What kid wouldn’t like to know that their school year is cut short? Even the most intent students would appreciate a shortened school year, and unfortunately for students of the Chicago education system, they are getting just that.
Parents and educators within the Chicago education region need to be aware that the time that their children are losing every year in school is hurting their kids and reducing the quality of education that the students are given.
Based on several studies, it has been shown that an extended school day benefits students, especially those from lower income neighborhoods. Benefits come from both after-school programs as well as extended times in classroom education. Teachers also gain the ability to focus more on each student’s specific needs with an extended classroom schedule.
The average school day in the Chicago school districts runs from 9AM to 2:45 PM, which is shorter than any other district’s school system in the country. Currently, there is a movement to increase the school time for Chicago’s students, as well a other districts where children have short school days..
It is this unified approach to change in the current education system, both in Chicago and around the country that is vital to drive the Movement to Save American Education.
Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, National Center for Teaching Quality, Illinois State Board of Education; Catalyst Chicago analysis of CPS directories, value added scores and ISBE data. For further information on this story,
www.catalystchicago.org.
Posted By: Paul Adams
Friday, February 19th 2010 at 11:57AM
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