{"id":35341,"date":"2022-10-27T05:00:49","date_gmt":"2022-10-27T10:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/?p=35341"},"modified":"2022-10-26T14:00:43","modified_gmt":"2022-10-26T19:00:43","slug":"oklahoma-lawmakers-tried-to-limit-four-day-school-weeks-but-theyre-hanging-on-in-rural-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2022\/10\/27\/oklahoma-lawmakers-tried-to-limit-four-day-school-weeks-but-theyre-hanging-on-in-rural-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"Oklahoma lawmakers tried to limit four day school weeks, but they\u2019re hanging on in rural communities"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; margin-bottom: 20px; border-radius: 6px; overflow: hidden;\"><iframe style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px;\" src=\"https:\/\/player.captivate.fm\/episode\/84870257-1e66-452e-a8db-3c386869ac2f\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Friday is a school day, right?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not so in McLoud, a town of about 4,000 in northwest Pottawatomie County. This small district operates on a four day school week for most of the year.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vania Farmer is a junior at McLoud High School. And she hardly knows school any other way. The district adopted the practice when she was in eighth grade. So when she talks to a student from another school or drives by another packed school while running Friday errands, she said it feels a little weird.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI can&#8217;t believe they have school on Friday,\u201d she said. \u201cLike that sucks for them. That\u2019s so sad.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The vast majority of Oklahoma schools and students are on a five day schedule. But for just shy of 100 rural school districts across the state, four day weeks have become a staple in the community.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe kids and the parents love it,\u201d McLoud High School principal Bryan Jennings said.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_35343\"  class=\"wp-caption module image alignright\" style=\"max-width: 504px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-35343\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/10\/IMG_0128-504x672.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"504\" height=\"672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/10\/IMG_0128-504x672.jpeg 504w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/10\/IMG_0128-1440x1920.jpeg 1440w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/10\/IMG_0128-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/10\/IMG_0128-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/10\/IMG_0128-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/10\/IMG_0128-113x150.jpeg 113w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/10\/IMG_0128-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/10\/IMG_0128-620x827.jpeg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/10\/IMG_0128-810x1080.jpeg 810w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/10\/IMG_0128-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 504px) 100vw, 504px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Robby Korth \/ StateImpact Oklahoma<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">McLoud High School Principal Bryan Jennings<\/p>\n<\/div><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But maybe even more important than that is the teachers. About three-quarters of the district\u2019s teachers are commuting from somewhere else \u2013 a few even as far as 45 minutes away. They love that four day school week, too.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe reality is that if you have a good teacher and they have the option of working in a five day week or four day week, I mean, most of the time they&#8217;re going to take the four day week,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Oklahoma, four day weeks were borne out of a desire to improve finances. Theoretical savings from being closed for a day were never all that significant. But they\u2019ve become incredibly popular as almost 100 districts have adopted the practice over the last decade.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oklahoma lawmakers have made moves for years to try to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicradiotulsa.org\/local-regional\/2019-02-19\/oklahoma-republican-lawmakers-seek-to-make-good-on-promise-of-restoring-five-day-school-weeks\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">limit the practice<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. But across rural communities, educators, students and parents are fighting to keep them alive.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_32346\"  class=\"wp-caption module image aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 672px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-32346\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/02\/IMG_6998-672x417.jpeg\" alt=\"Gov. Kevin Stitt gives his annual State of the State address on February 3, 2020.\" width=\"672\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/02\/IMG_6998-672x417.jpeg 672w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/02\/IMG_6998-1920x1193.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/02\/IMG_6998-768x477.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/02\/IMG_6998-150x93.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/02\/IMG_6998-300x186.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/02\/IMG_6998-620x385.jpeg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/02\/IMG_6998-1739x1080.jpeg 1739w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Robby Korth \/ StateImpact Oklahoma<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gov. Kevin Stitt gives his annual State of the State address on February 3, 2020.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3><b>Four day weeks in the political crosshairs<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gov. Kevin Stitt has campaigned on saying that limiting four day school weeks was one of the great successes of his first term.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou know, we&#8217;ve gone from budget deficits to a record savings account,\u201d he said during his opening statement of a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kosu.org\/politics\/2022-10-19\/kevin-stitt-joy-hofmeister-spar-in-lone-oklahoma-governor-debate\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">debate earlier this month<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u201cFrom four day school weeks and teacher walkouts to now the largest investment in education and teachers in the history of our state.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The practice was limited by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicradiotulsa.org\/local-regional\/2019-02-19\/oklahoma-republican-lawmakers-seek-to-make-good-on-promise-of-restoring-five-day-school-weeks\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Senate Bill 441<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a 2019 measure that upped the number of days schools must be in session each year to 165. It had been reduced because of the number of schools that were struggling to go enough days after closing for ice storms in years past.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the time, GOP party leaders said the four day weeks were hurting the state\u2019s reputation and keeping businesses out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They\u2019re not alone. New Mexico has also <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/fastdemocracy.com\/bill-search\/nm\/2022\/bills\/NMB00008575\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">considered<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> putting in four day school week limits.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But now, rural Republicans are starting to question that.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere are more than 1,600 [four day] schools across 24 states,\u201d Rep. Danny Sterling, R-Tecumseh, said during an interim study this month. \u201cAnd schools aren&#8217;t the only ones taking notice of this. The four day school week is growing in popularity, not just among rural schools. This is something that also many corporations are considering experimenting with.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sterling\u2019s interim study looked at waivers to shorten school calendars. The waivers for eligible schools were all denied by Oklahoma\u2019s State Board of Education earlier this year.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rules<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2019\/11\/23\/state-defines-line-it-would-draw-for-allowing-4-day-school-weeks\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">implemented by Oklahoma\u2019s State Department of Education<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in 2019 say individual schools have to perform at or above state average in English and math proficiency tests to get the waiver. They also say a high school must have a graduation rate at or above the state average, academic achievement targets at or above the state average and post-secondary opportunities on par or better than the rest of the state.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the COVID-19 pandemic raged during 2020 and 2021, the state gave blanket waivers as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2022\/01\/06\/stateimpact-is-again-tracking-school-closures-amid-the-coronavirus-pandemic\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hundreds of schools<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> were forced to close because of illness and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2022\/05\/19\/substitute-shortage-persisted-even-after-oklahoma-school-closures-slowed-down\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">substitute teacher shortages<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And four day weeks are continuing. As districts set up for a new school year in March, they set up calendars to sprinkle in fifth days of the week to get up to 165.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the time superintendent Derek Meador of Jennings Public Schools said it was a no brainer.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s popular in the community, and the teachers love it, and you keep good teachers in place,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What studies say<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is an emerging body of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hechingerreport.org\/proof-points-seven-new-studies-on-the-impact-of-a-four-day-school-week\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">academic research<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on four day school weeks that simply wasn\u2019t as robust in 2019 as Oklahoma wrote its law limiting the practice. And there are positives and negatives.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One person who has spent a lot of time on the subject is Emily Morton, a researcher at NWEA, a nonprofit assessment company.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Morton presented during Sterling\u2019s interim study earlier this month.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She recently published a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edworkingpapers.com\/sites\/default\/files\/ai22-630.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">massive working paper<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on the topic along with a number of collaborators.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The top line findings weren\u2019t great for four day school weeks. In fact, the authors found a negative correlation between four day weeks and academic achievement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, Morton said, the devil is in the details.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because when Oklahoma schools are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full\/10.3102\/01623737221097420\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">singled out<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, there appears to be little detrimental effect from four day weeks and some positives like a reduction in bullying.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While addressing legislators, Morton said it\u2019s not entirely clear why four day weeks seem to be working well in Oklahoma. It could have to do with extracurricular activities that are concentrated on off day Fridays or Mondays around the state. Or, she said, it could be because of that teacher attraction element mentioned by McLoud district leaders. Morton says the best teachers in rural Oklahoma could be drawn to the four day districts.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A lot of what Morton said is backed up by a 2021 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kgou.org\/education\/2021-10-13\/massive-four-day-school-week-study-shows-effects-of-the-practice-are-mixed\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rand Corporation study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of four day school weeks.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It found mixed results:<\/span><\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is no significant difference between four and five-day districts when it comes to student performance.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parents and students in rural districts overwhelmingly prefer four-day weeks.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students spend more time each day at school, but over the course of the year they get significantly less instruction when compared to their peers at five-day schools.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students at four-day schools had more time for extracurricular activities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Four-day students reported getting better sleep and being less tired than their peers at five-day schools.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are limited cost savings in the switch. However, districts like those small savings.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Rural resilience<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In McLoud, studies and policy talk don\u2019t really matter all that much to students like Farmer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The district has added one Friday a month to their calendar to get in compliance with the law. Farmer said so far at least, it really hasn\u2019t changed all that much. There are far more Fridays with no school, and on those days, you can still find her in a classroom.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI still do school on Friday, you know what I mean?\u201d she said. \u201cI have the freedom to do my work when I want to and like, plan my schedule the way I want to on Fridays. It&#8217;s not like [the] bell schedule on Fridays.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s how it is for a lot of kids. Jennings said it\u2019s just going to adapt to the number of days or hours they\u2019re supposed to be in school. Many rural Oklahoma schools agree. And no matter what\u2019s required, they\u2019re going to make every effort to keep four day school weeks alive.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI think that the four day week, if it works for your district, it works for your district,\u201d Jennings said. \u201cAnd I do think it works for our district.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Friday is a school day, right?Not so in McLoud, a town of about 4,000 in northwest Pottawatomie County. This small district operates on a four day school week for most of the year.Vania Farmer is a junior at McLoud High School. And she hardly knows school any other way. The district adopted the practice when [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":209,"featured_media":35342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35341"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/209"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35341"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35341\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35346,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35341\/revisions\/35346"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}