Why Is It Better To Year Round School

Words: 1309
Pages: 6

Yes to Year-round Schooling Since the beginning of the American school system, students have gone to school for nine months and been on a break for the other three: a traditional school calendar. However, many European countries have switched to a year-round calendar that has several longer breaks spread throughout the year. But what is truly better for the students year-round schooling or traditional schooling? Although many people believe frequent breaks disrupt learning, year-round schooling is the better option because students are less stressed, more engaged, retain more, and perform better academically. The frequent breaks do not disrupt learning; instead, they relieve students’ stress created by school. For instance, students in a year-round school system either use the 45-15 system where students go to school for 45 days and then break for 15 or the 60-20 system where students are in school for 60 days and then break for 20 (Huebner 84). Some schools even use the Orchard Plan which has students in school for 60 days then out for 15. Orchard plan students also get two weeks off for winter break, …show more content…
On standardized tests, year-round schools almost always have the same or higher scores than traditional schools. “Subsequent international comparative investigations, such as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (Martin, Mullis, Gonzales, Smith, & Kelly, 1999), have shown that countries in which students spend more days in school and more time during the day on mathematics and science instruction demonstrate higher achievement in those subjects” (McMillen 67). Since most standardized tests focus mainly on mathematics, science, and english it makes sense that students who spend more time on those subjects score higher on the tests. Therefore, year-round students outscore their peers in traditional schools on standardized