Currently, Oconomowoc High School follows a 10-month calendar. In the Oconomowoc Area School District (OASD), classes start early September and dismiss for Summer Break second week in June. OASD 2014/15 Calendar: http://www.oasd.k12.wi.us/uploaded/OASD/insider/14-15_Calendar_Approved_10-15-13_USE.pdf
Every summer students of all ages are encouraged by OASD teachers and staff to continue reading to avoid going down the "summer slide". The summer slide references students regression or learning loss while away from school for the summer. Many schools have created reading contracts for students to agree to continue reading to keep up reading levels. If the teachers/staff are worried about a learning loss over summer break from school, then the message is clear. Educational research has verified what experienced teachers have known for decades - - that students forget a considerable amount of information over the long summer. A pertinent question to be raised in each community or school district is this: How long should a summer vacation be? Summer learning loss is a significant policy issue that requires ongoing school and community consideration of how best to lessen the loss. A community's focus on that loss and its ramifications may well lead to calendar reformation.
As a student, I have experienced each new school year with countless reviews in math and revaluation of my reading skill. It seems like we are all trying to get back to where we left off in June after 2.5 months of dumbing down during summer break. A year round school structure would be beneficial to keep the continuity of instruction at a constant pace.
I left a message trying contact Dr. Roger Rindo, Superintendent of OASD, inquiring about his opinion on Year Round School at OHS. Unfortunately, a return call or response has not yet been received.
I left a message trying contact Dr. Roger Rindo, Superintendent of OASD, inquiring about his opinion on Year Round School at OHS. Unfortunately, a return call or response has not yet been received.
According to the National Education Association (NEA), most schools in the United States operate on the 10-month calendar that was established when America was still an agrarian country -- over 100 years ago. But times have changed and many people propose doing away with this "outdated" system and moving to "year-round education."
In this updated system, schools continue to operate 180 days per year, but they stretch out the 180 days over the entire year and take shorter breaks between each term.
The National Education Association (NEA) Reviews of the Research on Best Practices in Education. http://www.nea.org/tools/17057.htm
According to the National Association for Year-Round Education (NAYRE), more than 2.3 million U.S. public school students attended year-round schools in the 2002-03 school year. NAYRE also reports that 3,181 public schools now function year round, compared with 408 schools in 1986-87.
The following charts compare the distribution of days in school and days on break on the nine-month traditional calendar vs. the distribution of school days on a balanced or modified calendar. Weekends are excluded form the charts, with both models detailing a typical year of 258 work days (Monday through Friday). Both charts represent a standard school year of 180 days. Graphs found at NAYRE.org
The balanced calendar reduces the long summer break and simply apportions those days throughout the school year, producing more frequent breaks and thus limiting long periods of in-session days, as well as longer vacations.
Pros and Cons of Year Round School
Year round school is not a new issue in education. It has been studied, even tried in different places. There are some schools that currently use this system. In the traditional school year there are 180 days of school and breaks for holidays and other necessary days. One way of doing year round school is a 45-15 schedule. Students go to public school or private school for 45 days and then have 15 days off.
The opinions about year round school vary. Parents who have experienced both have their own opinion but it is often based on the specific needs of their family. For example, if both parents work outside of the home and they have students on different year round schedules have problems finding day care for their children and trying to keep all the schedules straight. Other families may love having the break time together every 45 days to take vacations throughout the year.
Here is a link about the debate of year round school: http://www.educationbug.org/a/year-round-school-debate.html
Pros of year round school:
- Students remember information better, there is no long period of time between one year ending and another school year starting.
- The 15 day period of time can be used for extra curricular activities that enhance what the child is learning in school and therefore reinforce what the child learns.
- Kids don’t get bored with a long summer break and they like having breaks to look forward to every few weeks.
- Other countries use this system successfully.
- With staggering the scheduling, school buildings can be used for more students which is more economical and efficient.
Cons of year round school:
- Families with students on different schedules have a difficult time.
- Certain school clubs and groups like sports, band and theater could have difficulty in planning and practicing when there are frequent breaks.
- Schools have to be equipped for year round weather to accommodate year round schooling.
- Community programs and private industries that provide youth camps and such activities suffer but now entirely, it just has to be scheduled right. However, if you have schools in the district on staggered schedules it is hard to get an influx in kids for these programs.
- Teachers may spend more time reviewing information than with a traditional year because even in two weeks, students tend to forget. This may not be entirely negative as it helps students keep reviewing information and therefore, keeping it fresh in their minds.
Studies regarding both schedules have been inconclusive as to which is better for students. It is always good for schools to try new ways of doing things because when they find something great the students benefit. It pays to have a willingness to try something new as long as it doesn't do any harm to the student.
Nationally the year-round format is gaining some momentum according to a recent congressional research report found here: http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43588.pdf
In Wisconsin, Milwaukee has 13 year-round schools, with others in Racine and LaCrosse.
Recent Wisconsin Schools experimenting with Year Round Schooling as reported from Wisconsin Public Radio: http://www.wpr.org/wisconsin-school-districts-looking-year-round-options
More school districts that pilot the idea may create more interest from other districts. Will this impact OHS? I hope so.
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