Pro+Elementary+Year-Round+Education

YEAR-ROUND EDUCATION

 __**Article 1**__ When the issue of year-round education comes up, the first concern is commonly, "Why go to school for the entire year?" or alike, "Why send my child to school for the entire year?" when history reveals the same curriculum is taught within the traditional 180-day academic calendar. However, studies show that the amount of days spent in the year-round school are almost exactly the same to those in a traditional school, due to the longer holidays and breaks in between semesters. So the question remains: Why do most schools still have the traditional scheduling system as opposed to adopting this equally successful structure?

The ERIC Digest Team illustrates the two year-round education (YRE) tracks: "A single-track schedule generally calls for an instructional year of 180 days, with short breaks (or inter sessions) interspersed throughout the school year. A multi-track schedule staggers the instructional and vacation/intersession periods of each track throughout the entire year, so that some students are receiving instruction while others are on vacation" (Kneese, 2000).

Not only does year-round schooling benefit the students, but also teachers. Using the multi-track schedule, schools can increase their population size by one-third, or alternatively, lower the class size. The money saved from otherwise being used on building new schools to house all the students could adversely be used to increase the current teacher’s salary that have extended their contract to fit the multi-track scheduling system. While each schedule does have advantages and disadvantages, neither system requires teachers to instruct the entire year. In addition, "the year-round calendar can offer teachers the opportunity to work less than a standard nine-month calendar. For teachers who prefer more personal time to more money, it is possible for two teachers to split one year-round contract," claims the ERIC Digest Team (Kneese, 2000).

While we all love to spree from the daily stresses of life and go for a relaxing summer vacation, the time students spend away from the material (in which he spent the past year learning) could easily slip away. One major advantage to year-round education is the sustained learning experience. Teachers are able to spend much less time reviewing at the beginning of an instructional block, "as research has demonstrated that the shorter vacation periods reduce summer learning loss" (Kneese, 2000).

The article also touches base with some of the challenges of year-round education (YRE). The single-track system is more traditional, in that teachers are allowed to retain their own personal classrooms. In multi-tracking, however, teachers may be required to share classrooms throughout the entire year. This requires teachers to gather materials and move from classroom to classroom, which is not only time consuming but tedious. Many teachers also find it hard to arrange time for continued professional education, which is most commonly held in the summer, while the YRE schools are in session. Finally, of course, teachers find YRE conflicts with personal time. While this conflict is inevitable, but most teachers find that YRE is less stressful than a traditional school year (Kneese, 2000).

__**Article 2**__ William Gee suggests that the year round education program is not only cost effective for the school systems, but also improves academic retention of the students. This article breaks down the YRE system into 2 plans, the single-track plan and the multi-track plan. They are set up as school periods of 45 days followed by a 15 day break. The “45/15” single-track plan is when all students are in school during the same calendar days. The “45/15” multi-track plan (most used for facilities which cannot occupy the student body as a whole) is when 25% of the students are on break at one time, and then it rotates. Most schools currently using the YRE program prefer the single-track plan, in order to keep the schedule regulated and coherent (Gee, 1997).

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The school system in Jefferson County, Colorado in 1970 switched to a year round education program because of the “increasing enrollment, lack of classroom space, and a taxpayer revolt” (Gee, 1997). This system was originally a temporary arrangement; however it lasted for nearly a decade. With the construction of new school buildings, and the financial situation under control, the school board decided to switch back to the traditional nine-month calendar school system. What the board failed to see was that the YRE system was saving a large amount of money to the county, and the “academic retention was at an all-time high (Gee, 1997). ======

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In the case of Jefferson County, the conversion to a YRE program was only a temporary financial solution, but the results were much more rewarding. Their switch back to the 9-month system was seen in many eyes as a mistake; however the public was never enlightened of the huge success of the YRE system. ======

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This article and the case of Jefferson County prove that the year round education system is beneficial not only in academics, but financially as well. School systems nationwide should make the switch to a YRE program but it could be a while before a noticeable change is seen. Many people do not embrace change positively, and are hesitant to new ideas and systems. ====== __**Sources**__ Gee, W. (1997, June). The copernican plan and year-round education. //Phi Delta Kappan, 78.// Retrieved from [] Kneese, C. (2000, August). Teaching in year-round schools. //ERIC Digest//. Retrieved from [] Year Round Indoctrination [Cartoon]. (2009) 2009, Oct 05 from: []