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…

Seven justifications for the 12-month employment period are presented which may be helpful to agriculture teachers and others where a movement is emerging to make the basic employment period 9 or 10 months. (Author/MS)

This paper describes the implementation and administration of a year-round school program in Buena Vista, Virginia, high schools. The program began in the 1973-74 school year as a practical way to meet the educational needs of children in a changing society. After examining three extended-school-year plans, the school board chose a quarter system…

Discusses the success of a year-round school program in an elementary district in Arizona. (GB)

This article discusses a pilot project in New Mexico that gives kindergartners--and some 1st graders--20 extra days before the school year begins to learn the ropes and jump into their lessons. The project is called Kindergarten-Plus, the concept is the brainchild of former American Federation of Teachers President Sandra Feldman. According to…

The purpose of this exploratory study was to evaluate the impact of special interest areas on children and youth with Asperger syndrome (AS) and their families. The research team conducted interviews about special interests with 2 girls and 21 boys with AS, ages 7 to 21, who were eligible for services under autism and enrolled in an extended…

The status of year-round education is described in this annual address to the National Association for Year-Round Education (NAYRE). Trends for 1992 include the following: (1) 2,049 schools in 26 states now use year-round education (YRE), 23 percent more than in 1991 and 135 percent more than in 1990; (2) the greatest growth has occurred in the…

A survey of 28 school districts attempted to estimate costs of adopting reforms recommended in the final report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education. Specifically examined were only those recommendations most readily quantifiable by cost. These included the suggestions that (1) salaries for the teaching profession should be…

The extended school year can play havoc with traditional music programs, the writer says, because the continuity that is essential is disrupted. He describes how to cope with this problem. (Editor)

This digest defines the term "extended school year" (ESY) and notes the issues of regression and recoupment which have led to development of ESY services for students with disabilities. The digest then provides answers to the following questions: (1) When is ESY needed? (2) How is eligibility for ESY determined? (3) What are some factors…

A school psychologist reviews court cases (Armstrong vs. Kline and Battles vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) and discusses effects of an extended school year on 45 students (mean age 11 years) with severe/profound mental retardation or severe emotional disturbance. Analysis of pre- and posttest levels in 11 developmental areas (gross motor, fine…

Among the reasons which can be cited for the failure of students to pursue an occupational course of study are a lack of available school time, a conflict with extracurricular activities, required credits for graduation, and parental attitude toward occupational education. In an effort to skirt these conflicts three counties were selected to pilot…

To determine whether there is a trend toward using the summer session as a fourth quarter, the enrollment patterns of 3 groups of students at the University of Minnesota were compared over a 5-year period covering the 1964 to 1968 summer sessions and the 1963-1964 to 1967-1968 academic years. The student groups comprised degree candidates who…

The advantages of the 45-15 school schedule for students, teachers, and parents and for building economy are outlined. The model presented shows various constraints affecting the operation of a 45-15 schedule and suggests maxims to improve scheduling. Assorted schedule variations are explained in the text and illustrated in sketches. (Page 14 may…