Year-Round School

Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence, Apr 06, 2001

Supporters of the current system state that poor scores by students in the United States are the result of inadequate curriculum rather than lack of class time. Some estimate that more than half of classroom time in the United States is devoted to nonacademic courses rather than core courses like English, math, and science. Strengthening the curriculum, holding teachers to more stringent standards, and requiring students to do more homework, some experts contend, will do more to increase test scores than extending the school calendar.

Opinion polls throughout the years show that, while year-round and extended-year schooling are still controversial, more Americans are supporting some type of change in the educational system. The Gallup polling organization has been asking questions about the subject since the late 1940s. In 1989, for the first time, more people supported increasing classroom time than opposed it. Some states are gradually adding small numbers of days to their calendars, and as of 1993, some year-round schools were operating in at least 32 states in more than 300 school districts and 1,500 schools.