Starting the high school day a little later is associated with higher rates of attendance and ultimately graduation, finds a study in the April issue of the journal Sleep Health.
Central Connecticut State University researchers compared graduation and attendance rates for 30,000 high school students enrolled in 29 high schools across seven states, one year before they implemented a start time after 8:30 a.m. and two years after the schedule change.
The average graduation rate rose from 79 percent to 88 percent. The average attendance rate rose from 90 percent to 94 percent.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that middle and high school start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. to better align with adolescents’ natural body rhythms.
