start looking forward to 3pm on Friday the minute their alarm wakes them up on Monday morning. Weekends are opportunities for students to let go of stress and to focus on the activities they enjoy. Some people just want longer weekends because they’re too lazy or busy. Longer weekends would make school more and exciting for students because it would give them more opportunities for self-directed work.