Year Round School Research Paper

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Year Round School: A Better Option? In 2007, over two million students attended year-round school in the United States. This number accounted for 4 percent of the student population; a tremendous increase from 0.7 percent in 1986. Underneath this growing trend is a strong debate. Do students really need year round schooling? Proponents argue that year round schooling improves students’ academic achievement and learning retention. However, year round schools should not be an option because it shortens student vacation time, increases the dropout rates, and leads to serious economic implications on parents. Firstly, year round schooling reduces students’ vacation time. Children all over America look forward to the summer break. Cutting down the…show more content…
The change in the school calendar from the traditional nine months to an all year round system poses complex problems for parents, especially mothers. Due to the more frequent breaks within the school year, mothers, particularly those with children in elementary schools find it difficult to participate in the workforce. Katie Anthony claims, “Moving to a yearlong calendar in which long summer vacations are traded for shorter breaks spread across the calendar year, has been shown to reduce the number of working mothers in an area’s economy” (Anthony).In a district in California for example, a decrease of 0.42-0.75 percent workforce participation for women with children attending elementary schools was recorded. With mothers unable to work, the income stream for most families is narrowed. Similarly, there are challenges with parents securing child care for their children. Special arrangements need to be made to ensure the children are taken care of during their school breaks. “30 percent of school aged children in 1999 frequented organized summer programs as a form of child care while their parents were at work (Anthony).The frequent breaks within the academic year requires more spending for supplemental child care services. This also affects parents’…show more content…
However, a year round school system is not a solution to these problems. The length of time spent in school does not determine the learning retention rate. Tachibana debates, “Several large studies, including one from North Carolina with two years of longitudinal data and good statistical analysis, show that that it [year round schooling] doesn't lead to any academic gains" (Probing Question:Does Year Round School Work?).The quality and structure of the materials presented to students are the determinant factors of their academic achievement. Krista Kiuru, minister of education in Finland explains, “Despite shorter schools days, less homework and fewer standardized tests, Finnish students have maintained an exceptional track record in PISA tests over the years, topping the world charts in Math, Science and Reading. (Rubin). The emphasis should not be on reducing the summer vacation but on readjusting the academic course content for

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