Why do some states have 4 day school weeks?
Reasons for implementing the shorter week vary, but most school districts choose a shorter week to cut costs due to budget constraints. Research shows that the maximum possible cost savings for districts on a four-day week is 5.43%, but average savings range from 0.4% to 2.5%.
Nearly 900 school districts in the United States currently use a four-day weekly academic schedule. That number rose from 650 districts in 2020 to 876 districts, across 26 states, in 2023.
On the positive side, some schools report that four-day school weeks are a boon for educators because they have an extra day to plan lessons, grade assignments and attend teacher training opportunities.
Pros and Cons of the Four-Day Week
By reducing the number of school days, schools can save money on transportation, food and energy costs. This can be especially important for rural districts where students may need to travel long distances to get to school.
Hundreds of school systems around the country have adopted four-day weeks in recent years, mostly in rural and western parts of the U.S. Districts cite cost savings and advantages for teacher recruitment, although some have questioned the effects on students who already missed out on significant learning during the ...
Fewer hours mean lower grades, research shows
Students on four-day schedules average 148 school days a year and go to school 35 to 60 hours less a year than students who attend school five days a week, according to research by Thompson and others.
More school districts across the U.S. have switched from a five-day to a four-day school week.
One study found that the four-day week may hurt reading scores more than math scores. A large study released last year found that the shorter schedule held back student achievement in small-town and suburban districts but had little or no effect in rural districts.
Indeed, in the 12 rural school districts we visited, school administrators, teachers, students, and parents reported that the shorter week did indeed improve school morale. Teachers reported feeling less burned out and missing fewer instructional days due to illness or exhaustion.
A four day school week will help alleviate some of the rising stress levels in our students, while aiming to enhance student, teacher, and parent mental health. It will help provide better opportunities, allow for time to strengthen families, and shift towards student-centered learning.
Are shorter school days better?
Shorter school days gives the student more time outside of school to accommodate other aspects of their life. This means a student finally has the time to maintain and work on their mental health. Whether this is in the form of getting restful sleep, decompressing, or pursuing hobbies!
They did not choose the homework ban because the students wanted it, but banned homework because they did their research and realized that it would cause less stress for students and improve their physical and mental health. Utah's referrals for anxiety reduced by more than 50% once the homework ban was put in place.
The most? Seven states set minimums less than 180 days, with Colorado having the lowest requirement at 160 days.
The four-day school week could help students and teachers reduce their stress and fatigue from the long workday. Shorter school days could enhance students' well-being by allowing them to have more balance and flexibility in spending time on their academic, personal, and social needs.
Originally Answered: Is Saturday a school day in Japan? Japanese schools officially operate Monday to Friday. However, most Japanese students also engage in extracurricular activities and “cram school”, which are effectively private schools for extra study time. These activities can extend to Saturdays.
The new schedule will include several “four-day mini breaks strategically placed throughout the years,” the district said. The extended weekends will be held from October 12-15, 2024, February 14-17, 2025, and April 18-21, 2025.
This will be the first school year using the new schedule. According to the district, students will spend every Monday at home doing self-directed work and go to in-person classes Tuesday through Friday. The change allows more flexibility during the week but it also raises questions about child care and meals.
- Drop in student achievement. ...
- Lack of childcare options for younger students on the days that school is not in session.
- Negative financial impact on the school nutrition programs.
- Fewer meals provided each to low-income students.
- Increase in juvenile crime.
- California. In July 2023, Rep. ...
- Massachusetts. In April 2023, Rep. ...
- Missouri. Missourians have a good shot of getting a 4-day work week…but only if they're a teacher. ...
- Pennsylvania. Democratic Rep. ...
- Texas. Like Missouri, Texas has been adopting a 4-day week for its students, if not the general working populace. ...
- Vermont…Maybe?
At first blush, a 2022 study of the effects of shortened school schedules in 12 states seems pretty bleak. Nationwide, researchers found significantly lower math and English/language arts achievement at schools using four-day weeks during the time period from 2009-2018 than in schools using a traditional schedule.
Why should school be 5 days a week instead of 4?
The traditional five-day school week has been in place for many years, and it aligns with the typical work week for parents and guardians. It also allows for a balance between instructional time and rest, as well as time for extracurricular activities.
Unfortunately, for a lot of parents, a four-day school week translates into an additional childcare cost. Pallas notes some districts that have adopted the four-day schedule offer subsidized care for kids at the school on that fifth day, but even subsidized care means parents are paying for something.
When tallying instructional time, though, it's not just days in school; it's also the time in each school day. The typical school day for American students is over six and a half hours.
As a new school year begins, educators from Poland to Australia to the U.S. are implementing four-day weeks, in a variety of ways. Will this be a short-lived fad, or the beginning of a new approach to education that can reduce stress for students, help recruit teachers and rethink learning altogether?
Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado have had four-day schools for a long time. They are a more recent addition in places like Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri. The states are gatekeepers in a way, mandating a minimum number of instructional days or hours.
