Teacher Practical Guidance:

Modifying School Calendar

Category: External

Rank Order

82

Effect Size

0.11

Achievement Gain %

4

How-To Strategies

For Schools Maintaining Traditional  School Calendar (w/Summer Vacation) Try These Strategies:

  • Engage in diagnosis at end of the school year to identify students most at risk-of learning loss

 

  • Provide support during summer in math and reading but provided using evidence-based approaches

 

  • Enrichment opportunities, project based learning, and outdoor adventure programs show positive growth for students and may be more effective than academic remediation

 

  • Opportunities for support and enrichment are equally if not more important for students in MS and HS

 

 

 

Summer Vacation Effect Size Data:

  • On average 1/2 of students lose some learning gains over summer (students from low SES environments)

 

  • The average loss of achievement gains over the summer is (-0.09, 2%)

 

  • Unfortunately, these learning losses tend to accumulate over time

 

  • Loss was slightly higher in math (-0.13, 5%) than in reading and language (-0.05, 1%)

 

  • The other 1/2 of students exhibit learning gains (students from higher SES environments)

 

  • No differences by gender or race

 

  • Summer negative effects increased with grade level

 

  • School calendar is less important than what you do with your time in school

 

  • Time examples: Finland (900 hours yearly); US (1224 hours yearly); South Korea (1600 hours yearly)

 

  • There is little relation between hours of school and international test (PISA) rankings

How-To Resources

 

References

LinkAtteberry, A., & McEachin, A. (2012). School’s out: The role of summers in understanding achievement disparities. American Educational Research Journal, 58(2)

 

Cooper, Valentine, Charlton, & Melson. (2003). The effects of modified school calendars on student achievement and on school and community attitudes. Review of Educational Research.

 

Fitzpatrick, D., Burns, J. (2019). Single-track year-round education for improving academic achievement in US K-12 schools: Results of a meta-analysis. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 15(3). Link

 

Hattie, J. (2023). Visible learning: The sequel. Routledge.

 

Pattall, E., et al (2010). Extending the school day or school year: A systematic review of the research (1985-2009). Review of Educational Research, 80(3).

Modifying School Calendar 

DEFINITION

This includes changing the school terms, semesters, vacation times, times of day for starting and closing school, block scheduling or various time spans for classes.

 

DATA

  • 2 meta-analysis reviews

  • 77 research studies

  • 44,000 students in research

  • 3 Confidence level. Hattie (2023) p.155

QUOTES

 “A year-round school calendar with shortened summer breaks but similar number of school days were slightly more effective than longer summer breaks.” Fitzpatrick (2019)

 

“Given the length of time students already spend in the regular school year, maybe more attention to the efficiency and effectiveness of teaching during the school year might mitigate the summer slide.”  Hattie (2023) p. 163

 

“One of the most common emails I receive from school leaders is about changing the structure of the school timetable, vacation length, and the effects of adding more days to the school year. My answer: it does not greatly matter…it is what you do with the time you have that matters.”  Hattie (2023) p. 164