Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 14, 1994 TAG: 9405160143
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Most high schools in Western Virginia have a similar schedule. The opening and closing times vary among school divisions, but students spend about the same length of time in classes.
But at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, students don't go home until 4 p.m. The school day lasts seven hours and 30 minutes.
A federal commission has recommended a longer school day so students can spend more time on core academic subjects such as English, math, science, history and civics.
Among educators, there seems to be little disagreement about the benefits of a longer school day. They say students would perform better in the core subjects and be better prepared to compete in the global economy.
They say, however, that students and parents would have to adopt a new attitude about schools and make education their top priority.
James Jones, president of the state Board of Education, said he agrees with the thrust of the recent report by the National Education Commission on Time and Learning.
"We do need to spend more time on the core subjects," Jones said. "I'm convinced that we need to do that if we are going to remain competitive with Japan and other countries.''
The federal commission said American students spend less than half the time on core subjects that their counterparts in some other countries spend. In Japan, for example, children attend school six days a week.
But the impact of a longer school day, week or year would be felt outside the classroom, too.
"You would run into conflicts with many activities after school - recreational activities, dance lessons, music lessons and others," said Deanna Gordon, who will become Roanoke County's school superintendent when Bayes Wilson retires this summer.
"There are issues that would have to be explored before any decision to extend the school day," Gordon said.
Roanoke School Superintendent Wayne Harris said there is no question that a longer day would improve students' performance in the core subjects.
But Harris said he's not ready to recommend a longer day.
Roanoke already follows one of the commission's recommendations: block schedules that permit longer periods during the day.
Many schools have seven 50-minute periods a day. The federal commission recommended that school divisions switch to block schedules, in which two or more consecutive periods are combined for teaching a difficult subject.
In Roanoke high schools, the day is divided into three periods that last one hour and 45 minutes each. The schedule alternates, so students have three subjects one day and three other subjects the next.
Harris said block schedules have worked well and have enabled teachers to spend more time on complex issues.
Roanoke County is studying switching to a block schedule. The county now has a traditional seven-period day.
The state Board of Education has explored the possibility of a longer day, but a report showed it would be expensive.
Jones said he expects the board to look again at the issue.
The state Department of Education believes local school divisions should make the decision on a longer day.
Jim Foudriat, public relations coordinator for the state agency, said school divisions have the authority to extend the school day.
The department will not take a position on the issue, he said.
The state requires the school day to last at least five hours and 30 minutes, excluding lunch or recess. Gym classes and other activities count toward the total time.
The federal commission said that adding time alone won't bring American students up to world-class standards. Educators need to use the added time in new and different ways, the report said.
The block schedules at Patrick Henry High have provided additional time for classes because the students change rooms only three times.
"This has been a very positive move. We get an additional 15 to 20 minutes a day for class work," said Wayne Wright, assistant principal at Patrick Henry. "It has helped create a better atmosphere for learning."
The federal commission said the public education system has become a "prisoner of time" and must be reformed if the United States is to succeed in the global economy and meet the national educational goals recently passed by Congress.
"In the school of the future, learning, in the form of high standards of student performance, must become the fixed goal," the report said. "Time must become an adjustable resource."
There are several ways to lengthen the time students spend on core subjects, including adding a half-hour to the school day, going to school more than 180 days a year or extending the school week to Saturday, Harris said.
"No question that more time in school would help, but there are other things that would have to be considered,'" he said. "The issue is how much more time should be added."
Jones, president of the state board, said that it might be more feasible to extend the school week to include Saturday rather than to extend the school day.
"My personal feeling is that extending the school week or year might be better than a longer school day," he said.
The federal commission raised the possibility of a longer school year. If schools want to offer more, they should stay open longer each day and longer each year, the commission's report said.
"Both learners and teachers need more time - not to do more of the same, but use all time in new and different ways," it said.
by CNB