This paper explores the standard traditional summer vacation model; this includes the accompanying food insecurity, loss of nutrition and the lost knowledge that must be re-taught at the beginning of each new academic year. It compares the number of academic days attended in various Industrialized Nations compared to the United States. Also,…

Approximately 600 schools nationwide began the 1989-90 school year on a 12-month calendar, a 20 percent increase over last year. The traditional calendar was designed for an agrarian society and is no longer needed. Year-round schools offer more continuous learning and less learning loss during the summer months. (MLF)

Profiles some principals of year-round schools. One calls the experience a merry-go-round with no starting or ending. Even principals who strongly endorse the concept say there is no time for long-term planning. Research results on benefits to students and cost savings are also mixed. Year-round schools are gaining wide acceptance, particularly in…

The growth of year-round education will provide opportunities for 12-month learning opportunities through voluntary magnet-style programs in many communities. (MLF)

A Florida school district is changing people's attitudes toward year-round schools. Experience at one elementary school indicates that students are retaining more of what they learn because their education is not interrupted by a long summer break. (MLF)

This paper examines the construction of time in education, emphasizing the development of the 180-day school year. A 1991 study showed that schools throughout the United States follow a distinctive time pattern that the report labeled dysfunctional. The norm for required attendance is 180 school days, stretching across a school year that begins in…

Argues that reform of public education is possible through a combination of programs of remedial education, enrichment, and alternative education, and changes in the structure of education that come from vouchers and the 45-15 year-round school schedule. (IRT)

Points made in favor of year-round education include: improved attendance; better coordination of students, vacations, and facilities; fewer discipline problems; less stressful teaching conditions; and continuity benefits for special needs students. (CB)

Cost issues associated with year-round schools (YRS) are examined in this paper, which asserts that the cost of operating a YRS program depends on a district's classroom space and student population. YRS is recommended if there is a need to utilize classroom space or school facilities more efficiently to accommodate a student population that…

Year-round schooling is a positive alternative for the Woodburn School District, a district experiencing an overcrowding problem. The year-round education system has not yet been implemented in Woodburn, but the proposal is getting serious attention by administrators, teachers, and parents. The Utah Foundation Research Report identifies 10…

The year-round school is an educational change effort that seeks to affect per-pupil costs and academic achievement. The experience of a Maui school district shows that it must be planned in the context of the change process, expectations for success must be carefully developed, and the context of change may change, requiring a reassessment of…

Year-round schools offer a wide enough variety of scheduling options and educational benefits that all districts should consider adopting a locally appropriate year-round format. The traditional 9-month school year is based not on educational considerations but on the economic conditions that prevailed in preindustrial society--conditions that no…

Suggestions to make some Holmes Group proposals into workable platforms for action are made. These include twelve-month employment for professionals, changes in classroom teaching, professional development schools which reflect the unity of the workplace, reconceptualization of professional knowledge, and coordination of teacher education and the…

This series of articles presents a rationale for year-round programs in vocational agriculture. The National Vocational Agricultural Teachers' Association position statement is given, and ideas for planning summer programs and supervised occupational experiences are provided. (SK)

This article presents an interview with Dr. Gerald W. Bracey, author of "Reading Educational Research: How to Avoid Getting Statistically Snookered." During the interview, Bracey explains why he considers the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) as a "weapon of mass destruction" and that he sees nothing to suggest that NCLB has…