A new report from the profiles three elementary schools that have made tremendous gains with students from low-income backgrounds by extending the school day.
At John Barry Elementary School in Meriden, Conn., 85 percent of the student body comes from a low-income family. At Centennial Elementary in Denver, that number is 70 percent. And, at Hill Elementary School in Revere, Mass., 41 percent of the students are classified as low-income.
After several years of struggling to make academic progress, all three schools abandoned the traditional 6.5 hour school day for an instructional day of around eight hours.
The NCTL report called, 鈥�,鈥� details how the schools were able to utilize the extra time to improve student outcomes as well as to provide teachers with additional opportunities to work collaboratively. The report was made possible by support from the .
is the lead author of the report and NCTL鈥檚 senior researcher.
He says administrators at the three schools liked the additional time because it allowed them to 鈥渂uild a schedule around all of the things they wanted to do with kids.鈥� So, there was plenty of time for academics, along with social-emotional learning, and physical activity.
鈥淎 longer day makes it so that there鈥檚 not an either/or choice that educators are forced into,鈥� said Farbman. 鈥淭hey can either do science or they can do English and math. In the case of early grades, they can either focus on learning or build in time for the social-emotional, social relationship-building kind of things. The longer day is a platform for hitting it all.鈥�
The report also finds this extra time is particularly beneficial for students who come from low-income families and often start school behind their peers.
鈥淩esearch shows that expanded time generally is a positive, but it鈥檚 more positive for at-risk kids,鈥� said Farbman. 鈥淭he opportunities for productive learning environments outside of school tend to be limited, so if you can expand their opportunities within the formal school day it will just have more of an impact.鈥�
Time Management
How do the teachers make sure the youngest students don鈥檛 burn out during these longer days?
鈥淭hey鈥檝e been able to build in enough rest time, so that the afternoon hours are as productive as the morning hours,鈥� said Farbman. 鈥淭hey really do feel like they鈥檙e able to hold kids鈥� attention throughout the day, that the kids are engaged in serious learning. And, I don鈥檛 mean serious rote. I mean serious, rigorous, and robust.鈥�
Farbman says the longer day also means traditional early elementary school-day activities such as unstructured playtime and time for music don鈥檛 have to be sacrificed for more time spent on academics.
Benefits for Teachers
In the extended-day model, students spend time with specialists most days, and this gives core academic teachers time to meet.
鈥淚n elementary school, it鈥檚 very typical for teachers to go into their classroom and close the door,鈥� said Farbman. 鈥淭heir classroom is their domain and that鈥檚 it.鈥�
But at the three profiled schools, teachers worked closely with their peers to figure out how to approach lessons better, and collaboration became part of the culture.
鈥淭hat kind of makes them feel more positive about their ability to improve their instruction,鈥� said Farbman. 鈥淭hey push each other to reach higher expectations.鈥�
Extended Days for All?
While NCTL supports extended school days across the board, Farbman stresses the schedule has to feel right for everyone involved.
鈥淲e very much promote a model where the school leaders and teachers are empowered to design a day that fits their needs and their students鈥� needs,鈥� said Farbman. 鈥淭here are many, many schools that are serving middle- and high-income kids that probably don鈥檛 need an extended day. The kids in these communities are engaged in lots of after-school activities, lots of summer learning opportunities. But for kids from low-income communities, it鈥檚, in many cases, the only source of productive learning that they can get.鈥�
Photo: Students at John Barry Elementary School in Meriden, Ct., work on a project. (Courtesy NCTL)