REL Appalachia conducted a systematic review of the research evidence on the effects of increased learning time. After screening more than 7,000 studies, REL Appalachia identified 30 that met the most rigorous standards for research. A review of those 30 studies found that increased learning time does not always produce positive results. However,…

In 1983, the U.S. Department of Education report, "A Nation at Risk," found that about 13 percent of 17-year-olds were functionally illiterate, SAT scores were dropping, and students needed an increased array of remedial courses in college. Such trends threatened opportunities for American children and the collective national future.…

Calls for more school instructional time are coming from multiple quarters. Academic standards and frequent assessments have changed the nature, but not the length, of the instructional day. Schools find themselves "robbing Peter to pay Paul," taking time from the arts, recess, and physical education to give to reading and math, subjects that…

In 1983, "A Nation at Risk" made policy recommendations in leadership and fiscal support; standards and expectations; and content, teaching, and use of classroom time and stressed importance of continuous learning and excellence for all students. Symptoms of education's low status remain prevalent--from inadequate student motivation and…

This study replicates a 2005 study of the status of social studies in the K-5 curriculum in Indiana. The current study reports the results of a comprehensive survey (33 fixed and 2 open-ended) of a stratified (by grade) random sample of K-5 teachers in Indiana (n = 385; response rate = 32%). Results indicated a continued marginalization of social…

In a survey of 1,500 administrators, most of the 400 respondents agreed by an 8 to 1 margin that reforms to raise academic standards in public schools are necessary. In high schools, a decline in reading, vocabulary, and math skills is due basically to a decreased academic emphasis. Solutions include more required courses, more opportunities for…

This paper on the feasibility of using teaching practices as indicators of student learning was developed as part of an ongoing project to develop a process for the assessment of college student learning in the context of National Education Goal 5, Objective 5, which aims to increase the proportion of college graduates with "advanced ability…

Educational needs characteristic of programs in Bureau of Indian Affairs schools or schools receiving Johnson-O'Malley funds on 16 reservations across the United States were presented with suggestions for meeting these needs. The needs were (1) increase academic engagement from the observed one-third of time intended for instruction; (2) increase…

The Education Council Act of 1991 (Public Law 102-62) established the National Education Commission on Time and Learning as an independent advisory body charged to do a comprehensive review of the relationship between time and learning in U.S. schools. Based on its 24-month investigation, the Commission found that American students spend an…