Year Round School Research Paper

After a long summer, the time has finally come for Sam and his classmates to return to school. Sam dreads going back to school, because he knows that the first weeks of school mean long, boring reviews. Despite the fact that Sam and his friends do not like to study topics they have already learned, they need to review because most students forget what they learned over the three-month break period. Many students can relate to Sam, wasting two weeks or more at the beginning of the school year. Parents, teachers, and students across the United States believe a better option exists that will waste less time. Many suggest the idea of a year-round school schedule. Almost all schools should adopt a year-round schedule because of the many advantages including higher academic

achievement, benefits to the community, and a reduction in overcrowding.
A year-round schedule benefits students by increasing academic achievement in several ways. The traditional three-month break during summer can cause students to forget much of what they learned the year before, but this break especially hinders students learning a language in school (Rodgers 70). Students that speak English as a second language rely mostly on their schools to teach them English, and a three-month break will put these children behind when the school year starts again. Additionally, students in a language immersion program also struggle to retain information when they do not speak or hear a language over a long period of time. If their parents do not speak the language they learn at school, English or otherwise, the students generally struggle when they return to school. Furthermore, year-round students typically perform better on standardized testing. In a 1983 study, a higher percentage of high school seniors in a year-round school system passed district-mandated tests than the average passing rate (Alkin et al 43). Frequent but shorter breaks keep students focused and motivated, helping them to achieve higher test scores. Students also can seek tutoring or extra help during regular breaks, which makes it easier for a student who struggles to catch up.
In addition to benefits for students, certain types of year-round school schedule has advantages for the community as a whole. For example, a school with a capacity of 600 students increases to 900 when on a three-track schedule, in which schools offer three semesters during the year, but each student only attends two (Glines 3 - 4). Because of the increased school capacity, the taxpayers will not spend as much on building new schools. Overcrowding, an issue in many public schools, can also lessen through a year-round schedule that allows a higher capacity in schools. Moreover, year-round schedules allow an abundant supply of teenage workers to the community (Schofield 12 - 13). Since most year-round schools always have one group out of school, students will have time to work throughout the school year, not just during the summer. The students will also benefit because jobs teach children responsibility and also help them earn money.
Many people that disagree with a year-round school schedule argue that students in a year-round school do not receive a better education (Raspberry 2).

While switching to a year-round schedule does not always guarantee students the best teachers or learning environment, the educational benefits offered in a year-round school system give students more options in their education. For example, students who fail a class could possibly retake it during one of the many extended breaks throughout the year, which could help them catch up to their peers and make sure they do not fall behind (Schofield 15). Not only would students benefit from making up classes during breaks, but making sure they graduate on time or even early could also decrease taxpayer spending because students would spend less time in school. Others claim the cost of more teachers and air-conditioning (especially during summer) will cancel out or even exceed the savings on buildings and supplies (Schofield 9). Studies have proved the contrary, that savings on insurance, buildings, school supplies and buses heavily outweigh the added costs of hiring more teachers and air-conditioning school buildings 12 months a year (Rodgers

66).
Year-round schools provide countless benefits for not only students, but also the common citizen. Besides the academic benefits, other advantages include less overcrowding and tax money spent on schools, in addition to more time available for students to work at local businesses.