Districts that school year-round: In a handful of systems, every school follows a year-long calendar - year-round schools

School Administrator, March, 2002 by Ann McGlynn

Rock Island's Initiation

Beach balls hung from the ceiling of a kindergarten room when students headed back to classes in early August in the Rock Island-Milan School District in Illinois. Aug. 7 marked the first day of what administrators say will be a five-year trial period for districtwide year-round education in the northwestern Illinois school district.

A bond issue provided the air conditioning. A parent committee provided the guidance.

"It changed from schools qualifying to let's let everybody have a chance," says Superintendent David Markward, who was able to take his first October vacation in 31 years as an educator. "We looked at our calendar as perhaps there was something better to do."

The district has 6,500 students with 17 schools. Each hosted a public meeting about changing the calendar. Markward met with the staff from each building. The school district sent a survey our, asking if the community wanted to change the calendar. An overwhelming majority said yes. The district placed copies of research throughout the community to inform residents of the pros and cons of year-round education.

"We said if the community does not want to do this, we won't," Markward says.

The district held prize drawings, open to those who registered on time, to increase the number of students who attended the first day of school.

Markward estimates year-round education will cost the district $100,000. He hopes better attendance, and therefore more state aid, will help cover the cost. Administrators, school board members and the community will evaluate students' progress annually. A final decision as to whether the district will stick with year-round should come in five years.

The preponderance of evidence supported year-round, Markward says. "We knew with great confidence it would do no harm. We believe it will do some good."

Bardstown's Bet

Attendance is up about 1 percent. The percentage of As and Bs on student report cards is up nearly 4 percent, while the percentage of Ds and Fs has declined more than 2 percent. The ACT composite score for the district is up about a point. The percentage of seniors who attend postsecondary rose from 62 percent to 80 percent and discipline referrals are down 20 percent since 1994-95, the last year on a traditional calendar.

"Kids are more relaxed, teachers aren't as burned out," Smotherman says.

Bardstown students attend school for nine weeks, then have three weeks off. Intersession classes for remediation and enrichment are offered. Children are charged for enrichment classes but not for remediation.

Under the traditional calendar, Smotherman says, "education begins and ends. We were into that groove pretty heavily. A child who had fallen behind by October was behind all year. There was no place to stop that train."

The district spent a couple of years examining the issue. A formal committee, established in 1994, studied for six months and voted 13 to 3 to suggest the board change the calendar. The board voted unanimously to do so.