Balancing the School Calendar: A Timely Investment

School board members are elected to be good stewardsof the community, state, and federal dollars for education.

“Education reform has the greatest opportunity to make a difference andbecome firmly established when education reform (multiple teaching andlearning innovations) and school reform (extensive system and structural

changes) are considered together to make decisions about financial resourcesand need.” Ted Sizer, founder, Coalition of Essential Schools

The best return on investment is efficient, effective, equitable use of resources!

Phyllis (Bunker) FrankNational Association for Year Round Education

WA State Board of Educationfrankpb@wolfenet.com

WSSDA Annual Conference 2013

Session Essential Question:Does the traditional school calendar serve all students and contribute to schools becoming high-achieving and equitable places of learning that connect to their communities?

Session Outcomes:1. Understand how a balanced/modernized district calendar

schedule supports continuous learning for students; perpetuates a safe/supportive environment; strengthens professional development alignment; increases job satisfaction for faculty; provides consistent school/family/community partnership and full year facility use.

2. Stimulate advocacy for local academic calendar year study as an efficient, effective, and fair investment worthy of consideration.

Copyright, Martha Rice/Phyllis Frank, 2002

Discontinuous Schooling

Copyright, Martha Rice/Phyllis Frank, 2002

Continuous Learning

• Structuring learning throughout a 12-month calendar allows for supplementary learning (enrichment, remediation, promotion, and acceleration) to be prioritized and added where it may have the greatest impact on learning.

365 Days per year - 120 (Saturdays, Sundays, state & federal holidays) 245 Days in which to schedule learning

• Achievement gap data: In the current configuration, students in Quartile 1 & 2 need 20-40 more learning days to make significant assessed gains.

United States 180 allocated instructional days (current 9 1/2 mo. configuration)Singapore 180 South Korea 225 Japan 223 Canada 190 England 205 days (National 5 week summer break – 2003)International Ave. 193 days

Calendar Year vs. Instructional Year

Do the math!

Balanced Learning Calendar2014-2015For Maximum

Gain/Focus on Student Achievement

Link• Academic calendar (180 days)

• Supplementary opportunities to learn (intersession, summer school, before/after school, etc.)

Student Demographics - WA StateEnrollment

October 2012 Student Count 1,050,900May 2013 Student Count 1,047,390

Gender (October 2012)Male 542,237 51.6%Female 508,663 48.4%

Race / Ethnicity (October 2012)American Incian/Alaskan Native 16,366 1.6%Asian 75,130 7.1%Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander 9,665 0.9%Asian / Pacific Islander 84,795 8.1%Black / African American 48,325 4.6%Hispanic / Latino of any race(s) 214,144 20.4%White 620,570 59.1%Two or More Races 66,653 6.3%

Special ProgramsFree or Reduce-Price Meals (May 2013) 482,634 46.1%Special Education (May 2013) 136,099 13.0%Transitional Bilingual (May 2013) 94,176 9.0%Migrant (May 2013) 18,318 1.7%Section 504 (May 2013) 23,889 2.3%Foster Care (May 2013) 1,684 0.2%

Other InformationUnexcused Absence Rate (2012-13) 529,358 0.5%Adjusted 4-Year Cohort Graduation Rate (Class of 2012) 77.2%Adjusted 5-Year Cohort Graduation Rate (Class of 2011) 78.9%

Financial Data (2011 - 12)Per

Student Amount

sPercent

Total Revenue $9,816 100.0%State $6,522 66.0%Federal $939 10.0%Local $2,267 23.0%Other Sources $88 1.0%

Total Expenditures $9,739 100.0%Central Administration $620 6.0%Building Administration $574 6.0%Maintenance & Operations $806 8.0%Food Services $320 3.0%Transportation Services $365 4.0%Teaching $6,781 70.0%Other $273 3.0%

Washington StateDemographics

This session contends that the K-12 traditional school calendar year is siloed in the 19th century.

The traditional school calendar year was never intended to be an instructional calendar year.

We will view the rationale to consider a shift to a 21st century calendar infrastructure (bones of academic opportunity to learn) through the lens of:• Summer learning loss research• Policy and Procedure of school

calendar year development• Sample calendars at work• Elementary and Secondary

advantages• Sample results

Extra-curricular

Family

Tutors/Mentors

80% child’s waking hours

Peer Group

Community

Why Time Matters:Influences Out Of School

Since the Coleman report in 1966, educational researchers have consistently shown that the socioeconomic factors of students at

any given school accounts for at least 66% of their overall academic achievement levels.

Time Analysis: District/School Level

• Time inventory/analysis/ - within the day - whole group as blocked scheduling and individual learning (RTI, “double dip”, and student plans as 504 & IEP, looping)

• Compulsory calendar time and learning analysis –when students are required to attend, parents are required to send, and districts/schools are required to be most prepared to receive ALL students – FTE allocated funding/local levy (180 days in 30 states)

• Supplementary (complementary) learning time analysis – varies in time from year to year depending on funding; usually optional attendance for students: summer school, before/after school, Saturday school, Intersession opportunities – funded by Title $, local levy, grants, federal programs as Century 21, limited state funding, community based organization offerings

• Professional development time – negotiated, waiver requests

• Time and facilities use, service, and maintenance

Accountability and the School Calendar Year

“Accountability testing systems, which measure change from one year to the next, mix learning that occurs in school with learning that occurs during the summer. Thus, schools are held accountable for not only the achievement of their students while in school, but also for the achievement of their students that accrues during the summer; over which they have no control.

If summer growth were the same for all students, summer could be ignored when comparing the status and progress of students by race/ethnicity and by income. However, there are large differences in what happens to student achievement during summer vacations, and changes in scores from year to year cannot be attributed entirely to what happens during the school year.”

Barton, Paul E. and Richard J Coley, “Parsing the Achievement Gap II,” Education Testing Service April 2009, pp. 30-31.

The traditional calendar features a long summer vacation of 12 weeks followed by a long period of instruction days, with the first break coming at Thanksgiving. The winter holidays are followed by 55 instruction days before a short spring break. Spring break is followed by 40 work days before the end of the school year = 180 learning days.

The first summer schools (1870) were called “vacation schools” to assure that immigrant children would retain the English they learned during schooling. The other intent was “to keep the urchins, not in school and not working, off the street.”

Yakima Public Schools

2013-14 Instructional Calendar

Summer Learning Loss (sll) – The decline in procedural and factual knowledge all students experience during the summer months when they do not participate in constructive learning activities to practice the skills they need to be successful in school. The degree of summer learning loss varies by grade level, subject and socioeconomic level.

Out of School Time (ost) – The awake hours not obligated to formal academic learning (180) days that is filled by family, neighborhoods, non-profit and public institutions in communities across the country. This time period is typically characterized by discretionary opportunity, choice, and flexibility.

-10

40

90

140

190

1 2 3 4 5-10

40

90

140

190

1 2 3 4 5 -20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

1 2 3 4 5

-10

10

30

50

70

90

1 2 3 4 5

SCHOOL YEAR CUMULATIVE GAINS SUMMER CUMULATIVE GAINS

*Cumulative gains on California Achievement Test in reading over elementary school years and summers. Sample consists of BaltimorePublic school students who entered first grade in 1982. Test “scale scores” are California Achievement Test Scores calibrated to measureGrowth over a student’s 12-year school career.

Sources: Doris Entwisle, Karl Alexander, and Linda Olson, Children, Schools, and Inequality, Table 3.1

Disadvantaged, by Year Disadvantaged, by YearBetter-Off, by Year Better-Off, by Year

School Year & Summer Gains forLow and High SES in Reading

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

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220

230

240

250

260

1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5

High SES Reading

Low SES Reading

Learning Trajectory - ReadingLow-SES vs. High-SES Students

Alexander, Karl L. and Entwisle, Doris R.; Summer Slide in the City “A Case for Year Round Schooling.” (1998) Johns Hopkins University,

as published in the Title I Monitor, August 2000

• School-year achievement gains were comparable for upper SES and lower SES children, but not for summer gains.

• During the summer, upper SES children continue to move ahead, but lower SES children generally do not.

• By the end of 5th grade, the difference in verbal achievement between poor and non-poor students is more than two years; in math, it is a year and a half.

• Vertical Axis = Gains on CAT-V & CAT M

• Horizontal Axis = Grade by .5 increments

0102030405060708090

100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260

1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5

High SES Math

Low SES Math

Learning Trajectory - MathLow-SES vs. High-SES Students

Alexander, Karl L. and Entwisle, Doris R.; Summer Slide in the City “A Case for Year Round Schooling.” (1998) Johns Hopkins University,

as published in the Title I Monitor, August 2000

School-year achievement gains were comparable for upper SES and lower SES children, but not for summer gains.

• During the summer, upper SES children continue to move ahead, but lower SES children generally do not.

• By the end of 5th grade, the difference in verbal achievement between poor and non-poor students is more than two years; in math, it is a year and a half.

• Vertical Axis = Gains on CAT-V & CAT M

• Horizontal Axis = Grade by .5 increments

S-U-M-M-E-R Spells Learning Loss for Low-SES Students

“Differential summer learning over the primary grades indeed appears to be the scaffolding that supports disparities in school achievement across socioeconomic lines. During the school year all the social contexts that support children’s academic development contribute to achievements gains – the home, the community and the school. During the summer months, though, only the out-of-school environment is implicated….it’s summer learning – or its lack – that is responsible for the achievement gap…”

Anderson and Entwistle, Summer Slide in the City “A Case for Year Round Schooling”(1998) Johns Hopkins University as published in Title I Monitor, August 2000.

Reading Comprehension CAT Score Gains, Years 1 - 9 Total

Family SESGap

High-LowLow SES Mid SES High SES

Initial Test Score, Fall 1st Grade 279.81 271.99 277.889 298.47 26.48

Winter Gain (5 winters) 194.97 191.30 210.19 186.11 -5.19

Summer Gain (4 summers) 1.12 -1.90 4.12 46.58 48.48 *

Gain Over Years 6 - 9 61.69 60.95 60.76 64.34 3.39

Test Score, End Year 9 547.55 522.33 552.40 595.49 73.16 *

(N) (787) (397) (204) (186)

Reading Comprehension Test Score Decomposition over the First Nine Years of School by Family SES

Note: Significant t-tests for mean differences between Low SES and High SES groups are shown in Gap column. * < .05 (two-tailed tests)

Reprinted from: “Parsing the Achievement Gap II,” written by Paul E. Barton and Richard J. Coley for Educational Testing Service, April 2009

Source: Karl L. Alexander, et al., “Lasting Consequences of the Summer Learning Gap,” American Sociological Review, v72, April 2007

Lasting Consequences of the Summer Learning Gap

“Cumulative achievement gains over the first nine years of children’sschooling mainly reflect school-year learning, whereas the high SES-low SES achievement gap at the 9th grade mainly traces to differentialsummer learning over the elementary years.

Early out-of-school summer learning differences, in turn, substantially account for achievement-related differences by family SES in:

High school track placements (college preparatory or not)

High school noncompletion – need for credit retrieval

Four-year college attendance.”

Alexander, Karl, Doris Entwisle, and Linda Olson, “Lasting Consequences of the Summer Learning Gap,” American Sociological Review, April 2007, pp.167-180.

High SES / Achievement Middle SES / Achievement Low SES / Achievement

61%56%

50%

69%64%

59%

76%72%

67%

82%78%

74%

Algebra I, Geometry, or Less Algebra IITrigonometry, Stats or Algebra III Pre-Calc or Calculus

Probability of Persistence in a Two-Year Institution by Highest Math Course

Klepfer, Kasey and Jim Hull, High School Rigor and Good Advice: Setting Up Students to Succed, Center for Public Education, National School Boards Association, October 2012, pp. 1-22.

High SES / Achievement Middle SES / Achievement Low SES / Achievement

78%

70%

61%

86%

80%

72%

91%87%

81%

94% 92%88%

Algebra I, Geometry, or Less Algebra IITrigonometry, Stats or Algebra III Pre-Calc or Calculus

Probability of Persistence in a Four-Year Institution by Highest Math Course

Klepfer, Kasey and Jim Hull, High School Rigor and Good Advice: Setting Up Students to Succed, Center for Public Education, National School Boards Association, October 2012, pp. 1-22.

Effects of Modified Calendars

1. A significant difference favoring districts that offered intersessions – effect on achievement is cumulative.

2. Noticeably improves achievement with economically disadvantaged or poor-achieving students out-performing traditional calendar counterparts by .20 SD.

3. Suburban and rural modified calendar programs revealed greater effects than urban programs (multi-track effect?).

4. Students, parents, and staffs are overwhelmingly positive 5. There are specific actions policymakers can take – such as involving

the community planning a program and providing quality intersession activities – that can improve community acceptance.

Cooper, Harris, et al, The effects of modified school calendars on student achievement and on school and community attitudes, Review of Educational Research, Washington: Spring 2003, Vol. 73, Iss. 1: p. 14.

Summer achievement gain/loss Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) – grades 3 through 9

559,964 students in reading and 542,057 in math – 24 states

Study 3/3 compared the scores of each student in the spring with their scores in the fall to see the change at each score level by race/ethnicity and income level:

Low-performing students in all groups continue to grow during the summer months, but minority and lower-income students grow less

High-performing students tend to lose achievement during the summer months, with minority students losing more than White students.

High-performing students in high-poverty schools lose more achievement during the summer than similar students who are enrolled in low-poverty schools.

Martha S. McCall, et al., Achievement Gaps: An Examination of Differences in Student Achievement and Growth, Northwest Evaluation Association, November 2006. (access full study from NWEA website)

26

2008 WLPT Results

- 2 ,0 0 0 4 ,0 0 0 6 ,0 0 0 8 ,0 0 0 1 0 ,0 0 0 1 2 ,0 0 0 1 4 ,0 0 0

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

N um be r of EL L Stude nts

Grade

L e ve l 1 (N o /L im ited En gl ish ) L e ve l 2 (In terme diate ) L e ve l 3 (Ad van c ed ) L e ve l 4 (Tran sitio n)

Change in BMI Across Groups *

Source: “Summertime and Weight Gain”, National Summer Learning Institute, 2010

BMI U

nits

Per

Mon

th

Average Students

Average African- American Students

Average Hispanic Students

Average Initially Overweight Students

Summer Learning Loss

1. We can “choose to live with the diminished learning opportunities and decay in skills that accompany the present dominant school calendar” (Cooper et al., 1996, p. 263)

2. We can increase summer school opportunities and direct these efforts in the most beneficial manner.

3. We can examine alternative school calendars and provide a balanced calendar for a more continuous period of instruction.*• Rescheduled vacation is placed throughout the year into periods

called “intersessions.” Intersessions can be used as vacation and/or instructional time for remediation, enrichment, promotion or acceleration.

Implications for Policy Makers

§ Single-track – 73% - for academic purposes using existing resources – 4-7 week summer break

§ Multiple-track - 27% for overcrowded facility - 8 week max.

§ Extended year – mandatory for all students (KIPP Academy or MASS 20/20) = serious funding requirements - up to 300 hrs/year or optional for some students (summer school, before/after/Saturday school, Intersession opportunities to learn) + usually include expanded day components = serious funding requirements

Three strands of Calendar Change:

The balanced calendar reduces the long summer break and simply apportions those days throughout the school year, producing more frequent breaks and thus limiting long periods of instruction days, as well as longer vacations. Both calendars feature 180 days of instruction, with the modified calendar balancing the frequency of in-session days with vacation break days= timely supplemental learning opportunities.

45-15 Balanced CalendarTraditional 9-Month Calendar

When it comes to learning, teaching, planning, partnering and play, how much summer is enough?

Intersession

Intersession

Intersession

60-15/20 Trimester

45-15 Quarter/Semester

Balanced for Learning Calendars

LISTING OF NON-TRADITIONAL CALENDARS 2004-2005 as of 10/28/05 Number of Schools on Non-Traditional Calendars: 3,274

Number of single track schools: 2,298 (73%) Number of multiple track schools: 863 (27%)

Kinds of Calendars in Use Kinds of Calendars in Use

F. 45-10 378 M. 60-15 98 45-10 1-track 60 60-15 1-track 10 45-10 modified 1-track 316 60-15 modified 1-track 6 45-10 2-track 2 60-15 3-track 1 60-15 5-track 80 H. 45-15 766 60-15 modified 5-track 1 45-15 1-track 351 45-15 modified 1-track 306 N. 60-20 686 45-15 2-track 2 60-20 1-track 179 45-15 3-track 1 60-20 modified 1-track 97 45-15 4-track 54 60-20 2-track 1 45-15 modified 3-track 1 60-20 3-track 3 45-15 modified 4-track 51 60-20 4-track 381 60-20 5-track 17 60-20 modified 4-track 7 60-20 modified 5-track 1 O. 90-30 155 90-30 1-track 5 90-30 2-track 1 90-30 4-track 149

F 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 17 8 9 10 11 12 13 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2 3 4 5 6 7 814 15 16 17 18 19 20 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 9 10 11 12 13 14 1521 22 23 24 25 26 27 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 16 17 18 19 20 21 2228 29 30 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 76 7 8 9 10 11 12 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 1413 14 15 16 17 18 19 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 2120 21 22 23 24 25 26 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 2827 28 29 30 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 29 30 31

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 15 6 7 8 9 10 11 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 812 13 14 15 16 17 18 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 1519 20 21 22 23 24 25 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 2226 27 28 26 27 28 29 30 31 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30

1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 17 8 9 10 11 12 13 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2 3 4 5 6 7 814 15 16 17 18 19 20 11 12 13 L 15 16 17 9 10 11 12 13 14 1521 22 23 24 25 26 27 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 16 17 18 19 20 21 2228 29 30 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31

L - Last DayV - Vacation

F - First DayO - Optional Intersession W - Winter Break

February March

August September

Teacher Work DayS - Spring Break

H - Half Day

April

May June July

October

November December January

Report cards issuedOctober 5, 2005January 30, 2006

April 3, 2006June 14, 2006

2005-2006

Intersession DatesOctober 10-28, 2005January 23-27, 2006April 10-14, 2006

15 days in June/July

43

35

66

42

65

48

58

41

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Reading Math Language PB

Schoolfield – African AmericanTOTAL DPS

Stanford 9 – 2001Minority to DPS

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95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02

Faculty/Staff AbsencesSchoolfield

SOL – Fifth Grade - 2001

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10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Writing Reading Math History Science Technology

Schoolfield

DPS

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02

Accelerated Reading - Schoolfield

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95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02

Discipline ReferralsSchoolfield

Class Bus

Special Education Referrals - Schoolfield

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30

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Referred Placed

WSSDA advocacy –Action on WSSDA Positions

82. 7.3.2 School YearThe WSSDA shall initiate and/or support legislation which provides state-funded training and planning time for staff and more academic time for students, in the following manner:

• Provide for summer school programs;• Substantially increase the length of the students’ school year;• Assure that staff has planning and in-service time in excess of the

students’ calendar year; and• Provide financial flexibility and incentives for local districts to operate

year-round instruction in any or all of their school buildings. (adopted 1988; Amended 1990, 1992, and 2005)

Legislative Committee Recommendation: “DO PASS”

WSSDA Model Policy No. 2220Instruction

School Calendar

In order to permit staff, students and parents to make plans for their own work and vacation schedules, the board will adopt a school calendar or calendar or calendars by June 1 of each year. Multiple calendars may be developed where some schools are on modified calendars for the forthcoming school year. Following board action, staff, students, parents and patrons will be advised of the school calendar.

Legal References: RCW 28A.150.203 School year –Beginning—End 28A.150.220 Basic Education Act – Definitions-

Program requirements – Program accessibility –Rules and regulations

28A.330.100 (7) Additional powers of board

Adoption Date:

Yakima School District Policy and Procedures 2220 Page 1 of 1

School Calendar

In order to permit staff, students and parent(s)/guardian(s) to make plans for their own work and vacation schedules, the board shall adopt a school instructional calendar for the forthcoming school year by March 3. Following this action, staff, students, parent(s)/guardian(s), and patrons will be advised of the school calendar. The board directs the superintendent to prepare appropriate procedures to implement this policy. Legal

School Calendar ProcedureBy March 1, the superintendent or designee will form a committee involving principals and Yakima Education Association (YEA) members for study purposes with a three (3) year projection. The calendar will be reviewed and recommendations will be made to superintendent and board.

A Tale of Two StatesKentucky

1983 – “A Nation at Risk” (attend to Content, Expectations & TIME)

1990 – Kentucky EducationReform Act – 1st out of 50

1994 ; 2000 - “Prisoners of Time”

1994 – Pritchard Committee Stakeholder Study recommended all districts consider calendar modification to support student learning; change should be K-12 district

1998 – Kentucky Assoc. of Year-Round Education holds biennial conferences; KOPI leadership

2003 – 116/176 K-12 districts use modified calendars-6-8 weeks summer off Extended School Year funds available for Intersession supplemental programming2013 – KYREA absorbed into other Dept. of Ed functions; YRE continues to expand

Washington1983 – “Nation at Risk” (attend to Content, Expectations & TIME)

1992-93– GCERF (Gov. Gardner)Commission on Student Learning

1993 – Legislature awards ten planning grants for evaluation of modified calendar; 2000 2nd request for district planning grants proposed but unfunded

1994; 2000 – “Prisoners of Time”

1996 – Northwest Association for Year-Round Education (NWAYRE) – advocacy and statewide conferences

2003 – 8,000 WA students attend school on a modified calendar; posted on SBENWAYRE disbands

2013 – 1,200 WA students attend school on a modified calendar –

2012 Brief ( Research Summary )

• All young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer. (Cooper, 1996; Alexander, Entwisle, and Olson, 2001, 2006)

• On average, students lose approximately 2.6 months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills, (factual and procedural knowledge) over the summer months. (Cooper, 1996;Alexander and Entwisle, and Olson 2007)

• Lower-income children and youth experience greater summer learning losses than their higher income peers who show limited growth for the time away from formal education – 1 month growth in reading for high socioeconomic students. (Cooper, 1996; Alexander, Entwisle, and Olson, 2001.2006)

• Many English Language Learners (ell) and low –income students experience loss of academic language skills and thinking skills in the English language over the summer. (Guardana, 1999)

• Summer learning loss contributes to the achievement gap in reading performance between lower and higher income children and youth, high-school placement, high school noncompletion, and four year college attendance and completion (Alexander, Entwisle, and Olson 1996, 2007)

…………research summary continued

• College persistence is linked to high school rigorous course taking, Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate courses, periodic communication with an academic advisor. (Center for Education Policy, National School Boards Association, October 22012)

• Large numbers of students who qualify for federally subsidized meals do not have the same level of access to nutritious meals during the summer as they do during the school year. (Food Research and Action Center,2002)

• Student body mass index (BMI) increases June – September and decreases September –June. (University of Indiana, 2006)

• Studies show that out-of-school time is a dangerous time for unsupervised, unoccupied children and unemployed teens. (Carnegie Council, 1994)

• Parents greatest concern for their children occurs over the lengthy summer break. (Public Agenda, 2004)

• Students present concerns about summer learning loss and are at a readiness state to consider school calendar change. (Public Agenda, 2004)

Rigor/Relevance FrameworkTM

Knowledge

Taxonomy

Relevance

Makes Rigor

Happen! Application Model

Evaluation 6

“Judge the Outcome”

Synthesis 5

“Putting Together”

Analysis 4

“Taking Apart”

Application 3

“Making use of Knowledge”

Comprehension 2

“Confirming”

Knowledge 1

“Information Gathering”

1

Knowledge in ????

Discipline

2

Apply Knowledge in ????

Discipline

3

Apply Knowledge Across

Disciplines

4

Apply Knowledge to Real

World Predictable

Situations

5

Apply Knowledge to Real

World Unpredictable

Situations

Assimilation

Students extend and refine their knowledge so they can use it automatically and routinely to analyze and solve problems and create solutions

AcquisitionStudents gather and store bits of knowledge and information and are expected to remember or understand this acquired knowledge.

ApplicationStudents use acquired knowledge to solve problems, design solutions, and complete work. The highest level of application is to apply appropriately to new and unpredictable situations.

AdaptationStudents have the competence, that when confronted with perplexing unknowns they are able to use their extensive knowledge base and skills to create unique solutions and take action that further develops their skills and knowledge.

Strategiesthat

Work

Reflective Policy Questions

Understanding the impact of poverty on formal learning and the positive impact of excellent teachers on students, why do we continue to plan the school calendar year resources to disconnect students for up to 12 weeks from their caring, dedicated teachers without formally questioning the wisdom?

What would it take to seriously address transforming the 19th Century child labor calendar to a 21st Century learning/thinking education calendar?

Should the local school board become the policymaker group that constructively advocates for our district to develop a school calendar year that evidences seamless connections between allocated and supplemental opportunities to learn in a safe, supportive environment.

What role can our annual school calendar committee have in exploring options for the traditional school calendar year?

School Improvement Plans (SIPs) WAC 180-16-220(2)(d)(i-iv) shall address, but are not limited to:

• Characteristics of Successful Schools including safe and supportive learning environments;

• Educational Equity Factors such as, but not limited to: gender, race, ethnicity, culture, language and physical/mental ability…giving each student what they need and when and how they need it to reach their achievement potential;

• Use of technology to facilitate instruction;• Parent, family, and community involvement and,• Evaluation of the traditional September-June calendar,

schedules and issues surrounding the use of instructional time (compulsory and supplemental) and the impact on student opportunities to learn.

Sample DRAFT language suggestion only

Single-Track K-12 Modified Calendar

• availability of childcare• the need for and cost of air-

conditioning during summer• conflicts with the more common

district schedule• facilitating building cleaning and

repair• children want same schedule as

friends or relatives the other schools

• complexity of scheduling family vacations if children are in different schools on more than one schedule

• intersession opportunities: remediation, enrichment & acceleration

• reduced summer learning loss• reduced re-teaching and review on return from

breaks• time for teacher planning and reflection• more motivation for both teachers and students• decreased vandalism• fewer disciplinary referrals• regular extended preparation time for teachers• relief of both personal and interpersonal tensions• more conversation and reflection about teaching

and learning• a change in the organization of instructional units• more regular visits with non-custodial parents• increased parental participation• increased community involvement

AdvantagesDisadvantages(usually dissipate after first year due to

planning and recognition of advantages)

Shields and Oberg, Year Round Schooling: Promises and Pitfalls, Scarecrow Press, Lanham, MA, 2000.

Modified Calendar for SECONDARY Schools

• Extra work is made for secretaries and support personnel to track students’ courses and statistics

• Students may have to participate in sports during intersession

• Students may take “unfair” advantage of opportunities for remediation (by slacking off during the regular term)

• Teachers choosing to teach regularly at intersession may experience burnout

• Increased chances for remediation and acceleration• Increased numbers in advanced courses• Increased positive attitude toward self & coursework• Decrease in dropout rate• Increased graduation course completion• Increase graduation rate• Flexibility for students• Facilitates student jobs• Benefits of participating in sports (and other

extracurricular activities) during intersession• Increased opportunities for teacher employment• Students can accelerate graduation• Professional development opportunities for teachers

(visiting other programs)• Better college preparation opportunities (students may

take more classes)

Additional AdvantagesDisadvantages

Teacher Job Satisfaction and Year-Round Education

Benefits to teachers:

• For new and newer teachers, the two-three week break at the end of every quarter or nine weeks allows time to regroup, reflect, and evaluate personal progress toward mastery of teaching.

• Teachers, especially those with less than three years experience, feel that the breaks throughout the year provide a more balanced approach to their emotional needs, which contributed to a decrease in teacher absenteeism.

• Breaks give teachers valuable curriculum planning time and contribute to classroom innovation.

• Many teachers who teach intersession find the experience rewarding: opportunity to earn extra income, teach different students, teach a different grade level, use a variety of instructional methods, and teach a different subject or topic. Other teachers used the intersession breaks to relax, enjoy off season travel and rejuvenate away from school.

• More teacher stability in terms of turnover.

• Increased teacher retention in the profession, particularly the first three years and beyond.

• Part-time teaching opportunities during intersession are an advantage for teachers on maternity or family leave: stay in teaching loop and keep skills fresh.

• Reduced teacher absence; recapture substitute dollars

Haser, Shelly Gismondi and Nasser, Ilham,Year-round Education: Change and choice for Schools and Teachers,

Scarecrow Education, 2005.

K-12 Districts Calendar Balanced Year• Socorro School District, Socorro, Texas 1990• Hawaii Public Schools – state calendar 2006• Indianapolis Independent Schools – 2010

• Nashville Metropolitan Public Schools – 2012• Oklahoma City Public Schools - 2012

Pending• Chicago Public Schools-under discussion 2012

• Ashville, North Carolina• Bozeman, Montana

• plus numerous individual schools

Google Alert - Year Round Schools

QUESTION: I am searching for information on the effects and demands which year-round schools place on the yearly budget compared to the costs of the traditional school calendar. Have you any information I might use to compare and contrast these costs?

Single track year round education simply reorganizes instructional days. Teacher and administrator contracts remain nearly the same as before. The number of days students are in school will be the same (180 in 30 states). So costs should be the same or nearly the same, as those in a traditional school.

The schedule has been modified, but the work day/time have not increased. So the single biggest item in any budget, personnel costs, should remain the same as also with utilities, transportation and food costs.

• National Association for Year-round Education, (NAYRE) Frequently Asked Questions About Year-Round Education, 2000.

Based on my experience as superintendent of a district with both year-round and traditional calendars, I can attest to the fact that the cost to maintain the one elementary school on a year-round calendar was no more than that of schools (similarly situated) operating on a traditional calendar when comparing:

student learninglabor and nonlabor coststransportation expendituresfood servicesutilization of building spaceschool attendance

The year-round school excelled in all of the areas reviewed Douglas Roby, “Experiencing School Year-round: An Administrators Perspective,” Balancing

the School Calendar, edited by Carolyn Kneese and Charles Ballinger, Rowan & Littlefield Education, 2009, pp. 65-73.

IntersessionsIntersession literally means “between learning sessions. This concept is part of the year-round education philosophy and may be utilized as another learning opportunity, the same as summer school. Once you have the year-round education calendar in place, the next step is to work on Intersessions.

When you start approaching one of your calendar change goals i.e. to provide the opportunity for continuous learning

FundingIntersession funding varies with the financial situation and philosophy of the district or state. The following is a short and certainly not exhaustive list of possible methods of funding, depending on the type of program being offered.

Kemp, Byron, The ABCs of Year-Round Education, published by National Association for Year-Round Education, 1995.

• funding (cont.)• Funded as traditional summer schools• Categorical program funding Title I, Title III etc.• Lottery grants• User pays• Teacher-training grants for teachers in training• Fundraising• Community or city grants• Special need grants• Bilingual/ELL funding• Recreation and community based organization funding• Corporate sponsorship or donations• Industrial funding• College or university funding

Fiscal Considerations and Year Round Schooling – Chapter 10Year-Round Schooling Promises & Pitfalls

Carolyn M. Shields & Steven Lynn Oberg, 2000

• Although most studies suggest that YRS are more expensive to operate than traditional-calendar schools (TCS)……..regarding Operating Costs there is little difference between that of a single-track year-round school and a traditional-calendar school unless the calendar change has been accompanied by additional voluntary programs or building modifications.

• Transitional Costs – not recurring – preparing for and planning the implementation of YRS – investigating appropriateness of the change, hiring consultants, printing brochures, engaging in public hearings and consultations…….pre-service training and planning time for administrators and, to a lesser extent, the teachers – although they do need to be “on board” with the plan! Air conditioning can be a significant costs with the continuing expense of operating to be included in the calculation of operating costs.

• Special funding and incentive revenues: planning grants, pupil bonus• Incidental differences: incidental differences related to some unanticipated

savings that accrue – see Schoolfield Elementary, Danville, VA examples

Student

Critical Thinking

Skills

Workforce Skills

LifeSkills

Multi-Disciplinary Decision-Making

Other

Leadership

Productivity and Accountability

Initiative, Self-Direction, Entrepreneurialism, Resourcefulness

Collaboration

Global Citizenship, Social and Cross Cultural Interaction

Agility, Adaptability, Flexibility

Ethical Decision-Making

Innovation, Creativity, Curiosity, Imagination

Communication

Accessing, Analyzing, and Synthesizing Information

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Questioning

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

5%

7%

8%

10%

10%

13%

15%

17%

24%

24%

29%

37%

64%

Critical Thinking and Analytical Skills Most Important to Postsecondary Students in the 21st Century

Results of a survey conducted by the research division of the Atlantic Media Company of 115 respondants who were asked the question: “Which of the following are the most important skills postsecondary students in the 21st century should learn? (Select up to 3)”, published June 2011.

Lifelong-Learner Competencies

• Plan and conduct research• Gather, organize, and analyze data, evaluate processes and

products; and draw conclusions.• Think analytically, critically, and creatively to pursue new

ideas, and acquire new knowledge and make decisions.• Understand and apply principles of logic and reasoning;

develop, evaluate, and defend arguments• Seek, recognize and understand systems, patterns, themes,

and interactions.• Apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve

new and increasingly complex problems.

(continue)

Lifelong-Learner Competencies (cont.)

• Acquire and use precise language to clearly communicate ideas, knowledge, and processes

• Explore and express ideas and opinions using multiple media the arts, and technology.

• Demonstrate ethical behavior and respect for diversity though daily actions and decision making.

• Participate fully in civic life, and act on democratic ideals within the context of community and global interdependence.

• Understand and follow a physically active lifestyle that promotes good health and wellness.

• Apply habits of mind and metacognitive strategies to plan, monitor, and evaluate one’s own work.

4 Seasons of Learning

In this 21st Century, there is every reason to craft school calendar infrastructure for four seasons of learning.

“Preferred Future” – Begin with the End in MindStep-by-Step – a List of What it Will Take to Get There

Current Calendar RealityTraditional School Calendar

+ / -Summer School,

Before/After/Saturday School

Preferred Future• Calendar balanced for

learning for ALL• Reduce summer learning

loss, inequity, inefficiency• Provide timely intersession

learning support

SummaryIn a performance-based learning environment, personalized to student need,

it is imperative to link the regular academic program with supplementary learning time in ways that:

• Provide timely assistance close to the identification of a learning concern

• Contribute to continuity of learning for all students

• Open “downtime” for reflection, play and innovation for learners & teachers

• Maintain consistent parent/school/community partnerships

• Utilize our public education facilities and equipment full-time

Thereby, increasing our chances of becoming the learner fair and focused community of our vision and mission statements.

HELPFUL WEBCITE: www.nayre.com

Video

K-12 Districts Calendar Balanced Year• Socorro School District, Socorro, Texas 1990• Hawaii Public Schools – state calendar 2006• Indianapolis Independent Schools – 2010

• Nashville Metropolitan Public Schools – 2012• Oklahoma City Public Schools - 2012

Pending• Chicago Public Schools-under discussion 2012

• Ashville, North Carolina• Bozeman, Montana

• plus numerous individual schools

Google Alert - Year Round Schools

National Association for Year Round Education

www.nayre.org