Instructional Time

Students raise their hands in Lindsey Wuest's Science As Art class at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Fla., Tuesday, April 16, 2024. When teachers at the K-8 public school, one of the top-performing schools in Florida, are asked how they succeed, one answer is universal: They have autonomy.
Students raise their hands in Lindsey Wuest's Science As Art class at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Fla., on April 16, 2024. Florida is one of 32 states that requires at least 180 days of instruction per school year. Instructional time requirements vary by state, ranging from 160 days in Colorado to 186 days in Kansas.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
States How Much Time Do Students Spend in School? It Depends on the State
State laws vary from 160 to 186 required school days per year.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Maya Riser-Kositsky, October 27, 2026
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1 min read
Stopwatch increase Math time 60 min early math foundation
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
Mathematics States Call for More Time on Math. Schools Struggle to Shift Their Schedules
A growing number of states have mandated schools spend at least 60 minutes a day on math instruction.
Evie Blad, October 23, 2026
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5 min read
ESOL teacher Anna Kyle assisting tenth grader Welhore Wendela Noah in algebra one class at Annandale High School on April 08, 2026 in Annandale, Virginia. Various approaches include group work, community building, and academic literacy. Materials are created collaboratively, including digital activities (e.g. Kahoot) with writing and speaking assessments. The team tracks progress using standards-based grading and a running spreadsheet. Teachers emphasize vocabulary skills, interactive notebooks, and scaffolds to support language learners. The success of multilingual learners is monitored through test data and reassessments, ensuring students understand their mastery of standards.
English for Speakers of Other Languages teacher Anna Kyle assists 10th grader Welhore Wendela Noah in algebra at Annandale High School on April 8, 2026 in Annandale, Va. More schools are devising ways to help students who struggle in math catch up without taking them out of grade-level classes.
Marvin Joseph for Education Week
Mathematics Supporting Struggling Math Students Means Building Their Number Sense—and Confidence
Two models schools use to help students learn new material—and shore up gaps at the same time.
Sarah Schwartz, May 6, 2026
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4 min read
Preschool students run on the new cushioned rubber surface while others use the double slide at Taft Early Learning Center in Uxbridge, Mass., on March 12, 2025.
Preschool students run on the new cushioned rubber surface while others use the double slide at Taft Early Learning Center in Uxbridge, Mass., on March 12, 2025. In Oklahoma, elementary schools will have to provide 40 minutes of recess daily starting this fall.
Brett Phelps for Education Week
Student Well-Being & Movement 40 Minutes of Recess Is Now the Law in This State
Elementary schools will have to provide 40 minutes of recess, after years of declining time nationwide.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, April 30, 2026
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3 min read
A teacher and rising kindergarten students at Vose Elementary in Beaverton during story time on April 16, 2026. Gov. Tina Kotek asked the State Board of Education on Thursday to prohibit school districts from using student-contact days as furlough days to balance budgets, in order to preserve instructional time.
Story time in a kindergarten class at Vose Elementary School in Beaverton, Ore., on April 16, 2026. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has issued an executive order in hopes of blocking any further erosion of instructional time in a state that has one of the shortest school years in the country.
Mark Graves/The Oregonian via TNS
States A State With a Short School Year Wants to Stop the 'Bleeding' of Classroom Time
A new order aims to discourage districts from reducing instructional hours to fill budget gaps.
Mark Walsh, April 17, 2026
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4 min read
Students in Anjanette McNeely's class work on their letters during a reading block at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
What's the best way to attend to all the elements of the 'science of reading' in a literacy block? Research doesn't specify a specific answer, but kindergarten teacher Anjanette McNeely has designed hers to incorporate foundational skills, content, and writing. McNeely's class works on their letters at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
Niki Chan Wylie for Education Week
Reading & Literacy How to Build a Reading Block: Two Teachers Share Their Approaches
Studies don't prescribe how best to knit together components of reading—leaving it up to teachers to devise.
Sarah Schwartz, December 8, 2025
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7 min read
Flat vibrant vector illustration depicting science education and learning concept. Illustration is showing different ways of learning: listening, watching, observing, exploring, experimenting, asking questions, talking and communicating, reading, drawing, and writing. The female teacher is placed on the right side and there are also two pupils each one representing different theme; one girl asking question and learning by listening and a boy holding a hand up to answer a question.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Science Opinion Science Scores Are Down. But We Know What Would Improve Them
The when, where, and how of science instruction needs rethinking.
Emma Banay, Christine Cunningham & James Ryan, October 9, 2025
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4 min read
Kids climbing a pile of books to a higher reading level. Concept vector about education, literacy, and self development.
iStock/Getty Images
Reading & Literacy Opinion Small-Group Reading Instruction Is Not as Effective as You Think
We’re missing out on a golden opportunity—one that could effectively triple literacy instruction overnight.
Mike Schmoker & Timothy Shanahan, September 26, 2025
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5 min read
Illustration of clock with math and science symbols.
Chris Whetzel for Education Week<br/>
Curriculum Middle Schools Often Prioritize English and Math Over Other Subjects. Should They?
An Illinois district is equalizing time across the four major content areas. But the decision comes with trade-offs.
Sarah Schwartz, June 11, 2025
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5 min read
A teacher teaches the Korean alphabet to kindergarten and first-grade students in a dual-language immersion class.
A teacher teaches the Korean alphabet to kindergarten and first-grade students in a dual-language immersion class.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
School & District Management How 2 School Leaders Limited Distractions and Carved Out More Time for Learning
They removed extra responsibilities from teachers' days and carved out a dedicated academic intervention time.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 26, 2025
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3 min read
Diverse elementary students reading in the classroom
iStock/Getty Images
School & District Management Q&A This City Can Claim a NAEP Distinction No Other City Can. Here's What Happened
While American students saw another decline in 4th grade reading scores on the Nation's Report Card, this city was an exception.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, February 10, 2025
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6 min read
Image of a clock on supplies.
Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva<br/>
School & District Management Classroom Interruptions Add Up Quickly to Lost Learning Time
During a typical school year, teachers contend with potentially thousands of interruptions to classroom time.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Laura Baker, January 13, 2025
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3 min read
Image of someone working on a calendar.
Chainarong Prasertthai/iStock/Getty
States Which States Require the Most—and Least—Instructional Time? Find Out
There's no national policy dictating how much time students must attend classes each year. That leads to wide variation by state.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Francis Sheehan, December 9, 2024
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2 min read
Photo of classroom clock.
Design Pics / Getty Images Plus
School & District Management The 3 Reasons Why Students Lose the Most Instructional Time
States vary widely in how much instructional time they require, creating disparities that are only exacerbated by common interruptions.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, December 2, 2024
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6 min read