The Four-Day School Week

School Administrator, March, 1999 by Kimberly Reeves

Still, the four-day school week is probably limited to no more than 120 districts nationwide. Unlike more popular alternative schedules, such as year-round education, the four-day week is rarely tracked or assessed. In Oregon, the state department of education only began to compile information on the calendar's use and its effectiveness this year, a state education official says.

The 240-student Cove School District in eastern Oregon has been on the four-day calendar for the last 14 years. Sports schedules precipitated the initial move, but the district has seen other benefits, says John Ott, who serves as the district's administrative assistant. Faced with fewer distractions, class time has been more productive. Students are encouraged to use their day off to take care of doctor appointments. And Fridays can be used by the district for staff development days, when necessary.

On the downside, school days are long for Cove students, Ott says. The school district does its best to get students out of after-school activities by 8 p.m. School starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. each day. And the condensed schedule also means students get Out later for the holidays on the 145-day year. On the other hand, a four-day week almost guarantees a week of vacation at Thanksgiving.

"I think it's worked for the most part," Ott says. "There are people who question, from time to time, whether it works as well for youngest elementary students. We know it works well for our high school students. We do see some tiredness among the younger children, and people have asked if students miss out on those five repetitions they have each week on a five-day schedule."

And while most people refer to it as a four-day week, most of these school districts still operate five days. That means staff planning, teacher conferences, student tutoring or sports activities often spill over to the off day, typically a Monday or Friday. Teachers typically are paid for the regular 152-day contract.

False Perceptions

The four-day school week is most predominant in rural areas of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Oregon. Broad latitude in legislation and local autonomy has allowed the schedule to spread throughout Colorado, where 31 of the state's 176 school districts today operate on a four-day schedule. Most of the districts, situated in the most isolated regions, have fewer than 500 students.

Art Ellis, an assistant commissioner in the Colorado Department of Education, does not expect further expansion of the shorter week in Colorado. School board politics is the main reason two four-day districts recently returned to a traditional calendar, says Ellis, whose staff helped draft the original legislation on four-day weeks.

The perception, false as it might be, is that less time is being devoted to school, Ellis says. In the end, that means the four-day week is easier to promote as a financial necessity, rather than an academic option to consider.

"The four-day week is always going to be in more isolated rural communities than it will be in the urban areas. There's always that babysitting issue for urban dwellers," Ellis predicts. "I think we're seeing much more interest in year-round education in our metropolitan areas. A third of our largest 25 districts are now offering some sort of year-round calendar."