School Schedules

Start times. Snow days. Year-round schooling. Block scheduling. Four-day weeks. Get research and insights into school calendars

Explainer

year round explainer
Year-Round Schooling Explained
Get the facts about year-round schooling, including pros and cons, statistics, and key definitions.
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Crossing guard Pamela Lane waves at a school bus passing her intersection as she crosses students going to Bluford Elementary School on Sept. 5, 2023, in Philadelphia.
Crossing guard Pamela Lane waves at a school bus passing her intersection near Bluford Elementary School on Sept. 5, 2023, in Philadelphia.
Alejandro A. Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP
School & District Management What's Stopping Later School Start Times That Support Teen Sleep? Bus Schedules, for One
See practical strategies for districts looking to move start times to accommodate teen sleep schedules.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 28, 2023
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5 min read
Illustration of a woman sitting on the rim on a large magnifying glass which shows a web search page. Floating around the woman are the terms and phrases: High-Dose tutoring, Accelerated Learning, and Learning Loss vs. Recovery.
DigitalVision Vectors
Student Achievement Academic Recovery: Terms to Know
A primer on what educators should know about the most common interventions for academic recovery.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 25, 2023
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6 min read
Students wrap up their lunch break at Lowell Elementary School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Aug. 22, 2023. Several states are making school breakfasts and lunches permanently free to all students starting this academic year, regardless of family income, and congressional supporters of universal school meals have launched a fresh attempt to extend free meals for all kids nationwide.
Students wrap up their lunch break at Lowell Elementary School in Albuquerque, N.M., on Aug. 22, 2023. Several states are making school breakfasts and lunches permanently free to all students starting this academic year, regardless of family income, and congressional supporters of universal school meals have launched a fresh attempt to extend free meals for all kids nationwide.
Susan Montoya Bryan/AP
Student Well-Being What the Research Says Teachers Say Students Don’t Have Enough Time to Eat Lunch. Here’s How to Change That
The vast majority of teachers warn their students don’t have enough time to actually eat their food.
Sarah D. Sparks & Arianna Prothero, September 20, 2023
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7 min read
Staff at Forest Hill Elementary School in Harford County, Md., welcomed students back to school on Aug. 28, 2023.
Staff at Forest Hill Elementary School in Harford County, Md., welcomed students back to school on Aug. 28, 2023.
Lloyd Fox/The Baltimore Sun via TNS
School & District Management Why Does the Start of the School Year Vary So Much?
Decisions around school start dates don't necessarily prioritize student learning.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 1, 2023
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4 min read
Kindergarten students explore various activity centers in their classroom at Capital City Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., on April 4, 2017.
Kindergarten students explore various activity centers in their classroom at Capital City Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., on April 4, 2017. Four-day school weeks raise questions for families on how to care for their youngest children when schools are closed on work days.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
School & District Management 4-Day School Weeks Are Gaining Support. What Do Educators Have to Say?
The four-day school week is rising in popularity.
Caitlyn Meisner, August 29, 2023
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5 min read
Teaching assistant Leonardo Baker, right, greets students arriving at Franklin High School on Dec. 12, 2018, in Seattle. High school students are getting more sleep in Seattle, according to a study on later school start times. Teenagers at Franklin and another Seattle high school wore activity monitors to discover whether a later start to the school day would help them get more sleep. It did, adding 34 minutes of slumber a night, and they reported less daytime sleepiness and grades improved.
Teaching assistant Leonardo Baker, right, greets students arriving at Franklin High School on Dec. 12, 2018, in Seattle, where students start school later in the morning.
Elaine Thompson/AP
Student Well-Being Should Teens Start School Later? Educators Have Strong Feelings
Some love it. Others say it's logistically impossible.
Caitlyn Meisner, August 25, 2023
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5 min read
School entrance with a flag in background.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management 4-Day School Weeks Surge in Popularity Among American Adults
A majority of U.S. adults support 4-day school weeks and paying teachers more, according to a key poll on public attitudes toward schools.
Arianna Prothero, August 24, 2023
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3 min read
Photo of teenage boy turning off alarm clock
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Student Well-Being Teens Need to Start School Later. No More Excuses, Experts Say
These two large school systems shifted to later start times for secondary schools and they say your district can, too.
Elizabeth Heubeck, August 15, 2023
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4 min read
Teacher at a desk helping an elementary girl with her work.
E+/Getty
Student Achievement This School Bet on High-Dosage Tutoring. It’s Working
Here's how the school, which drew on student input to shape its program, solved thorny issues like class size and scheduling.
Denisa R. Superville, June 12, 2023
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6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School & District Management Opinion Don’t Bewail Summer Vacation for Students, Rethink It
Students experience summer vacation differently, depending on family resources. We should rethink the tradition with that in mind.
Rick Hess, June 5, 2023
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2 min read
Photo of Middle school students getting lunch items in cafeteria line.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Student Well-Being Are Lunch Periods Too Short? Some States Want to Give Kids More Time to Eat
Students are losing out on nutrition and schools are wasting food.
Arianna Prothero, April 25, 2023
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3 min read
Illustration of calendar on teacher's desk with days falling off.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week and iStock/Getty images
School & District Management What the Research Says 4 Studies to Know on 4-Day School Weeks
Recent studies raise questions about the usefulness of shortened school weeks.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 14, 2023
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6 min read
Photo of calendar.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
School & District Management What Happened When One of the First Large School Districts Adopted a Four-Day Week
New research on a large district's adoption of the 4-day week shows drops in home values, teacher retention, and achievement.
Caitlynn Peetz, February 13, 2023
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5 min read
teacher tutor student librarian 1137620335
SDI Productions/E+
Student Achievement What the Research Says The State of School Tutoring, in Charts
Only 1 in 10 students is receiving intensive tutoring supports.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 9, 2023
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2 min read
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