Continuous Year Calendar (Summary of the Research)

The school district we work for is in the process of planning the school calendar for next year. One question that has been raised is can we gain an advantage for our students by starting earlier and taking shorter breaks? We took a look at the available evidence evidence. First, we looked at reports from other school districts. Second, we looked at the data from a three year experiment in our district. In this entry we will examine the research from other districts. This research was compiled by my colleague John Albright.

What Happens to Summer Learning in Year-Round School? Paul T. von Hippel, Ohio State University, submitted to Sociology of Education, October 2006.

This is the latest, and most comprehensive, study regarding the academic impact of year-round school calendars. It compares learning rates in year-round and nine-month schools. In the introductory abstract for the study, Mr. von Hippel summarizes the overall findings:

During summer, children learn more quickly in year-round schools than in nine-month schools, but during the rest of the year, children learn more quickly in nine-month schools. On balance, over a twelve month period, children learn about as much in year-round schools as in schools using a nine-month calendar. The results fit the view that summer setback is a symptom of disadvantages in children’s non-school environments – disadvantages that cannot be eliminated merely by rearranging the 180 days of the academic year.

The study also points out that 40% of year-round schools use the calendar as a way to alleviate overcrowding. They do this through multi-tracking, which means that different groups of students attend the school at different sessions throughout the year on a staggered schedule.

…there is little in the sociology of education to suggest that year-round calendars can remedy the disadvantages apparent during summer vacation. If summer setback is a symptom of deficiencies of children’s non-school environments (Downey, von Hippel, and Broh 2004), then year-round calendars do not really address the problem. Year-round calendars do not increase the time that children spend in school, nor do they increase the academic stimulation of children’s non-school environments.

You might ask, “What about past research that shows a positive academic impact for disadvantaged students?” The OSU study clearly addresses this. Prior to this study, no study specifically addressed summer learning in year-round schools. Von Hippel suggests that the results of past studies “should be viewed skeptically. The published literature is often biased toward showing that reforms have benefits, because research showing no benefits is harder to publish (Gerber, Green & Nickerson 2000; Gerber & Malhotra 2006).

While there might be some positive achievement impact cited in prior studies, research does not support that calendar is the direct reason for the positive change in student achievement.



Year-Round Education: Is it Worth the Hassle? British Columbia Teachers’ Federation, written by Charlie Naylor, Researcher, BCTF Research and Technology Division, 1996.

The report is a response to the implementation of a year-round school pilot program in British Columbia. The summary finds that:

After two years of participation in the pilots and detailed analysis of the literature, we say with some confidence that year- round education is not worth the hassle -- the problems associated with it are greater than any benefits.

Additionally, the report cites specific reasons for opposing year-round schooling:
* The motivation for year-round education, or efficiency scheduling, is economic, not educational. Neither year-round education nor other 'efficiency schedules' significantly improve student learning.
* Academic achievement is rarely improved by year-round schools.
* There is no consensus regarding cost effectiveness of single-track or multi-track schools.

Dual calendars appear inefficient, as the economies of scale realized with a single organizational system are lost. Data show that communication and professional development are also problematic in the multi-track systems, with teachers being on different tracks. But such problems could also occur with single-track schools, especially where a few schools are on such schedules.



Student Achievement in Year Round Schools, Status Report, Denver Public Schools Office of Program Evaluation, March 2003.

DPS compared student achievement from traditional calendar schools to that of their year round schools. The study found that the comparison of CSAP data shows that “year round students…achieved at a significantly higher level than their peers in traditional calendar schools in three out of twelve tests administered.” It continues to state that year round students “are not consistently out-performing their peers in traditional calendar schools.” This brief report also suggests that the additional cost of operating multiple calendars was a consideration for discontinuing year round schooling in DPS.

Intro to evidence based thinking

Just a quick link to an article on evidence based gardening  http://slate.com/id/2205576/. Yes, gardening. I think there are some real direct parallels to our work in education, especially regarding how money can be and often is spent on things that sound good but are not supported by evidence (or even contraindicated).  This article provides a good simple introduction to the idea of evidence based decision making, and may be a good starting point for a conversation.

Evidence-Based Education

In a recent opinion piece in the New York Times Billy Beane (General Manager of the Oakland A's), Newt Gingrich (former US Representative), and John Kerry (US Senator) argued for a health care system that is based on evidence. A system that does not strip doctors of their authority to make decisions or replace their expertise, but rather uses data to complement the doctor's experience with a data-driven approach that identifies quality care and lowers costs.

The education system need not act like "a hidebound, tradition-based ball club...pay too much and get too little in return" as Beane and others stated. Instead, education needs a data-driven system like Beane has adopted for the A's. A system that encourages teacher creativity, but ensures that practices are supported by evidence.

This blog will explore a variety of topics including, evidence-based education, performance management, and selected other topics related to research and development in education.