A longer school day may help students’ math performance, concludes an evaluation of Baltimore, New Orleans, and New York City schools with expanded learning time, after one year of operation.
The 11 elementary and middle schools evaluated were part of the ExpandED pilot project of The After-School Corp., or TASC, which redesigned the school day with three additional hours of time.
Community partners—such as AmeriCorps members, coaches, and artists—filled additional time at some of the schools, as did using targeted, extra time for academics to improve student performance in weaker subjects.
The evaluation found students’ math scores, attendance, and general attitudes improved in comparison with those of their peers at local schools that did not expand learning time.
TASC, based in New York, received funding for the pilot from the Wallace Foundation, the Open Society Foundation, and the Ford Foundation. (Wallace also underwrites coverage of expanded learning in Education Week.)
