Year Round Schooling: A Good or Bad Idea?

Since class I have been thinking a lot about the many issues in education that were raised. What really stuck in my brain was that economically disadvantaged students keep up with other students throughout the school year, but get behind during the summers off. Students who can't afford to go to camps or other enrichment programs miss out on a lot and like Dr. Glassman said they are more likely to watch television, or do something else that might get them into trouble while their parents are at work.

On another note the Common Core was created so that all students would be getting the same education no matter where they live or what grade they are in. The Common Core tells teachers what to put in their lessons and standardized tests are how teachers are held accountable. Again I agree with what was said in class that in theory the  Common Core sounds great, but it is not realistic. Some teachers get students who are at their desired level, but then there are some who get students that are very far behind. I like the emphasis given that teachers are human beings with mortgages and families. The Department of Education doesn't really take into account that the student who was 4 grade levels behind progressed 2 years in 1. That child is still not on track and that teacher may be penalized or lose his/her job. No teacher wants to see his/her students be behind. There are so many other factors that affect students' learning, but I think teachers are just the easiest to blame.

When I was in high school some of my teachers talked about the idea of having year round school. Of course I said no because I loved having summers off, but the more I think about it the more I think schools should be year round. So many of my classmates forgot what they learned when returning to school in late August. I was also guilty of this. My teachers had to spend weeks reteaching material. A lot of time was wasted in doing so. What if school was the same amount of length (9months), but is just spread out throughout the year? Maybe low socioeconomic students would benefit more and parents as well. I know summers were very hard for my parents trying to find rides for my sisters and I to sport practices, a friend's house, etc. What if students were given a week off here and there instead of one long break and maybe longer holiday breaks? I always thought students had summers off for farming, but I came across this article that discusses six reasons students get summers off. The link is http://stateimpact.npr.org/ohio/2011/08/10/six-reasons-students-get-summer-off-and-the-agrarian-calendar-isnt-one-of-them/. I recommend checking it out. The history part is kind of fascinating. I also looked up information on year round schooling vs. traditional schooling. The research on this topic has mixed results and it has been noted that the research does not take into account some demographics. What is known about year round school though is that:

• Students in year-round schools do as well or slightly better in terms of academic achievement than students in traditional schools.
• Year-round education may be particularly beneficial for students from low-income families.
• Students, parents, and teachers who participate in a year-round school tend to have positive attitudes about the experience.

If you want to know more about this the link for that is  http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/apr10/vol67/num07/Year-Round_Schooling.aspx.