Questions asked about the four-day schedule…

            Answers gleaned from reading research and reporting from other schools, organizations and states.

Public forum questions:

Do those students who have a hard time sitting still have a more difficult time with the four-day schedule because of the increased length of class time?

            Behavior referrals go down in schools that adopt the four day week, and overall behavior improves.

How well have special needs students adapted in those schools that have made the change to the 4-day week?

            I can’t find any research that says anything conclusive about special needs students, probably because each student has an individual set of needs, an IEP and a specific plan just for that student. It is very difficult to make broad statements about special needs students.

Parent of severely disabled students need respite care on Fridays, and that is currently provided by the school. How will that be addressed?

            I can’t find any precedent in the research for meeting the needs of this population, and I have looked…

How would the schedule change affect the number of contacts per week, particularly in MS choir and music? Because of the need for repetition in order to reach mastery, the idea of fewer contacts per week is a concern.

            The research indicates that music teachers have this concern often, and that it is a valid concern.  However, music teachers also report appreciation of the extended class periods and of less time overall spent on setting up and taking down instruments.

            Another factor, unfortunately, is that in districts that are faced with fewer dollars and required cuts, the fine arts are often the first programs to be cut. This change in schedule is one way to maintain what we have without cutting teachers or programs.

            There are creative ways to schedule MS electives, and usually there is a meeting with MS elective teachers to work out a schedule that best meets everyone’s needs.

How would the teacher’s preparation time in the elementary be affected?

            Teachers in the elementary currently do their preparation for classes before school, during some recesses and after school. There would be more recess time on the extended day schedule, but fewer minutes before and after school, so preparation time might increase slightly, but not by much.

Will teachers take a cut in pay?

            No. The teachers’ work load remains the same, as does their salary.

Will after-school programs, particularly in the MS, still be in effect?

            Yes. There has been no mention of changing the after school program.

If teachers have students come in for extra help on Fridays:

            *will that be monitored by administration?

            The administrators will ask teachers to record and submit records of those students who come in on Fridays for extra help. If that becomes a problem, the administration will look at developing a policy for it.

            *how will students get to school?

            Students who depend on bus transportation would not be able to come to school on  Friday for additional help. Those students would have to come in before school or after school in the same manner they do on the standard schedule currently in place.

            *will teachers be paid extra for Friday tutoring?

            No. It wouldn’t be mandatory, covered by a contract or directed by the administration. Some teachers currently meet outside the school day with students, and some don’t. It is the choice of the individual teacher.

How will the longer days affect those students who both struggle academically and play sports?

            The research deals with trends and compilations of numbers, so there isn’t much information out there about how any one individual might be affected.  The overall trends show increased test scores, improved attendance and fewer discipline referrals, but it just doesn’t make sense that those trends are representative of every individual.

Will student/teacher contact time for athletes be improved next year if Whitehall adopts the four-day week?

            Yes, but not as much as it will improve in future years.  Every sports-related Friday absence would no longer be an absence, so basketball, football, volleyball, tennis and track athletes would regain some time, and wrestlers would regain ALL their absences. In future years, we can request more games on Fridays, and increase the numbers of reclaimed athlete absences.

            More class B schools are looking at making this schedule change, and the more schools that switch, the more games will be scheduled on Fridays.

Has the district looked at adding a week to the calendar and not lengthening the day by as much?

            Yes, but the longer the calendar, the more we spend, and the primary motive for changing the schedule is to maximize savings while continuing to deliver effective education. The bell schedule we are looking at is one of the less extreme extensions of the day—some schools have added 1.5 hours to each day and shortened their calendar even more than the 1 hour extension we are considering.

What about full day kindergarten?

            This is not the forum for that discussion J If the state makes a decision in favor of funding full-day kindergarten, Whitehall will begin discussion about that with staff and community. IF Whitehall adopted a full-day kindergarten after much discussion and debate, then those students would probabaly operate on the same day-length as the rest of the school, because they would use the same busses.

Are students with long bus rides also benefiting from the extended day?

            I haven’t seen a study that breaks down academic results in terms of bus-ride length. I do know that the majority of schools adopting the four-day week are rural, and rural districts and long bus rides go hand in hand.

In the MS and HS, will teachers simply pile on the homework Thursday night in order to make up for the “missed” Friday?

            No. Teachers will have to slightly adapt their curriculum in order to take advantage of the extended class periods. Weekend homework levels shouldn’t be much greater than they are presently.

Can you add the research links to the website?

            Yes, there is a whole page of links to research—look at the menu to left of the main window or click here. Or if you want to do your own research, just google "four-day school week." There is a huge amount of information out there.