Year-Round vs. Traditional Schedule Schooling

Year-Round vs. Traditional Schedule Schooling
Year-round school is a new concept that school districts around the country are starting to adapt. These new schedules include periodic breaks throughout the year rather than a large summer break like the traditional school schedules. Administrations are starting to consider this new type of curriculum because they believe the breaks will boost energy and motivation in school as well as improve test scores. Critics of the new schedule often argue that attending school year round will wear students out and take away the vast opportunities offered by the summer break. A year-round curriculum does not have a beneficial effect on student and teacher performance.
There is no conclusion associated with year-round schooling affecting students’ academic performance in a positive way. Various studies have been performed, but they all prove to offer opposing results which causes inconclusive data. A study done about the learning loss “shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer”(Primer).
However, a number of recent studies have found no significant connection between year-round schooling and improved student achievement. For example, a review of 39 studies found that modified school calendars have a very small, insignificant, effect on achievement (Cooper, et al., 2003).
Topic Sentence 2: Whether it be year-round or traditional school, students will have about the same attitude.
More motivated: 23%
Less Motivated:77%
(from our surveys)
For both teachers and students, the shorter but more frequent breaks will "give them some kind of relief and (allow them to) come back more invigorated," he said.(Johnson).
Topic Sentence 3: Teachers also show no beneficial effects to year-round schooling over traditional schooling.
Silk said that under the traditional calendar, it took six weeks of reviewing the previous year's lessons just to get her students back up to speed (Johnson).
Many teachers choose the profession because it offers a schedule that works for the rest of their lives. Teachers not only value afternoon hours and summer months to spend with and care for their own children, but also rely on this time to take professional-development courses (Silva).
Topic Sentence 4: Although some people think that renewed energy from teachers and students as well as better test scores are associated with year-round school, there is a weak correlation.
Proponents and opponents both point to research to support their respective views. The research, however, is spotty and often poorly designed (Year-Round Schooling).