School & District Management

Earlier School Times Don’t Hurt Elementary Students’ Learning, Research Shows

By Caitlynn Peetz — October 13, 2022 3 min read
Image of an alarm clock.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Starting classes earlier in the day doesn’t negatively affect elementary school students’ academic performance, which could be another incentive for some districts that need to stagger start times to delay school start times for secondary students, according to new research.

In a pair of studies, released Thursday by the American Educational Research Association, researchers determined that beginning the school day earlier had “near-zero effects” on the youngest learners. The earlier times were linked to a small increase in absences, but they also appeared to lead to “modestly higher” math scores, particularly among traditionally disadvantaged students.

The findings for elementary students differ from similar research for middle and high school students that generally supports later start times. That research concludes that earlier start times lead to too little sleep for students—and poorer academic outcomes.

Older students need at least 8.5 hours of sleep, but adolescents’ sleep-wake cycle makes it difficult for them to fall asleep before 11 p.m. and wake before 8 a.m., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research on later start times for secondary students has shown they are absent less often and generally earn higher grades.

In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that middle schools start their days no earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

“Earlier start times really have the least consequences and make the most sense at the elementary school level,” said Kevin Bastian, the director of the Education Policy Initiative at Carolina (EPIC) at the University of North Carolina. He co-authored the report with Sarah Fuller, a research associate professor in UNC’s department of public policy and at EPIC.

What the new findings mean for district leaders

Bastian said while much research exists about the impact of start times on secondary students, little has been done to examine how different times affect younger students.

“If schools are staggering their schedules, that means somebody has to go first, and that’s often elementary, but there’s not a lot of evidence out there about whether, in fact, that actually is also good,” he said. “So what we wanted to figure out was to what extent are elementary outcomes related to start times as well.”

For the studies, the researchers analyzed test scores and other data against schools’ start times. One study in the pair published Thursday examined all public, nonpublic, and charter schools in North Carolina from 2011 through 2017. Researchers paired that with a deep dive of one district in the state that changed its school start times in 2016.

The researchers controlled for measures like students’ race and ethnicity, poverty level, and whether they were still learning English or received special education services, as well as various school characteristics.

The findings have distinct implications for district leaders, who often have to stagger school day start times across levels due to transportation restraints or other logistical reasons. They indicate that beginning elementary students’ day earlier to accommodate later secondary start times could be the most beneficial.

As districts across the country seek ways to support students’ academic success, many have turned to their class schedules. Some states have gotten in on the action, too. A new California law in effect this year aligns with the AAP recommendations from 2014, and mandates that middle schools begin their days at 8 a.m. or later and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

Still, adjusting school start times can be a thorny process for superintendents and school boards. It’s often met with resistance from both staff and parents, who have to adjust schedules to accommodate. In some situations, the change also means renegotiating teachers’ contracts.

And it can be difficult to maneuver logistically, as districts reconfigure bus routes, bell schedules, and extracurriculars.

Bastian said researchers should next study the impact of start times on teachers and other staff members, who may be affected differently than students.

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Social-Emotional Learning 2025: Examining Priorities and Practices
Join this free virtual event to learn about SEL strategies, skills, and to hear from experts on the use and expansion of SEL programs.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management What Latino Superintendents Say It Will Take to Grow Their Ranks
Three Latino superintendents talked about the direct and indirect paths to building a pipeline of future district leaders of color.
4 min read
Vector image of many professionals, diversity, highlighting hispanic.
Liz Yap/Education Week and iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion Your School Needs a Teacher-Mentorship Program
We all know how critical the first few years of teaching are. Here's how to set teachers up for success.
Pamela Slifer
4 min read
Mentorship development of young teachers. School leaders make the teaching profession more sustainable by developing a robust mentoring program in their school.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management School Leaders Rush to Manage Deportation Fears
School and district leaders describe a chaotic time amid changes to federal immigration policies.
9 min read
A line of school children with obscured faces board a school bus on their way to school.
E+/Getty
School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About The Superintendent Persona?
The superintendent plays a crucial role in purchasing decisions. Test your knowledge of this key buyer persona and see how your results stack up with your peers.