Floyd County Georgia

I always laugh when I read about proponents of year-round school making statements such as "the advantages outweigh the disadvantages" or "year-round school gives us more tools to work with."

I would say that it is about time for a reality check.

Please evaluate the following statement:

"The advantages of perpetual motion are that we think it could provide energy on a continual basis, we feel that it could boost morale and we see it as a viable tool to help the effort of tapping new energy sources."

Based on the preceding statement, what are the advantages of perpetual motion?

That's right. None. Why is that?

Because in order for something to be an advantage or a "pro", it must be real and not imagined. It must be more than a claim, it must actually exist in order to be considered as an advantage or disadvantage.

Let's see how you do with this one:

"Year-round school raises academic achievement."

This is a simple evaluation if you have done your homework. Here are some clues.

"Alternative calendars on which the typical 180 days of schooling are offered (e.g., year-round calendars) show no increased benefits for student learning over the traditional 9-months-on/3-months-off calendar. Summer programs for at-risk students are probably effective, though more research is needed." (Gene V Glass, "Time for School: Its Duration and Allocation", Arizona State University)

"Both the Allinder et al. and the Cooper meta-analysis of the summer forgetting phenomenon place estimates on the loss of achievement over the traditional 3-month vacation that are smaller than many expected. This may in part help explain why the YRS calendar does not produce the dramatic effects on achievement that some hoped to see." (Gene V Glass, "Time for School: Its Duration and Allocation", Arizona State University)

"After controlling for possible effects due to district, grade level, gender, ethnicity, parental education level, prior achievement and average school-level achievement, there were no significant achievement differences between year-round and traditional calendar students in either reading (F = 0.91, p < .48) or math (F = 0.89, p < .85). Neither group appeared to perform any better than the other between the 1996-97 and 1997-98 school years" (Public Schools of North Carolina, State Board of Education, Phillip J. Kirk Jr., Chairman, Department of Public Instruction, Michael E. Ward, State Superintendent, "Year-Round Schools and Achievement in North Carolina", February 2000)

"Most studies found no significant differences between the two types of schedules with two actually showing negative effects for year-round schooling." (Merino, B.J. (1983) The impact of year-round schooling: A review. Urban Education,. 18, 298-316)

". . . year round schooling has not raised test scores, but neither has student achievement suffered." (O'Neil and Solomon. (1993) When less is more. The American School Board Journal. April. 39-41)

"Analysis of a number of student outcomes (basic skills gains, absences, promotion rates, number of books read, and reading levels) found no significant differences in favor of the year-round students." (Campbell, W.D. (1994) Year-round schooling for academically at-risk students: Outcomes and perceptions of participants in an elementary program. ERS Spectrum, 12, Summer, 20-24)

"There are a substantial number of studies which are conducted by researchers (with no vested interest in either supporting or opposing year-round schooling) which conclude that there appears to be no significant difference in achievement between student in year-round and students in traditional calendar schools."(Naylor, C. (1995) Do year-round schools improve student learning? An annotated bibliography and synthesis of the research. BCTF Research Report.Section XII)

"The review found inconclusive evidence linking year-round schools to an increase in student academic achievement."(Anon (1987) Year-round schools. "What research says about" series. Number 8. National Education Association data search)

"Converting to YRE creates many difficulties and shows no clear advantages. The only systems benefitting over time are those for whom overcrowding had become a devastating problem." (Howell, V.T. (1988) An examination of year-round education: Pros and cons that challenge schooling in America. Evaluative report)

There are many more studies that say the same thing. The basic findings are that there are no significant differences in academic achievement between year-round schools and standard calendar schools.

I ask again. Is improving academic achievement an advantage of year-round school?

No. You know it. I know it. And those who push this idea know it. You can tell by their carefully worded statements when they promote it.

Is it a tool?

Anything can be a considered as a tool. The question is whether the tool is significantly useful for the intended purpose.

Here is something else to think about.

DR. JAMES DOBSON (FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, April 1998): "I know there are administrative advantages to year round schools, especially since the facilities would not be standing idle two months a year as they are under the current system. Nevertheless, many parents say year-round schools are very hard on them. Siblings attending different schools may have their vacations at different times, making it impossible for families to take trips together. It is also more difficult to coordinate children's time off with parents' schedules. In short, year-round schools represent just one more hardship on families seeking to do fun and recreational things together each year."

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