This brief examines the research on community schools, with two primary emphases. First, it explores whether the 2015 federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) opens the possibility of investing in well-designed community schools to meet the educational needs of low-achieving students in high-poverty schools. And second, it provides support to…

With the number of students who are English language learners (ELLs) likely to double in coming years, it is more important than ever for schools across the U.S. to design and implement educational practices and strategies that best meet ELLs' learning needs, says the report, "Giving English Language Learners the Time They Need to…

This report calls upon Michigan's state leaders to quickly develop and implement solution-based approaches to both support the long-term recovery of student learning, as well as address the longstanding inequities and underperformance that have plagued Michigan's education system for decades. Building upon last year's recommendations, which called…

The expansion of Pre-K in early childhood programs, both in the community and in schools, has the potential to build significant new alignment between the traditional K-12 education system and the preschool year. Most communities, however, have only scratched the surface of collaboration between public schools and community programs as…

The paper elaborates on the position statement supporting Extended School Year (ESY) programs of the Council for Exceptional Children's Mental Retardation Division. Included are a review of ESY's background, a summary of litigation, and research on the regression/recoupment syndrome. Expanding ESY to mentally retarded students with critical needs…

Even though many European and Japanese students spend as many as 8 hours daily and 220 days yearly in the classroom, 661 American superintendents believe the present U.S. average--6 hours and 180 days--to be adequate, raising questions about their potential support in changing the system. (KS)

The September-June calendar makes little sense instructionally or academically, as it was designed for the agricultural economy of the early 1800s. This article suggests that year-round education, originally a response to overcrowding, can benefit students' learning process, increase attendance, and reduce vandalism and instructional costs per…

This report examines both the educational and political dimensions of time reform. It presents the findings of a wide range of research on time reform, discusses the impact of various time reforms on the life of schools and beyond, and makes recommendations for policymakers about how to best leverage time in and out of school to improve student…

Gives examples of schools altering traditional school schedules and teacher contracts to find more time for teachers and administrators to meet, discuss, and develop ideas and practices that will make school reform succeed. (MLF)

Although policymakers have recently tended to call for longer school days or years, such reforms might be ineffective or counterproductive if they fail to take into account the interactions between time and other determinants of learning, including the role of the student in allocating time. Research has shown that the amount of learning is a…

In an essay honoring "The American School Board Journal's" centennial, Lee Iacocca states that marketing a longer school year as necessary for children to be able to compete in the world might change public opinion. (MLF)

Survey of state directors of special education in 50 states and District of Columbia gathered data on provision of extended school year (ESY) services to students with handicaps within legal framework of Public Law 94-142 and Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Recommendations are presented for development of ESY policy reflecting current…

The educational systems and requirements of Japan and Kentucky are compared in seven different areas. The first area compares total instruction days and illustrates the differences with a chart. Kentucky requires 175 days of instruction while Japan requires 240 days. Because of this Japanese students spend 150 to 300 more hours per year in school…

The idea of year-round education (YRE) is not a new one. As early as 1912 there are records of YRE programs implemented in communities. As a result of the increasing enrollment in schools and the overcrowding many classrooms are experiencing, YRE has become an attractive alternative to the traditional 9-month schedule. Air conditioning costs and…

The four-day week is a popular way to improve the quality of education and save energy costs in rural districts. The four-day week is structured as a lengthened day or school year. Thirteen states have districts operating on four-day calendars. State laws and education agency regulations require districts to evaluate the effect of four-day…