More schools are considering longer days or extending the calendar.
Students who spend more time in class will perform better in class and on standardized tests. But schools must focus on individual student needs, assessment and staff training.
That’s the conclusion of a National Center on Time and Learning report looking at programs in 30 schools which add time to the school day or extend the calendar beyond the traditional 180 days.
Many foreign countries spend more time in class than the U.S., and education experts argue its one reason those countries outperform U.S. students on international exams.
Florida is requiring an extra hour of class time for the 100 schools which registered the lowest scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Lawmakers approved the requirement earlier this year.
StateImpact Florida also told you about a Tampa middle school that improved its school grade to an A from an F after requiring after-school math tutoring. Students earning a top score on the FCAT math exam were exempt from the extra tutoring. But Principal Yolanda Capers said most attended anyway.
Orange County school board member Joie Cadle also told the Orlando Sentinel that school boards should have more control over charter schools – and that the state should not overrule local decisions about which charter schools are approved.
The Sentinel published a Q&A with Cadle today. An excerpt:
Juan Galvez is going into 4th grade. His parents are from Bolivia and Guatemala, and they only speak Spanish.
When it comes to homework, Juan is usually on his own.
“My mom helps me a little because she knows the math,” said Juan. “But with reading, I’m good. I do it by myself.”
Students learning English in Ft. Lauderdale, such as Galvez, are getting free help with reading this summer.
A six-week camp has been growing steadily since it was founded four years ago. Now, because of changes in Florida testing requirements, these kids are being challenged to learn reading and writing faster.
We know that a lot of children depend on schools for their meals through free and reduced-price food programs.
So when school is not in session, these kids may go hungry for much of the day.
It’s a problem big enough that the Florida Department of Agriculture provides a summer food program. Funds go to schools and parks and recreation programs where children from low-income families can get up to two meals a day.
The event is expected to bring a boost in state revenue.
Shoppers will find tax breaks on school supplies that cost up to $15 and clothing items that cost up to $75.
Stores tend to offer big bargains to coincide with the tax cut, and shoppers wind up spending money on taxable items, too.
“The state actually makes a little bit more money during the period even though there’s a tax break,” said Rick McAllister with the Florida Retail Federation. “It really does have a huge stimulus effect on spending.”
So we grabbed him for a few minutes to ask what Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson’s resignation might mean long-term.
Dorn says Robinson was put in a particularly difficult position and that Florida’s education chief is a more political post than in other states. And despite complaints — and errors — with the state’s school grading system, Dorn doesn’t think Robinson’s resignation will cause state leaders to rethink Florida’s accountability system.
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