Year-Round School: The Best Thing since Sliced Bread.
by Elaine Warrick-Harris Teachers, I ask you two questions. How many of your students helped to harvest crops last year? And how many mothers of students in your classroom stayed at home? It is true that some communities still depend heavily on agriculture, but modern farming's sophistication is such that children no longer carry the responsibilities that they once did. Fewer family situations today include a stay-at-home mother. Most teachers would probably answer the above questions by saying "none" or "very few." Therefore, a reasonable follow-up question would be, "Why do we continue to organize learning schedules for students based on the agricultural practices of 100 years ago?" The outdated and agriculturally sensitive school calendar has other disadvantages. For example, vandalism to empty school buildings, especially over the summer months, is a growing problem. Students who have nothing to do during summer too often turn to mischief, or worse. On the other hand, Brekke (1984) and Ballinger (1987) indicate that schools operating on a year-round schedule have been able to reduce the incidence of vandalism and burglary. Year-Round Education (YRE) is an excellent solution to the problems of vandalism, loss of productive learning time and unsupervised children. The term "year-round" is actually misleading. Other more descriptive terms might be "continuous learning," "all-seasons learning" or even "four-seasons school." "Year-round school" is the term most frequently associated with the organizational system that uses the school facility during every season. The year-round school is not, however, an alternative curriculum for learning. Quinlan, George and Emmett (1987) define YRE as a reorganization of the school calendar into instructional blocks and vacations distributed across the calendar year to ensure continuous learning. The single-track schedule, for example, offers nine weeks of instruction followed by a three-week break. Traditional curriculum content continues to be used within the year-round schedule. Students' learning in a year-round school, however, can progress with less of an interruption during the summer months. Students retain more information during four short breaks than they would after the normal ten-week summer vacation. This continuity of instruction, along with remedial reviews offered during the breaks, helps reduce the number of students who must be retained in grade. In addition, the year-round schedule leads to less teacher stress and burnout. Rather than the feast-or-famine break schedule practiced by most schools, teachers benefit from a cycle of evenly spaced vacations. Parents, too, gain from YRE. Families have more options for arranging vacations and can enjoy off-season rates and less-crowded vacation sites. In addition, many working parents favor a YRE schedule because it provides them with an opportunity for child care most of the year. With so many benefits associated with YRE, it is logical to ask, "Why doesn't everyone have year-round school?" One School's Story Tradition is one reason why more schools have not adopted a year-round schedule. It is not easy to replace a practice that has been in place for decades with an alternative that could disrupt teachers' and parents' social and familial patterns. Usually, a change this drastic is associated with broader and potentially problematic circumstances. The initiation of YRE at Balfour Elementary School, in Asheboro, North Carolina, fits this description. Five years ago, Balfour Elementary School built in 1926, was representative of the small community school of long ago. The majority of the 312 students walked to school and only one bus was needed. By 1989, however, the school's enrollment and costs were both spiraling out of control. Essentially, the building was too old and too small. A successful school bond referendum enabled the Board of Education to fund construction of a spacious new school within a mile of the old structure. During the planning stage for the new school the system superintendent challenged Balfour's principal and staff to explore the concept of year-round education. They visited other year-round schools in North Carolina and read published research on YRE. One report in particular (Ballinger, Kirschembaum & Poimbeauf, 1987), had great impact as it indicated that the continued flow of learning engendered by YRE was beneficial to students at all levels. These researchers found that no year-round school had reported a drop in academic achievement; in fact, all showed a higher gain in academic scores when compared to schools following the August-June structure. It seemed apparent that this new schedule would benefit Balfour's students. The faculty voted to accept the year-round plan. After much exploration, discussion and debate, the Board of Education unanimously voted to offer the plan as an option. Part of the school would continue on the traditional August-June schedule, and an alternate path would be established for year-round school. Parents could choose from either option. Staffing After developing a clear concept of how the school would function, the next major task was to devise a staffing schedule for the year-round plan. Since faculty representatives had already visited year-round schools, read extensively on the topic and helped develop the reorganization plan, they were well aware of the new schedule's demands. They were asked to declare their scheduling preference - traditional or year-round. Some readily agreed to the 12-month schedule, some had conflicting family obligations and others were willing to teach under either pattern. Eventually, slots for each grade level were filled. Allowing the staff to study the organizational plan and choose whether they wanted to participate ensured successful implementation of the plan. The competitiveness that can occur when new practices and old systems operate simultaneously was kept at a minimum, helping everyone to feel some investment in the project. Community Support A committee of faculty members developed a plan for distributing information to help parents make informed choices. First, they wrote a series of articles for the local newspaper in which they explained the YRE plan. In addition, they printed and distributed flyers inviting parents to an informational meeting. At this well-attended session, the principal and central office staff gave an overview, and teachers and school board members supplied information gathered from their research and school visits. Advantages and disadvantages of the two systems were discussed, and parents were walked through a typical year-round calendar. After the presentations, the parents were divided into small discussion groups. A teacher, principal school board member or superintendent monitored each group discussion and answered questions. At the close of the session, parents were asked to respond to a survey about the new plan to show if they were interested, uncertain or preferred the traditional plan. The year-round plan would be implemented if at least 100 students could be enrolled. The initial level of interest fell short, but after releasing additional information and holding a second meeting we eventually received 175 applications. Asheboro's first year-round school was set. | |
Growth of Public Year-Round Education in the United States over a
Ten-Year Period
School Year States Districts Schools Students
1985-86 16 63 410 354,087
1986-87 14 69 408 362,669
1987-88 Data Not Collected
1988-89 16 95 494 428,961
1989-90 19 115 618 520,323
1990-91 22 152 859 733,660
1991-92 23 204 1,646 1,345,921
1992-93 26 301 2,017 1,567,920
1993-94 33 366 1,941 1,407,377
1994-95 35 414 2,214 1,640,929
| | Several factors led to the successful recruitment effort. First, the teachers played a central role. Parents trusted the teachers because they, too, would be affected by the new schedule, and would have to make as many adjustments as the students and parents. The teachers' endorsement gave the plan credence. Second, the involvement of the Board of Education and the Superintendent of Schools communicated high-level support for the project. Their participation helped alleviate parents' and teachers' concerns that the reorganization might fail due to the lack of administrative support. Third, by giving parents a choice, those who opted for the new plan had an investment in ensuring its success. The New School When the new Balfour Elementary School opened on July 13, 1992,154 students and eight classroom teachers followed the year-round schedule. Class sizes ranged from 19-26, and enrollment stayed constant throughout the year New students were placed in a traditional classroom unless they had previously attended another year-round school. This practice allowed them to meet the state's 180-day school attendance law. As with any new program, challenges arose, especially the first time we had to accommodate students from both programs in the same building. Blending 398 students on two different schedules was a real challenge. Suddenly, we had to be mindful of the two schools in all areas. For example, class pictures could not be taken before the traditional students arrived. The Southern Association Accreditation team could not visit when the year-round faculty was on their three-week break. Faculty from both systems learned to be very flexible. When the year-round students were away, for example, lunch schedules had to be changed. Another area of concern was teacher morale. The new year-round schedule often attracted media attention. To avoid unnecessary rivalry, the administration took extra steps to show all the teachers that their efforts were appreciated. Unique Qualities of the Plan The success of the year-round concept depended on the united effort of teachers, administrators and parents. But no matter how hard a group works, the effort will fail if the plan is not positive. Balfour's year-round concept succeeds because of the opportunities it offers to students and families. Some of the components of the year-round schedule that help make it successful follow: The Single-Track Calendar. School begins in mid-July and ends in early June. Throughout the year, students go to school for nine weeks and then have a three-week break. This is known as the 45-15 single track. Students still attend school for 180 days, but their vacations are paced more evenly than in the August-June system. This allows students to be monitored more closely throughout the entire year and keeps in place necessary support services. In addition, students have less time to forget concepts and skills. Child Care - Before and After School. Many of the school's students have two working parents. The school offers child care before and after school hours. A child care coordinator is available beginning at 6:30 a.m. and she oversees activities until the bell rings at 8:00 a.m. The cost is $2.00 per morning. The child care coordinator leaves the campus during the day, returns at 2:30 p.m. and continues until 6:00 p.m. After-school care includes a snack and the cost is $3.00 per child, per afternoon. Parents can choose the days they need the service and budget costs are minimized. Intersession - The Three-Week Break. After the nine weeks of academic classes, the year-round students have a three-week break called "intersession." They either spend the time with their families or take advantage of a structured program provided by the school. During the first week of intersession, child care is available from 6:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. (preregistration ensures adequate staff allocation). Lunch is available, as usual, at the regular price; children on free or reduced lunch programs continue to receive this benefit. During the second week of intersession, called Discovery Plus, children can participate in enrichment activities. Discovery Plus is available from 8:00 a.m. until noon. Early morning child care continues. Parents pay a $25.00 fee for five mornings of field trips, crafts and learning projects. At the end of the morning session, students are picked up by parents or remain in the school's child care program. Learning Plus is offered in the third week of intersession. Students who need help can receive academic remediation. Free bus transportation is provided and the program runs on a half-day schedule. The year-round teachers are offered the opportunity to teach in the Learning Plus program and receive additional pay for their participation. Other certified teachers are added as necessary. The Learning Plus program is financed with summer school funds appropriated by the state. Those who need remediation receive it every nine weeks, and thereby show improvement throughout the year. Even better, they do not have to wait for summer school to receive help. Consequently, they return to class better prepared than if they had been on vacation for ten weeks. The students appear to retain information better and take less time to readjust to the school routine. Charles Ballinger (1987) of the National Association for Year-Round Education explains, "Remediation can occur throughout the year by using more frequent vacation periods, rather than limiting it to summer school after nine months of failure and frustration." The three-week intersession can be credited for much of the program's wide acceptance. Everyone benefits! Children enjoy the positive social opportunities and the change of pace from the normal school routine. In addition, their confidence levels rise as they experience greater academic success when they return to school. Parents appreciate the high-quality activities and the availability of child care services during the three-week intersession vacation period. Teachers, too, benefit from the intersession. If they choose to teach during the Learning Plus week they earn extra income. But most of all, whether they teach in the intersession or not, they recognize the advantages of extra help for the children. Teachers taking advantage of the intersession break frequently use this time to develop course materials or relieve stress by taking a trip or relaxing at home. Possible Disadvantages of Year-Round Education We are creatures of habit and tradition. A great majority of parents, students and teachers have never known a school schedule other than the August-June agricultural one. Anything different represents a break in tradition and a disruption. Parents with older children who are not on the year-round schedule may have to deal with separate calendars for the school year. Most camps, and other organized recreational activities, are planned only for the summertime. Teachers who want to earn an advanced degree may be unable to attend college classes during the summer. Program Adjustments Charles Ballinger (1987) says that "Schools need to allow at least a year or two for people to get accustomed to the idea." After the program's initial year, Balfour did make adjustments in several areas, mostly by responding to the increased demand for enrollment. Parents from other schools within the system also began requesting a year-round schedule. In response, two additional elementary schools and one middle school began offering the plan. Now children from kindergarten through 8th grade are on a year-round schedule. All four schools participate in the three-week inter-session of Child Care, Discovery Plus and Learning Plus at one site. Growth. More states are offering year-round education. The figures on pages 283-285 indicate the growth of this education innovation. Conclusion I was reared on a farm in eastern North Carolina, one of five children who helped plant, cultivate and harvest corn, tobacco, cotton and watermelons. These crops were our livelihood and each member of the family worked long hours. School never began before Labor Day and was finished by late May. In the spring, my father instructed my brothers to leave school at noon and walk the dusty roads home to help with the planting. My mother worked in our home; her never-ending duties included planting, growing, harvesting and preserving vegetables and fruits to last our family the whole year. Our mother was always waiting for us when we came home at the end of the school day. These are warm memories of a family working together. But times have changed. Many children come home to an empty house and spend the summer days trying to find something to do. Social and academic pressures, too, are higher for today's children. One way for schools to respond to today's shift in societal structures and academic expectations is to implement Year-Round Education. Worthen and Zsiray (1994) summarize the important educational implications of the year-round program. They state that a year-round schedule has much to offer students. Nevertheless, they advise educators to advance "carefully, competently, and compassionately." Based on my research and three years' experience with the year-round school, I heartily agree with both points. All in favor of year-round education, say "Aye." References Ballinger, C. E., Kirschembaum, N., & Poimbeauf, R. P. (1987). The various year-round plans. In The year-round school: Where learning never stops (pp. 16-24) (Fastback 259). Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa. Ballinger, C. (1987). Unleashing the school calendar. Thrust for Educational Leadership, 16(4), 16-18. Ballinger, C. (1988). Rethinking the school calendar. Educational Leadership, 45(5), 57-61. Brekke, N. R. (1984). Year-round education: Cost saving and educationally effective. ERS Spectrum, 2(3), 25-30. Quinlan, C., George, C., & Emmett, T. (1987). Year-round education: Year-round opportunities: A study of year-round education in California. Sacramento, CA: California State Department of Education. Thomas, J. B. (1991). Year-round schools: How a new calendar would change life for your kids. Better Homes and Gardens, 69(12), 36. Worthen, B. R., & Zsiray, S. W. (1994). What twenty years of educational studies reveal about year-round education. Chapel Hill, NC: NC Education Policy Research Center, The University of North Carolina. Additional Readings on Year-Round Education Archibald, R. S. (1992). The president's message. The Year-Rounder, p. 1 (Available from National Association for Year-Round Education, P.O. Box 11386, San Diego CA 92171-1386) Forte, L. (1994). Going year-round. The Education Digest, 59(9), 7-9. Glines, D. (1992). Year-round education: What lies ahead? Thrust for Educational Leadership, 21(6), 19-21. Gregory, S. S. (1994). Everyone into the school. Time, 144(5), 48-49. Grotjohn, D. K., & Banks, K. (1993, April). An evaluation synthesis: Year-round schools and achievement. Paper presented at the 1993 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Atlanta, GA. National Association for Year-Round Education. (1992). Nineteenth reference directory of year-round education programs for the 1992-93 school year. San Diego, CA: Author. Shuster, T., & Rodger, P. L. (1992). Concerning year-round education: A final report of an evaluative survey. Logan, UT: Department of Psychology, Utah State University. White, W.D. (1993, February). Year-round education from start to finish. Paper presented at the annual conference of the National Association for Year-Round Education, Las Vegas, NV. For more information, write: National Association for Year-Round Education, P.O. Box 711386, San Diego CA 92171-1386, or call 619-276-5296. Elaine Warrick-Harris presents at educational conferences, speaks to school board members, college classes and parent groups. She may be contacted at Balfour School at 910-672-0322 in Asheboro, NC. She is also a member of the ACEI Executive Board. Elaine Warrick-Harris is Assistant Principal/Year-Round Coordinator, Balfour Elementary School, Asheboro, North Carolina. |
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