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Study links later middle, high school start times to better student achievement

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Study links later middle, high school start times to better student achievement

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Dive Brief:

Changes in school start times have a "significant effect" on the amount of sleep and reported grade point averages of students, according to a working paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. The researchers examined eight districts in Minnesota, four of which transitioned to later start times between 2016 and 2019, affecting 38,019 students in grades 5, 8, 9 and 11.

Findings suggest districts that moved to later start times saw students' GPAs increase by an average of 0.14 points overall, while predicted GPA increases ranged from 0.10 to 0.17 points. Although the effect on GPAs was "small," said coauthor Rik Lamm, a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota, "it is still meaningful for every student whose grades were helped by only the policy decisions of district leaders."

In addition, the odds of meeting recommended hours of sleep for students - nine or more hours for students in grades 5 and 8, and eight or more hours for students in grades 9 and 11 - in districts with later start times increased by 16%.

Dive Insight:

"At a time when school budgets are tight, this is an inexpensive option to increase academic outcomes, as well as the physical and mental health of students, that's fairly easy to implement," said Julio Caesar, research scientist in the evaluation and assessment department at Bloomington Public Schools in Minnesota and a coauthor of the paper.

While there have been numerous studies on the physical and mental health improvements associated with delayed school start times, spurring a nationwide movement for the change, studies linking academic outcomes with later start times have been more scarce, the researchers said.

Studies that have investigated the latter point out later start times are linked to better behavior and outcomes for low-income and minority high school students. Later start times have also been shown to benefit middle-schoolers.

Despite pushes for later start times from parents, educators, public health experts and advocates, researchers have found school start times have not changed much over the years. According to 2014 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 93% of high schools and 83% of middle schools in the U.S. started before 8:30 a.m.

While the start time recommended by the American Pediatrics Association for middle and high schools is after 8:30 a.m., the majority of schools (76%) in the 2011-12 school year had a start time between 7:30 a.m. and 8:29 a.m. Only 18% of schools started after the recommended time.

Data from the 2017-18 school year shows, overall, school start times did not change in the following years. Rather, there were a smaller percentage of schools with a start time at or after 8:30 a.m.

However, with the COVID-19 pandemic pushing education leaders to rethink how, where and when learning takes place, now may also be a prime time to consider changes to the school day.

Utah's Salt Lake City School Board, for example, voted unanimously to delay its high school start times. Others, like West Virginia's Ohio County Board of Education, Massachusetts' Worcester Public Schools, and Minnesota's District 624 have also recently proposed changes as late as 9:15 a.m.

There are, however, logistical changes and expenses associated with later start times to consider, like altered bus routes. And some districts that have changed to later start times haven't seen the academic improvements boasted by studies.

Still, researchers wrote in the working paper that the findings should provide school districts with more data to guide potential school start time changes.

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Study links later middle, high school start times to better student achievement

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Changes in school start times have a "significant effect" on the amount of sleep and reported grade point averages of students, according to a working paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association.

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Cellphones in schools: Does safety outweigh distraction?

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Cellphones in schools: Does safety outweigh distraction?

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Newsela | Does the early bird always catch the worm? Seattle high schools say no

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Most middle schools and all high schools in Seattle have adopted later start times in an effort to help students get a bit more shut-eye.

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Kids texting can have positive effect on your emotional and physical health

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Kids texting can have positive effect on your emotional and physical health

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Newsela - Texting can have positive effect on your emotional and physical health

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Experts said texting can improve interpersonal relationships, and help people deal with traumatic events.

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CELL PHONES IN THE CLASSROOM: LEARNING TOOL OR DISTRACTION

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CELL PHONES IN THE CLASSROOM: LEARNING TOOL OR DISTRACTION

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These days, more and more students are bringing cell phones to class. Even elementary school-aged students have cell phones in their pockets and backpacks.

However, the news of Ontario's decision to ban cell phones in classrooms opens again the debate about whether or not students should have cellphones in school. It also brings up the question of whether it's possible for technology to exist in the classroom as a learning tool-rather than simply a distraction.

Ontario's Classroom Cell Phone Ban

Starting in September 2019, cell phones will be banned in Ontario classrooms during instructional time.

The new ban means elementary and secondary school students won't be able to use their cellphones in the classroom unless it is for educational purposes, medical reasons, or as a support for students with special needs. How the ban is enforced will be up to individual boards and schools.

By banning cellphones, Ontario's Education Ministry hopes to remove distractions so students can focus on acquiring foundational learning skills they need, including reading, writing and math.

The decision and renewed debate has many teachers and parents left wondering: can cell phones ever really benefit students in class, or are they best left tucked away?

Read on to learn more about the pros and cons of students having cell phones in school.

Cell Phone Use In The Classroom

Students check their phones in the classroom an average of more than 11 times a day. That can add up to a lot of time spent distracted from schoolwork. And when students are distracted, it's a recipe for extra stress, frustration, and catch-up time for everyone.

With students spending up to 20% of their in-class time texting, emailing, and checking social media, it's no wonder the debate about cell phones in the classroom is alive and well.

Students check their cell phones in the classroom more than 11 times a day.
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Learn more about the pros and cons of students bringing their cell phones into the classroom.

How Cell Phones Can Be Used Effectively In the Classroom

If properly managed, cell phones can be used as tools to help children learn in the classroom. The following are some of the pros of allowing cell phones in school:

1. Using educational learning apps

Cell phones give students access to tools and apps that can help them complete and stay on top of their class work. These tools can also teach students to develop better study habits, like time management and organization skills.

2. Incorporating digital platforms into lessons

Using social media can keep students interested in class and encourage them to participate in the discussion. Some teachers create twitter hashtags or message boards students can use during class discussions to share thoughts and ideas. This can be especially helpful for students who might not be comfortable speaking in class.

3. Supplementing lessons with digital materials

Teachers can take advantage of cell phones by providing students with resources to find more information about a topic. This can include videos, news stories, online discussion groups, and more. Allowing students to access these resources in class can help encourage participation and discussions.

4. Providing easy access to more information

Cell phones can give students access to more information, letting them research more about a topic while having class discussions. This is especially true for current events that have not yet been covered in school textbooks.

The Drawbacks Of Allowing Cell Phones In Classrooms

While cell phones can be used as learning tools, it is a challenge to make sure students are using them for school-related tasks. A cell phone can easily turn from "classroom learning tool" into "classroom disruption".

Cons of allowing cell phones in school include:

1. Distractions and interruptions

When students use their cell phones to check social media and text their friends in class, it leads to distractions for those students as well as for their peers. This can cause disruptions in class, particularly if the teacher is constantly telling students to turn their devices off.

2. Cyberbullying

Cell phones can also lead to increased problems with bullying on the schoolground. Cyberbullying can be harder to see than other forms of bullying, making it difficult for teachers to identify and stop when it is happening.

3. Cheating

Cell phones can be a helpful learning tool in class. But they can also be used by students to access information while taking a test, leading to cheating. Even if a student isn't caught, this can lead to him or her having a poor understanding of the material in the future, and is unfair to students who studied hard to do well.

4. Disconnection from face-to-face activities

While cell phones can help encourage participation by offering different channels, this can also lead to less in-person discussion and fewer learning opportunities. Learning to work together with others is an important part of students' education, and can be lost with too much dependence on cell phones and other digital technology.

The Bottom Line: Should Students Have Cell Phones In School?

There's no easy answer: there are both pros and cons to students having cell phones in school. Although they can be used as a learning tool in the classroom, this only works as long as students use them effectively.

This means for teachers who decide to use cell phones (or any other digital device) as part of their lessons, it's important to set ground rules and keep a close eye on how they are being used.

Where do you stand on the cell phone debate? Let us know by tweeting @oxfordlearning on Twitter!

Related Resources:

Is Multitasking Bad For Students?
How To Study Without Being Distracted

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Should Cell Phones Be Allowed In Classrooms? | Oxford Learning

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Should students have cell phones in the classroom? Learn more about the pros and cons of students having cell phones in school, and weigh in on the debate.

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Newsela | Sleepy in Seattle: Schools move start time to manage teens' need for zzz's

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Leading pediatrics and sleep associations agree: Teens shouldn't start school so early.

Yet University of Michigan research finds parents are split almost down the middle on whether they support delays in school start times that might permit their 13- to 17-year-olds to sleep later on school days.

The results come from a nationally representative survey through the U-M C.S. Mott Children's Hospital Poll on Children's Health. In it, 554 parents whose teens all start school before 8:30 a.m. shared opinions on how much sleep their children need and whether later school start times are a good idea. The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, the journal of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

"We found that parents underestimated how much sleep their children needed, and only about half agreed with existing recommendations that school start times should be later," says lead researcher Galit Dunietz, Ph.D., MPH, a postdoctoral research fellow in neurology at Michigan Medicine.

School start time recommendations issued by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics take into account teens' natural circadian rhythms. Teens often have a daily inner clock that runs longer than 24 hours.

This makes it difficult for them to go to sleep when the rest of the family does. And they often find it challenging to get up early and be on time for a school day that starts before 8:30 a.m.

"Many teens would do fine if they could go to bed late and sleep late in the morning," says senior study author and neurologist Ronald Chervin, M.D., M.S., director of the U-M Sleep Disorders Center. "But they can be late to school or become chronically sleep-deprived when classes start early every weekday."
How much sleep teens need
Although surveyed parents thought their middle and high schoolers could function properly on seven hours or less of sleep, teens need much more.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends teens ages 13 to 18 sleep eight to 10 hours every night. The National Sleep Foundation also recommends eight to 10 hours for most 14- to 17-year-olds.

"If their bodies don't tell them they're tired until 11 p.m. or later and then they have to be at school before 7:30 a.m., many of these teens experience a chronic sleep debt," says Dunietz, also with the U-M Sleep Disorders Center.

And the effects of chronic sleep debt reach far beyond feeling tired in the classroom (though that's also a problem).

A lack of zzz's can result in decreased brainpower -- a major issue for high schoolers driving early in the morning -- as well as an increased chance of mood disorders (such as depression), obesity and risky behaviors, Dunietz says.
A 50-50 split
In the study, 51 percent of parents supported later school start times.

Among those opposing the shift, Dunietz says, many had logistical concerns with later school starts. Respondents cited transportation issues, as well as worries about fitting in after-school activities and adjusting meal times.

But schools that have pushed back start times report negligible -- if any -- negative effects, she says.

Parents who thought more sleep would benefit their children's health or academic performance were more likely to support the switch.
Real results
To find support for school start times of 8:30 a.m. or later, Dunietz says to look no further than schools that have made the change. It hasn't happened in a majority of districts, but teens who do have later school start times are sleeping longer and are more alert during the day. Later school start times are reported to have had a positive effect on athletic performance, even when practice times are shorter to accommodate the later end of the school day.

"There's evidence that it's a win-win for everyone," she says. "We cannot change teens' biology to have them sleep earlier, so we should push the school start times back, in line with recommendations from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics."

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sleep disorder research; insomnia research; children's health; staying healthy; sleep disorders; insomnia; k-12 education; child psychology

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Despite benefits, half of parents against later school start times

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Leading pediatrics and sleep associations agree: Teens shouldn't start school so early. Yet recent research finds parents are split almost down the middle on whether they support delays in school start times that might permit their 13- to 17-year-olds to sleep later on school days.

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Nearly a third of U.S. teenagers use electronics to cheat, survey finds

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Nearly a third of U.S. teenagers use electronics to cheat, survey finds

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Newsela | Nearly a third of U.S. teenagers use electronics to cheat, survey finds

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More and more students using tech devices to access banned school sites

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In the United States, the average This time varies, though, depending on the state. Except for eight outlying states, each state's average start time is between 7:45 a.m. and 8:15 a.m.

Other start time factors include the location of the school district and the school type. For example, 54% of high schools in the suburbs start before 8:00 a.m. By contrast, over half of charter high schools start after 8:00 a.m., and high schools with fewer than 200 students begin around 8:15 a.m on average. (This study did not include data on private schools.)

Data on average middle school start times is less recent and does not include public charter or private schools. When assessed by the CDC for the 2011-2012 school year, the average start time at This is slightly later than high schools. The middle school start times varied widely, too, depending on the state. This study also noted the start time for combined middle and high schools; the average was 8:08 a.m.

Both the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that both middle and high schools begin Both organizations want to ensure students get adequate sleep so that they are alert and prepared to learn at school.

Biology plays a large factor in the sleep cycles of children and adolescents. Around the beginning of puberty, most adolescents experience later sleep onset and wake times, also called "phase delay". This phase delay can shift the body's internal clock back by up to two hours. As a result, the average teenager cannot fall asleep until 11:00 p.m. and would do best waking up at 8:00 a.m. or even later.

A later school start time helps accommodate this biological need. Overall care for sleep hygiene, such as having a good night's sleep and following back-to-school sleep tips, can also help adolescents regulate their sleep.

Other factors that affect student sleep are . American middle and high school students often take on various extracurricular activities - such as sports, clubs, and jobs - which often extend into the evening hours. High school students also have more homework, late-night technology use, and fewer parent-set bedtimes, all of which may cause students to stay up later than is appropriate for getting adequate sleep.

Countless studies have shown that early school start times are associated with students getting less sleep, which negatively affects student academic performance. Students with less sleep have difficulty paying attention in class and are likely to have lower grades. They may also experience irritability and fatigue.

Other concerns with early school start times and the resulting insufficient sleep include:

Increased likelihood for participating in risk-taking behaviors, such as bullying and fighting.

Greater chance of unhealthy behaviors including alcohol and drug use and tobacco smoking.

National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. Higher risk of athletic injury View Source .

An increase of depressive symptoms including suicidal ideation.

Increased risk of motor vehicle accidents.

A lack of sleep also has long-term physical and mental health consequences. Poor quantity and quality of sleep can lead to health concerns such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.

Later school start times support the biological needs of adolescents; they increase the amount of sleep adolescents get. Other benefits of later start times include:

Improved attendance at school.

Decreased tardiness.

American Psychological Association (APA) APA is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with more than 121,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students as its members. Better student grades View Source .

Fewer occurrences of falling asleep in class.

Reduced irritability and depressive symptoms.

Fewer disciplinary issues.

16.5% decrease in the teenage crash rate National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. A decline of motor vehicle crashes. One study showed a View Source after the school start time was pushed back one hour.

Disadvantages of Later School Start Times

While there are numerous benefits of later school start times, there are a few possible negative outcomes:

Scheduling conflicts. These may arise for athletic and academic competitions against schools with earlier start times and therefore an earlier dismissal.

Transportation challenges. Later start times will likely mean more busses on the road later in the day; this could create more traffic and increase travel delays.

Childcare. Some families rely on older students to care for younger siblings after school; this may be more difficult if high schools dismiss later than elementary or middle schools.

However, these problems can likely be solved with flexibility and thoughtful planning.

If you are concerned about a too-early start time for your child's school, consider contacting your school board or other educational leaders to discuss delaying school start time.

Learn more about our Editorial Team

References

1. Consensus Conference Panel, Watson, N. F., Badr, M. S., Belenky, G., Bliwise, D. L., Buxton, O. M., Buysse, D., Dinges, D. F., Gangwisch, J., Grandner, M. A., Kushida, C., Malhotra, R. K., Martin, J. L., Patel, S. R., Quan, S. F., Tasali, E., Non-Participating Observers, Twery, M., Croft, J. B., Maher, E., ... Heald, J. L. (2015). Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: A joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 11(6), 591-592.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25979105/

2. Wheaton, A. G., Jones, S. E., Cooper, A. C., Croft, J. B. (2018). Short sleep duration among middle school and high school students - United States, 2015. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 67, 85-90.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6703a1.htm?s_cid=mm6703a1_w

3. Sawyer, H., Taie, S., & Westat. (2020, February). Start Time for U.S. Public High Schools. The Institute of Education Sciences.
https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2020/2020006/index.asp

4. Wheaton AG, Ferro GA, Croft JB. School Start Times for Middle School and High School Students - United States, 2011-12 School Year. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2015;64(30);809-813.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6430a1.htm

5. Adolescent Sleep Working Group; Committee on Adolescence; Council on School Health. School start times for adolescents. Pediatrics. 2014 Sep;134(3):642-9.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25156998/

6. Wheaton AG, Chapman DP, Croft JB. School Start Times, Sleep, Behavioral, Health, and Academic Outcomes: A Review of the Literature. J Sch Health. 2016 May;86(5):363-81.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27040474/

7. Watson NF, Martin JL, Wise MS, Carden KA, Kirsch DB, Kristo DA, Malhotra RK, Olson EJ, Ramar K, Rosen IM, Rowley JA, Weaver TE, Chervin RD; American Academy of Sleep Medicine Board of Directors. Delaying Middle School and High School Start Times Promotes Student Health and Performance: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Position Statement. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017 Apr 15;13(4):623-625.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28416043/

8. The American Psychological Association. (2014). Later School Start Times Promote Adolescent Well-Being., Retrieved January 26, 2021 from
https://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/school-start-times.pdf

9. Danner F, Phillips B. Adolescent sleep, school start times, and teen motor vehicle crashes. J Clin Sleep Med. 2008 Dec 15;4(6):533-5.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19110880/

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How Would Later School Start Times Affect Sleep? | Sleep Foundation

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Experts recommend middle and high schools begin no sooner than 8:30 a.m. Later school start times will increase adolescent sleep and improve their performance.

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A great benefit of filtered water bottle filling stations for schools and businesses is their ability to provide safe drinking water!

Elkay is one of the leading water bottle filling station manufacturers on our market today. They offer filtered water bottle filling stations that remove, on average, 99.3 percent of lead from drinking water. In comparison to flushing (a practice where lead is manually pushed out of drains on a daily basis) and pipe remediation, filtered water bottle filling stations are more effective, efficient, and affordable than standard drinking fountains.

In recognition of the high quality of this product, here at iWaterPurification, we decided to review the Elkay LZWSRK EZH2O RetroFit Bottle Filling Station Kit.

Key Product Features

The Elkay LZWSRK EZH2O RetroFit Bottle Filling Station Kit delivers a clean quick water bottle fill and enhances sustainability by minimizing our dependency on disposable plastic bottles.

It has a touchless, sensor activation (bottle filler) designed for easy use. It's fill rate is 1.5 GPM and includes a visual filter monitor with LED filter status indicator for when filter change is necessary. The 3,000-gallon filter is certified to NSF 42 and 53 for lead, Class 1 particulate, chlorine, taste and odor reduction. There is also a really neat green ticker that informs you of the number of 20 oz. plastic water bottles saved from waste!

This system has silver ion antimicrobial protection on key plastic components to stop the growth of mold and mildew a long with a real drain system that eliminates standing water. It also comes with a flexi-guard bubbler which provides a flexible antimicrobial mouth guard to protect against injury and microorganisms.

Benefits of Water Dispenser System

Great Tasting Water

These stations are equipped with high-performance filters and cooling systems, making them capable of removing culprits of unpleasant tasting water (chlorine and particulate), while also purifying your water so that it tastes crisp and clean. Furthermore, regardless of whether they are stationed outside or indoors, (this station is specifically for indoors) they consistently deliver chilled water that will instantly refresh you.

Reduction of Waste

While bottled water is convenient way to drink water, the long-term impact it has on our environment is devastating. Roughly 80% of plastic bottles end up in our lakes, dumps, and landfills. These filling stations serve as an alternative to plastic water bottles and make safe, healthy water, free and accessible.

Reduced Chance of Contamination

Water contamination is a serious issue going on around the world, and the U.S is no exception. See our article on the ongoing water crisis in America. These stations heavily reduce your chances of contamination of any type and with its high-quality filters you can say bye-bye to harmful toxins.

The touchless sensor activated bottle filler is designed for easy use. So, there's no need to hold the bottle. Just place and fill!

The bottle filler dispenses a clean, laminar flow of water so there is minimal splashing when filling reusable bottles and cups.

The green ticker will inform you of the number of 20 oz. plastic water bottles saved from waste by using refillable bottles at the bottle filling station.

Key plastic components on the unit have a special silver ion antimicrobial protection that inhibits the growth of mold and mildew.

The basin includes a real drain system to help with drainage and eliminate standing water.

Three times faster than a standard drinking fountain.

Saves consumers from spending money on plastic water bottles.

Saves the environment from plastic bottle pollution.

Saves on energy to produce plastic disposable bottles.

Pros

Initial costs to buy and install these systems are on the costly side.

Some people might over reuse their plastic water bottles which is toxic for health.

You will need a professional to install it.

Elkay wants to help people drink safe and clean water. Their bottle filling stations are ideal for education, healthcare, fitness clubs and hospitality. These bottle filling stations provide convenient hydration with a rapid fill of filtered water to quench thirst and minimize plastic bottle waste in the environment.
Cons
Elkay was founded as a small sink manufacturing company on the North side of Chicago. Since then they have grown significantly from their humble beginnings, however, their dedication to making innovative environmentally friendly products and exceptional customer service remains the same.

Today, Elkay is a leading manufacturer of stainless-steel sinks, faucets, water coolers, drinking fountains and bottle filling stations, delivering unprecedented levels of style and function to plumbing professionals. They are driven by core values that have evolved since 1920, values that are reflected in every product they manufacture.

You can purchase the Elkay LZWSRK EZH2O RetroFit Bottle Filling Station Kit by clicking this link.

Price plus shipping comes to $577.26

Product ships from UT, Unite States

Seller information: PlumberStock - 5 out of 5 stars 90% positive over the past 12 months. (15,497 total ratings)

Part Number: LZWSRK

Item Weight 2 pounds

Product Dimensions: 17.9 x 3.6 x 18.9 inches

Color: Light Gray Granite

Finish: Stainless Steel

Material: Stainless Steel

Batteries Required? = No

Installation Location: Indoor

Warranty Description 5-year limited warranty on craftsmanship and parts

Purchase will include a Retrofit Bottle Filler, a Basin with Drain Assy, and a Filter

Q. Does this unit come with all the parts needed to fit to my existing Elkay model

A. Installation can be a piece of cake and this model easily adapts to most fountain setups.

Q. Can we use this as a counter mount and just plumb it into the water and electrical

A. Unfortunately, that will not work. This is a retrofit bottle filler designed to mount on an existing cooler. The only way that you can do what you are trying to do is with a EZWSSM (not filtered) or LZWSSM (filtered) fountain. Note that neither of these is cooled. They don't have room for a compressor.

Q. Will this work on an older Elkay without an electric solenoid

A. We would say no as the parts that come with this add-on probably wouldn't match, and you would have to find some way to supply the correct power required.

Q. Is this compatible with the Elkay ezfs8? Also does it cool the water at all?

A. Yes, it is. B. No, it uses the refrigerated output from the existing fountain to serve chilled water.

Q. I have a water fountain in my school and wondered if this could be mounted on to that. I do not know the brand. Cost?

A. It is CRITICAL to know the exact model of the fountain at your school before purchasing this. This retro-fit bottle filling station ONLY fits on a small number of EZ and LZ series of Elkay water coolers. If you have a cooler older than about 8 years, it is not generally worth trying to retrofit, you should just get a whole new water cooler/bottle filling station combination unit.

Q. Does this dispense water using sensor? Or do you have to push on the existing fountains button to dispense into bottle?

A. Yes, it has a sensor

Q. Does this unit plug into an outlet or does it have to be hard wired? Does it need a drain?

A. Yes you need a 120v plug in and water no drain

Q. How easy to install?

A. Requires a plumber or someone who is very handy. Instructions are dependent on which model of drinking fountain you are adding it to, but the instructions don't do a good job of identifying which procedures are for which model.

Q. Can this be mounted above any existing refrigerated fountain or does it have to be an existing Elkay fountain?

A. We have seen this mounted to other drinking fountains but required extra work drilling out holes for supply and drain line. silicone had to be used to create a seal. Not very attractive. We are currently looking to replace one of our existing drinking fountains to add another Fill Station. $4 000 +. The Elkay Brand is the best so far. I know of two other brands being used that quit working or had major issue's after a year.

Our Rating - 9/10

This bottle filling station will allow people, from students to business colleagues, or even buddies at the gym, to interact at the water fountain comfortably. Elkay high-quality filters reduce chlorine, taste and odor, particulate class I, and lead. Their filters are measured for 3,000 gallons, and their electronic sensor ensures a touchless sanitary operation. Our favorite feature about the EZH20 stations is that it comes with a ticker that tracks the total number of plastic bottles we are bypassing and the amount of waste we are eliminating. We don't know about you, but here at the iWaterPurification Foundation, the green ticker makes us feel even better knowing that we are doing our part (even if it's a small part) of ensuring the health and well-being of the planet.

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Save Your School or Business Water & Money With This Dispenser!

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A great benefit of filtered water bottle filling stations for schools and businesses is their ability to provide safe drinking water! Elkay is one of the leading water bottle filling station manufacturers on our market today. They offer filtered water bottle filling stations that remove, on average, 99.3 percent of lead from drinking water.

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Which is better: Bottled water or tap water?

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Which is better: Bottled water or tap water?

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With awareness of the environmental impact of plastic bottles increasing, people may wonder if bottled or tap water is better. There are various factors to consider, such as safety, taste, and cost.

Some people may wonder which option is safer, or which tastes better. However, there are also a range of other factors to consider when choosing between bottled water and tap water.

Keep reading to learn more about the pros and cons of both bottled water and tap water.

Factors to consider when choosing between tap water and bottled water include the safety of the water, its flavor, the cost and availability, and its impact on the environment.

The sections below list some pros and cons of tap water.

Safety

Drinking water in the United States is some of the safest in the world, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In fact, nonprofit organization Food & Water Watch advise that tap water in the U.S. is subject to testing more often than bottled water.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are responsible for identifying and setting limits for the amount of contaminants that can be present in tap water and ground water. These include chemicals and microorganisms.

The standards are set out in the Safe Drinking Water Act. If there is a safety concern with tap water, federal law dictates that water companies must inform the public.

Although the EPA are responsible for setting tap water standards, not all contaminants are subject to regulation, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The EWG also report that contaminant level limits have remained unchanged for over 20 years.

To check the quality of their tap water, people can contact their local water company for a copy of the Annual Water Quality Report (or Consumer Confidence Report), check it against the EWG's standards, or both.

To improve the safety of their current tap water, a person can consider filtering it with carbon filters or a more effective reverse-osmosis system.

Taste

Blind taste tests consistently find that most people cannot differentiate between tap water and bottled water.

For example, a in the Journal of Sensory Studies found that the majority of the participants could not tell the difference between six different bottled mineral waters and six municipal tap waters when the tap water was chlorine-free.

Most people preferred types of water with medium mineralization, regardless of the source. Just 36% of the participants were able to distinguish between bottled water and tap water.

Even if some tap waters may not taste as pleasant as bottled waters, it does not mean that the tap water is of poor quality. It may simply be due to chlorination or a higher mineral content.

One option to improve the taste of tap water is to use a filter. Another option is to add ice and a slice of lemon to each glass.

Cost and convenience

Drinking tap water is convenient and inexpensive. Simply turn on a faucet to get safe and cool drinking water.

Tap water is also readily available at restaurants and from public drinking fountains for free.

Environmental impact

To prevent contamination, water companies treat public drinking water with chemicals using a range of processes. They then pump the water into holding tanks.

Also, once a person drinks a glass of water, they are likely to wash the glass by hand or in a dishwasher.

These steps will all involve the use of chemicals and energy, which has an impact on the environment.

Even so, the environmental impact of drinking tap water is far lower than that of bottled water, according to a report on the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority's website.

Perhaps most importantly, there is no disposable packaging involved that would eventually end up in either a landfill or recycling center.
Read about 15 benefits of drinking water here.
The sections below list some of the pros and cons of bottled water.

Safety

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set the standards for bottled water. They require manufacturers to process and transport bottled water under sanitary conditions and to use processes that ensure the safety of the water.

This means that, in general, bottled water is safe to drink. In very rare cases, however, bottled water recalls occur due to contamination.

One cause for concern is the presence of plastic in bottled water. Research indicates that most bottled water contains microplastics, which may pose health risks.

One , for example, tested 11 globally sourced brands of bottled water from nine different countries. The researchers found that 93% of the bottles showed some signs of microplastic contamination, and that they contained double the amount present in tap water.

These findings suggest that the contamination is at least partially due to the packaging process itself. Researchers are now starting to investigate the impact of these microplastics on human health.

Microplastics appear to fall within the same category of endocrine-disrupting chemicals as , affecting human, animal, and marine metabolism, reproduction, oxidative stress, and several other factors.

Also, people with weakened immune systems should take special precautions with their drinking water, choosing bottled water that manufacturers have treated to protect against the parasite Cryptosporidium.

Though FDA inspection of bottled water plants is rare, the FDA have recalled two bottled water brands due to contamination. These were Safeway Select in 2001 and Sam's Choice in 2005.

Consumer access to bottled water information and contaminant levels is limited compared with the tap water disclosure requirements required by the EPA.

Taste and source

Some people may prefer the taste of bottled water. However, as mentioned above, studies tend to show that the majority of people cannot tell the difference between tap and bottled water.

When purchasing bottled water, people may wish to consider the source. A lot of bottled water is simply filtered tap water.

Water that comes from an underground source or fresh spring will carry one of the following FDA-approved labels:

People may also wish to choose bottled water if they prefer flavored or sparkling water. Many water brands sell citrus- or berry-flavored water, for example. Sparkling water is a popular alternative to still.

Cost and convenience

According to some estimates, bottled water is almost 2,000 times the price of tap water, with a gallon - obtained from combining single-serve water bottles - costing almost three times the national average for a gallon of milk.

This is interesting, given that bottled water is often simply filtered tap water.

One reason that people choose bottled over tap water despite the cost difference may be that it can be more convenient to have a bottle to hand when out and about - especially if there is no access to a faucet.

Environmental impact

Research indicates that the bottling, refrigeration, and transportation processes associated with water, as well as the disposal of plastic bottles after use, cause a wide range of adverse environmental effects far greater than those of tap water.

For example, in 2016, the bottling of water in the U.S. used 4 billion pounds of plastic. This process required an estimated energy input equal to approximately 64 million barrels of oil.

According to nonprofit organization Container Recycling Institute, every day in the U.S., people throw away over 60 million plastic water bottles. The majority of these bottles make their way into landfills and waterways, or they litter the streets.

These plastic bottles also release toxins as they degrade.

Some people try to reuse plastic water bottles in a bid to offset some of the environmental impacts. This may pose risks in the long-term, however, including the risk of bacterial growth and the risk of toxins leaching from the bottle.

Overall, it appears that tap water is a better option in most cases. It is convenient, free or inexpensive, and has much less of an environmental impact than bottled water.

Tap water is also just as safe as bottled water, and most people will not be able to tell the difference in taste.

Occasionally, bottled water may be more convenient or readily available than tap water. To remedy this, people can carry a reusable bottle of tap water with them and refill it from public drinking water facilities when necessary.

Those who prefer the taste of bottled water may wish to try a water filter. After all, a lot of bottled water is actually just filtered tap water. Or, people can try adding ice and slices of fruit to their tap water to improve its flavor.

Some people need to take extra precautions with their drinking water, especially if they have weaker immune systems, are pregnant, or are older.

These individuals should discuss their concerns with a doctor, who may advise them to drink certain bottled waters, or to boil their tap water before consumption.

There are pros and cons to both bottled water and tap water.

The type of water a person chooses will depend on many factors, including their preferences and concerns.

Overall, however, it seems that tap water consumption is much better for the environment, poses fewer health risks, and tastes very similar to bottled water - especially if filtered.

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Bottled water vs. tap water: Pros and cons

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Is bottled water safer than tap water? Which option tastes better, and are there any other factors to consider when choosing between them? Learn more about bottled water vs. tap water here.

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Americans Choose Bottled Water for Safety and Quality. Are They Right?

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Americans Choose Bottled Water for Safety and Quality. Are They Right?

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Americans Choose Bottled Water for Safety and Quality. Are They Right?

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More than 90 percent of Americans buying bottled water cite 'safety' and 'quality' as their reasons. Are they right?

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Most parents find that their children aren't able to wake up early thinking them to be lazy. But that isn't always true since countless studies have shown that teens require at least about 9 hours of sleep each day for boosting their metabolism and maintaining their good health.

Teens with the early school are forced to wake up before they complete their recommended sleep cycle resulting in sleep depletion. Thus, teenagers undergo countless changes because of their sleep depletion and also might degrade their academic performance

Starting School Late. Is it a Need?

School activities aren't only limited within the school and students are also required to do their homework and or some projects after school for which they need enough energy. Without enough sleep, students can't go through the day and develop a habit of caffeine dependency.

Such a habit, if allowed to grow, might eventually turn into tobacco or alcohol dependency. Students can be saved from these negative impacts if they are allowed to complete their required sleep time, which as some might feel can't be possible only by trying to sleep early.

With the delay of at least 1 hour of starting the school, students might just get enough time to complete their sleep and stay fresh throughout the day. But, that being said, late school timings aren't always desirable and or possible due to some complications, and administrators must carefully consider the following pros and cons before making any change to the school timing.

Pros of Starting Schools Late

Shifting the start time of the school back can result in students receiving the following benefits:

1. Limits Caffeine Addiction

Delayed school start times allow students to complete their needed sleep cycle and remain active and fresh throughout the day allowing them to perform all the necessary school and household activities easily without any aid of caffeine products like coffee, thus reducing the chance of students getting addicted.

2. Decreases the Chance of Health Problems

As mentioned above, if students are able to complete their sleep cycle, the chance of being sleep depleted drops to minimal which then causes the decrement of any health problem due to sleep depletion such as irritability, clumsiness, etc. in those teenagers. It also reduces the likelihood of sleeping pills usage.

3. Enhances Academic Enactment

Academic enactment is greatly influenced by one's ability to focus on the issues and concentrate during the class, which isn't possible until unless they have completed their 8 to 9 hours of sleep. Late school periods grant students that opportunity.

4. Low Risk of Accidents

Vehicle crashes among teenagers occur due to several factors whereas, drowsiness can be considered as one of the major influences in such crashes as teenagers with sleep depletion tend to have difficulty in focusing on the road, and have delayed reaction time. Thus, with the late start of the school, students might just get enough time necessary to complete their sleep.

5. Shortens Mood Fluctuation

It is often believed that teens with moody attitudes are suffering from depression or some sort of emotional disability, which isn't always true as several studies have proven that lack of sleep also results in the symptoms of such emotional disability such as mood fluctuation, anxiety, etc. That sleepiness can be solved in students by adjusting their school start times. It can give more time to start with a calming meditation in the morning before going to school.

Cons of Starting Schools Late

Regardless of the pros, consideration of delaying the school start times should only be taken seriously after understanding the below-described demerits brought forth by them:

1. Interrupts Parent's Work Schedule

Houses where parents usually work 9 to 5 will have to experience disruptions in their schedules if the school start times of their children shift to later. Parents won't be able to see off their children and in case of students with no bus service, the mismatch of the timing can cause some trouble getting to and from the school.

2. Limits Tutoring Prospects

Many parents aren't equipped with enough time after their office hours to help their children with their studies and want to put their children in some tuition classes. But with a delay in the start of school hours, the end will also eventually shift backwards, thus limiting the time for students to conduct theirs after school activities along with tuition classes.

3. Develops Habit of Staying up Late

Some students might think of the delay in the school starting time to be an excuse for staying up late at night either watching television or studying, which might eventually lead to the development of a habit in those students to stay up late at night.

4. Disrupts After School Activities

As mentioned above, with the shifting of the school start hours, the end hours too gets shifted and thus might just result in limited time after school before dawn. Thus, students involved in extra-curricular activities or sports find the timing to be very inconvenient.

5. Transport Problems

Most elementary schools adjust their start time to be around 9 am to facilitate the young ones completing their sleep before school as well as to limit traffic jams in the area. But with the shifting start times at many high schools, there will be a marked increase in traffic congestion within that area.

Conclusion

Summarizing, a late start to school can result in advantageous outcomes considering the health benefits it grants teens and the potential for a more effective approach to education. With a delay in the start time, students can eat properly before they attend school, which will give them enough strength to go through the day. Coupled with a healthy diet and lifestyle, we can contribute to healthier future generations.

However, starting school late can result in disrupting the schedule and lessening the time it takes for students to undergo any after school activities such as sports. The delayed start time might also hamper the studies of some students, as they aren't equipped with enough time to study at their homes after completing their homework.

Thus, when considering what to accept and what to cast off, the decision to delay the school start hours could well have been simplified for you after understanding the pros and cons of the decision to delay the start of school hours.
References
(Last Updated On: March 10, 2021)

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Most parents find that their children aren't able to wake up early thinking them to be lazy. But that isn't always true since countless studies have shown that teens require at least about 9 hours of sleep each day for boosting their metabolism and maintaining their good health.

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Schools Say No to Cellphones in Class. But Is It a Smart Move?

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Schools Say No to Cellphones in Class. But Is It a Smart Move?

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Sexting. Cyberbullying. Googling test answers. Taking a picture of a quiz and sending it to friends who have the same class later in the day. Paying more attention to Instagram notifications than biology class.

Smartphones have transformed the way we communicate, but there's no question they can be a major headache for teachers and administrators.

That's why a flurry of schools have recently put in place restrictions or bans on students' use of cellphones in school. The changes represent a pivot away from the more open student cellphone policies that districts instituted in previous years. But not everyone thinks the new restrictions are a step in the right direction.

The recent changes are fueled by frustrated educators, who worry that by allowing students to spend so much time on their devices, they are feeding an addiction and stunting students' development of face-to-face communication skills.

That was a big reason why the Forest Hills district, near Grand Rapids, Mich., decided at the start of this school year to ban cellphones throughout the school day, even during lunch.

"We really wanted to provide a clean break for students and not have the frenetic energy that can happen if kids start texting each other or social-media posts start going," said Dan Behm, the superintendent. The district piloted the ban last school year and found that students said they were less anxious when they weren't so attached to their devices, Behm added.

More than 30 schools, or in some cases, entire districts have enacted or stepped up some sort of cellphone restrictions beginning in either the 2018-19 school year or the start of this academic year, according to an Education Week analysis.

California recently passed legislation that allows school districts to restrict or prohibit device use in class, although it's not a requirement. And at least four other states debated putting significant limits on the devices.

Other countries have had more success enacting widespread bans. Ontario, a Canadian province, is restricting student cellphone use during instructional time. (The restrictions, which are scheduled to go into effect later this year, include an exception for classroom activities and health and other emergencies.) And in 2018, France passed a law outlawing the use of cellphones in schools for students up to age 15.

But banning cellphones can come with its own vexations. Enforcement can be difficult, and districts are wary of taking on liability for holding a student's confiscated phone. Many teachers like using some cellphone-based applications in class, such as online microscopes and polling applications.

What's more, some experts say it's better to keep cellphones in school and help train students how to use them responsibly, rather than just banning their use.

Plenty of educators agree.

Brian Toth, the superintendent of Saint Mary's Area school district in northwestern Pennsylvania, said he'd never consider nixing student cellphone use in school-even though some of his teachers have asked him to do so.

Toth said the devices can be a great teaching tool. Educators in his district check for student understanding using cellphone applications like Kahoot, or they send their students on scavenger hunts that also rely on cellphone technology. And the district's instructional-technology coach focuses on teaching students to use their devices responsibly.

"Anybody who wants to ban it is just hiding from reality," Toth said. "It's just common, everyday practice these days that you have a cellphone."

Parents' Big Concerns

Restricting cellphone use is a lot easier said than done. There are big concerns, for instance, about school safety. How could parents get in touch with their children during a school shooting or a dangerous weather event?

One school in Wisconsin had a low-tech solution: Families could call the front office, just like they did before cellphones were so ubiquitous, said Jo-Ellen Fairbanks, the assistant principal of Portage High School, which requires students to keep their cellphones in their lockers during the school day.

And during an emergency, students are best off making sure they concentrate on following through with a safety plan, not staring at their cellphone screens, said Adam Gelb, the assistant principal of San Mateo High School near San Francisco, which recently required students to keep their cellphones in a pouch that renders them inoperable during the school day.

"Nowhere in any [safety protocol] does it say get on your cellphone and notify a family member," he said.

But some parents want to be able to reach their children at any time-even if it means texting them in class, educators say.

Reaction from families to a recent ban on cellphones in the Warwick district near Providence, R.I., has been mixed. Some are supportive. Others "have said, 'You can tell us what to do when you pay our phone bill,' " said Karen Bachus, the chairwoman of the school board.

What's more, enforcing a ban can bring with it its own set of administrative hasssles. The nation's largest school district, New York City, dropped its cellphone ban in 2015, in part because it was being enforced more harshly in lower-income schools than more advantaged ones.

The Marshall school district, in the southwestern corner of Minnesota, also dropped its cellphone ban several years ago.

What the policy largely prompted was kids texting under their desks or hiding their phones under big sweatshirts, said Principal Brian Jones.

A total ban "sounds great, I just don't think it's realistic. I don't like to have unenforceable policies," Jones said.

What's more, he added, "for some students, the anxiety of not having that device with them caused more harm than good. It reminded me of the cartoon [Peanuts and] Charlie Brown and Linus with his blanket."

Now, the district allows students to use their phones after school, during lunch, and at some times during the school day, if it is for educational purposes. "They've got to learn how to self-regulate once they leave us," Jones said.

'Have a Plan, Not a Ban'

That philosophy jibes with recommendations from Common Sense Media, a nonprofit based in San Francisco that focuses on children, technology, and media.

In an April survey, Common Sense found that 80 percent of schools implement some kind of cellphone policy. About a quarter of teachers find cellphone policies difficult to follow, while roughly two-thirds find them easy to follow, according to the survey. High school teachers were more likely to report that implementing cellphone policies was difficult.

Educators should "have a plan, not a ban," said Elizabeth Kline, the organization's vice president for education. "There isn't a real reason to have a ban, but there is absolutely a big need to have clear guidelines and guidance for both students and parents around personal devices."

Cellphones can be an important teaching tool, Kline pointed out. Kids can create their own videos using cellphones, and teachers can integrate special apps for understanding concepts or investigating questions.

There's also a big equity issue, she said. Some students may not have laptops-or even internet connectivity-at home. So their cellphones may be the only way they can complete some technology-focused assignments.

Still, expectations need to be clear.

"If you're using the phone for learning, then the whole class has to agree that they are not going to be snapchatting in the middle of a lesson on velocity," Kline said.

And educators need to make sure they model those behaviors, which means not checking their own text messages during class, she said.

Extremes Miss the Point

Kline emphasized that by absolutely prohibiting cellphones, districts could miss out on an opportunity to teach their students how to use the devices responsibly and in moderation.

"There are moments at school or at home that should be device-free moments," Kline said. "Letting kids go wild with no norms or rules is not the right thing to do. Both extremes are missing the point."

The Novi district, in the Detroit suburbs, strives for that balance.

Cellphones must stay in lockers all day at the middle school and are not allowed in elementary schools. But at the high school level, students are allowed to have phones in class, under limited circumstances. The teacher sets a color-red, for no phones allowed; yellow, which signifies that phones can be out if the class isn't moving forward with new content; and green, which is typically used when the devices are part of a lesson.

To be sure, the district, like most in the country, still sees its share of problems stemming from cellphones, including a lunchroom of students texting each other instead of engaging in conversation. ("Like adults do in restaurants," said Steve Matthews, the superintendent.) But the distict also wants to instill social-media lessons, including showing students how to be careful about what they tweet out or share on social media.

"There are times it would be easier to just ban [phones] altogether, but we don't want to communicate to kids that school isn't relevant to their lives," Matthews said. "We're trying to help them use it in an appropriate and meaningful way."

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Schools Say No to Cellphones in Class. But Is It a Smart Move?

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A flurry of schools have recently put in place restrictions or bans on student cellphones, a pivot away from the more open policies instituted in previous years.

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Clean and drinkable water is an essential element for everyone. While many like to carry their own bottles of water, many buy bottled water when they need. Many offices, schools and colleges are installing water purifiers or water coolers for the benefit of their employees and students. This is to make clean and safe water available at all times. There are different types of dispenser available with a variation of the water supply given to them. While some are directly connected to the main supply, some need to be attached to cans of water. The dispensers can be independent machines, machines mounted on sink tops, fitted below the sinks or kept as counter top dispensers. Comparatively, the main fed dispensers are used more as they do not need to be refilled every now and then. While the dispenser is of great use, it has its own pros and cons.

Hot Water Dispenser

Pros of Dispensers
1. The main advantage of office water coolers is that it dispenses clean and safe water anytime you want. You need not stop your work, go to the shop and buy yourself a bottle of drinkable water. The water coolers takes care it. Most of the water coolers come with a built in purifier that helps to eliminate any contamination in the water supply. Additionally, the purifiers such as the RO make sure that hard water is treated well to reduce its salinity.

2. Another advantage of water coolers is that they can dispense hot or cold water at the push of a button. This makes it easy to avoid installing separate cold water dispenser and hot water dispenseror carry cold or hot water every time. The dispenser has specific slots for hot cold and normal water which can be accessed at the push of a button.

3. Environmentally speaking, dispensers are a great way to reduce the use of plastic bottles and use water in an efficient way without any wastage.
Cons of Dispensers
As useful as a water dispenser is, there are some drawbacks that cannot be avoided.

1. More or less all the dispensers work on electricity. This means that there should be a supply of electricity at all times. The electricity is required for the purifier and the cold and hot dispenser to work efficiently.

2. The maintenance of dispensers can be tedious. Dispensers have candles that work as filters to purify the water. The candles should be cleaned regularly and replaced at timed intervals for best results. A check needs to be kept on the life of candles to make sure the dispenser works properly. Dispensers such as RO can help reduce salinity up to a certain level. For extremely hard water, the RO purifiers are not that useful.

3. For a dispenser to work efficiently the water supply should be continuous and proper, the reason being dispensers with mains fed water supply do not store water. In addition, if the water pressure is not sufficient, the dispenser will fail to supply water. In such instances, an additional pump needs to be fitted to boost the pressure of the water.

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Clean and drinkable water is an essential element for everyone. While many like to carry their own bottles of water, many buy bottled water when they need. Many offices, schools and colleges are installing water purifiers or water coolers for the benefit of their employees and students.

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Shortening the school week to four days has become an increasingly common trend over the last decade.

Reasons for implementing the shorter week vary, but most school districts implement a shorter week seeking to cut costs due to budget constraints. Research shows that the maximum possible cost savings for districts on a four-day week is 5.43 percent, but average savings range from 0.4 to 2.5 percent. The vast majority of four-day week schools are in small, rural districts; however, in recent years some larger, more urban districts have begun to consider the option of a shorter week.

Most four-day week schools operate Monday through Thursday, with a few opting for Tuesday through Friday. School days are lengthened to deliver the same amount of instructional time over fewer days, as required by state law. Some schools may offer optional enrichment activities, tutoring, or schedule time for teacher development during the fifth day.

Best available research indicates that approximately 560 districts in 25 states have one or more schools on a four-day schedule. More than half of these districts are located in four states-Colorado, Montana, Oklahoma and Oregon-where a significant portion of districts have opted into the four-day week.

While the number of districts in these states is significant, the overall share of the student population on the four-day week is relatively small. For example, Colorado has the largest proportion of public school districts with one or more schools on a four-day week at 98. This number represents more than half of the total school districts in the state, but only about 13 percent of the student population.

Source: Heyward, Georgia. What Do We Actually Know about the Four-Day School Week? Seattle: Center on Reinventing Public Education, 2018.

How States Implement the Four-Day Week

School calendars are dictated by states' minimum instructional time requirements, which are in turn tied to funding formulas. Schools not meeting the minimum instructional time requirements will receive less funding from the state. Therefore, it is likely only schools operating in states where a four-day week does not violate these requirements would seek to do so.

Most states allow districts to opt into a four-day week, either through flexible requirements, explicit administrative rules, or a waiver approval process. The level of legislative involvement in this process varies. Most statutory guidelines do not specifically list four-day school weeks as an allowable schedule, but may allow calendar flexibility by expressing that the minimum instructional day requirement can also be counted in the hour or minute equivalent.

Some states establish additional guidelines school districts must follow to transition to a four-day week, but do not monitor the process directly or track the number of districts opting into such a schedule. Other states require districts to submit their four-day plans to the state education commissioner or superintendent for approval. In California, districts can only be granted permission to adopt a four-day week if specific legislation is passed. California also enacted legislation in 2014 stipulating that any school not meeting its academic performance targets would have its authority to operate on a four-day schedule revoked.

Pros and Cons of the Four-Day Week

Proponents of four-day school weeks say that even though cost savings are minimal, they are achieved. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that attendance improves; parents and teachers can schedule doctor's appointments and other weekday commitments for Fridays rather than during school days. District administrators also claim that the appeal of a four-day work week helps recruit teachers in areas where it is consistently difficult to attract new staff.

Opponents argue that longer school days are difficult for students, particularly those in elementary grades. Four-day school weeks can also pose a challenge to families who are unable to find affordable, enriching care arrangements on the fifth weekday. Further, students who are food insecure may not have access to sufficient meals during the off day. If optional activities are offered by schools on the fifth day, lack of transportation could limit access.

What the Research Says

Education researchers have pointed out that little is known about the effects of a four-day week on student outcomes. While large-scale research studies have yet to be performed, some state-specific studies have been published. The results are mixed; one study of students in Colorado showed a statistically significant improvement in math scores among students on a four-day schedule, while a similar study found no significant differences in student performance.

An report from Oregon State University showed a temporary decline in academic performance among students who switched to a four-day schedule, particularly among minority, low-income, and special needs students. Four years after the transition, student performance in four-day schools was not significantly different from that of five-day schools. These results make it difficult to draw conclusions about the effects on student outcomes.

A recent study in Colorado revealed another potential negative consequence of four-day weeks: increased juvenile crime. The authors estimate that shifting to a four-day schedule increases juvenile arrests for property crime-especially larceny- by 73 percent, but there was no change in drug-related or violent crimes. The increase in property crime was observed on all days of the week, not just spiking on the day when school is not in session.

Future of the Four-Day Week

There is not yet a complete picture of how four-day school weeks impact students and their families, but it is clear that more districts are adopting the schedule each year. While these districts are primarily smaller and rural, a few notable exceptions have raised questions about the possibility of more urban districts moving toward a four-day week.

Colorado School District 27J, located in the Denver metro area, announced that it would move to a four-day week starting in the 2018-19 school year. With an enrollment of more than 17,000, it is by far the largest district in the state to adopt the four-day schedule. For a fee, the district provides full-day child care on Mondays for students age 5 to 12, but the district is still evaluating needs and capacity for these programs. The local Boys & Girls Club also expanded its services on Mondays.

Additional Resources

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national conference of state legislatures

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Shortening the school week to four days has become an increasingly common trend over the last decade. Reasons for implementing the shorter week vary, but most school districts implement a shorter week seeking to cut costs due to budget constraints.

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Small, rural schools going to a four-day week of classes

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Small, rural schools going to a four-day week of classes

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Newsela | Small, rural schools going to a four-day week of classes

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With their students off on Mondays, the schools have teachers come in for staff development sessions and technology training. Advocates say this means better-prepared teachers.

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Why You Should Use a Water Dispenser in Your School

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Why You Should Use a Water Dispenser in Your School

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When one school year ends, it doesn't mean that teachers and faculty can take a break. In fact, from the time the last class lets out in the summer to the first day of school in the fall, school employees preparing for the year to come. From purchasing classroom supplies to organizing class rosters and lesson plans, there's a lot to get done in such a short amount of time. While you might be busy with all these other tasks, it's crucial that you find at least a little bit of time to optimize access to water. Just like we need food to keep us energized and healthy, water is crucial to keeping everyone in the school system feeling well and engaged in the classroom. It's a basic human need that maintains everyone's health while promoting a more productive work environment. These are a few of the reasons why you should use a water dispenser in your school and how it makes a difference in student performance.

Benefits for Students

When it comes to optimizing the school environment, it's a given that many of the reasons for doing so relate back to the students. For eight hours a day-not including extracurricular activities-schools are trusted to care for each child and ensure that their basic needs are being met. Water is one of these factors that can go a long way in creating a comfortable and healthy environment for each child to learn and have fun in. Other benefits students gain by having water dispensers installed in their school include the following:

Guaranteed Access to Cool, Clean Water

Half the battle of supplying water to a school is the ability to make it easily accessible to everyone. With several different areas to cover, proper placement is key to ensuring that everyone has an equal chance of obtaining water during the day at any time. Because water dispensers are easy to install in various locations, they can be placed to best suit the students' needs. This way, with a reliable water dispenser nearby at all times, students are more likely to go refill their water bottles rather than wait until their next class.

Accommodates the Entire Student Population

Another struggle that schools often face when providing their students with water is supplying it in a way that allows everyone to get their fill in a timely manner. There's only so much time during passing period for students to grab their books, get a drink, and make it to class before the bell. So, if the nearest water fountain happens to have a mile-long line, students feel as though they need to go without. Fortunately, since water dispensers are incredibly affordable, they can be installed as needed to make the high-traffic areas more accommodating.

Prevents Dehydration and Improves Health

Dehydration affects our students just as much as it does us during the day. In fact, students actually have a greater chance of becoming dehydrated as they typically only drink when they feel thirsty rather than periodically over a longer period. Dehydration slows our body's ability to perform the foundational functions that keep us healthy and feeling good. As such, when students aren't drinking enough, it's significantly easier for them to get sick and miss essential days of education. Therefore, providing them with access to more water allows them to keep themselves hydrated and in better health for longer.

Increases Student Focus and Performance

Additionally, when students are healthy, they also show better focus and overall performance when asked to complete tasks in class. This is because their brains are functioning to their fullest potential rather than being inhibited by dehydration. Over time, these students begin to show more alertness, better comprehensive abilities, and more engagement. So, encouraging students to drink more water, and providing them with the means to do so, can even help them get more out of their education.

Benefits for the School

Those aren't all the reasons why you should use a water dispenser in your school. These efficient and high-quality devices also provide benefits to the faculty, staff, and even the school administration. Some of the effects you can expect to see from using water dispensers in your school include:

Faculty and Staff Can Use Them

Though the students will be using the dispensers most of the time, it's just as important for teachers and school staff to keep hydrated during a busy school day. Otherwise, they also risk not being able to perform to their fullest potential. Fortunately, in installing water dispensers in various areas throughout the school, they can have access to as much water as they need.

Overall Cost-Effectiveness

Another important benefit for your school is the general budget savings. While it might seem as though these pieces of equipment would be incredibly expensive to acquire, install, and maintain, they're actually the opposite. Believe it or not, the price of purchasing water dispensers for your school is significantly more affordable than it would be to supply the students with bottled water. This already makes water dispensers a much better deal than other methods. Additionally, many water cooler supply companies even offer sales or discounts for bulk orders and may even throw in a free service plan to keep you as a loyal customer. This way, you won't even need to worry about keeping up with the equipment's maintenance.

Reduced Impact on the Environment

Finally, purchasing bottleless water dispensers also reduces the impact your school has on the environment. With many current issues revolving around the state of our planet, this is the perfect opportunity to lead by example and teach students what it means to recycle. By reducing the number of plastic bottles used in your school, it's easy to show just how much of an impact one lifestyle change can make for the greater good of the planet.

From private homes to public schools and office complexes, we at H2O Coolers devote ourselves to providing quality water dispensers wherever individuals need them the most. Having access to clean and healthy drinking water is a foundational human need, and we want to ensure that everyone has enough to stay healthy and active in their lives. We also offer water cooler service in the New York City area to provide you with the reassurance that, even should your device break down, you'll never be without water.

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Why You Should Use a Water Dispenser in Your School

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When one school year ends, it doesn't mean that teachers and faculty can take a break. In fact, from the time the last class lets out in the summer to the first day of school in the fall, school employees preparing for the year to come.

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Should The Parkland Shooting Change How We Think About Phones, Schools and Safety?

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Should The Parkland Shooting Change How We Think About Phones, Schools and Safety?

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While Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was on lockdown, with an active shooter in the building, students were on their phones.

They were tweeting. They were posting on Snapchat and sending videos to friends and family. They were calling their parents to let them know they were safe and texting classmates to find out if they had survived.

Some of those posts may become evidence in the case of Nikolas Cruz, who has, according to court documents, confessed to the killing of 17 students and school personnel. This visceral record of the horrifying events of Feb. 14 is helping motivate a new conversation about gun control.

And we can only imagine the relief of the families who learned, in the moment, that their children were alive.

According to Education Week, "One girl was so emotional and overwhelmed that she handed her phone to her teacher, who reassured her mother: 'They're well taken care of. We're secure. No one is going to come in here. I will make sure that these children will be fine.' "

But do smartphones in students' hands really make schools safer? Or do they just make them feel safer? And could there be a cost to that feeling?

Ken Trump has been a school security consultant for 30 years. When he started, pagers were pretty much the only devices carried by students, and those were often associated with drug dealing or gang activity. With the advent of cellphones and then smartphones, "I was originally: No. Period," from a security standpoint, he says. But now, "the reality is, the horse is out of the barn."

That does seem to be the case. As of 2015, the Pew Research Center reported that 73 percent of teenagers had smartphones. As the devices have become more common, and among younger and younger students, schools seem to have thrown up their hands.

NEA Today, the publication of the National Education Association, reported in 2016 that 70 percent of districts across the country that had once banned student phones reversed themselves and now allow them.

This is, in part, because of parents who plead that they need to reach students during the day to ensure their safety.

Daniel Domenech, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, told NPR that in general, the organization advises school districts to let students have phones on them during the school day. "You can see the advantage of being able to communicate easily" in light of the Parkland shooting, he said.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, the nation's second largest teachers' union, tells NPR in an email: "Every day, but especially in a crisis, cellphones give parents peace of mind. The reality is that kids need access to cellphones to get to and from school safely and to let parents know they're OK." While districts should be free to make their own rules, Weingarten says, "we must recognize cellphones as an essential safety and security tool."

Safety. Peace of mind. It makes deep, intuitive sense. But there may be more to the story.

Ken Trump, the security expert, says phones can actually make us less safe in a crisis such as the one in Parkland. He ticks off several reasons:

1. Using phones can distract people from the actions they need to be taking in the moment, such as running, hiding and listening to directions from first responders.

2. The sound of the phone, whether ringing or on vibrate, could alert an assailant to a hiding place.

3. The shooter could be monitoring the event themselves on social media and find more victims or elude capture that way.

4. Victims and worried family members trying to get through can jam communications, interfering with first responders.

"Without a doubt, the cellphones provide an emotional security blanket for parents and kids," Trump says. As a father himself, "I get that, my heart is there."

And he acknowledges that in some cases, in the hands of responsible parties, phones might help keep people safe. That same Education Week story found that while in lockdown, a teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Jim Gard, coordinated with other teachers over email and asked his students to text classmates to make sure people were accounted for.

Nevertheless, says Trump, the weight of the evidence is against having free access to phones in a crisis. "I'm in a rare position professionally where I understand the downsides of it."

But schools, and school leadership, aren't necessarily seeing those downsides. Maybe that is because there is no one federal agency responsible for disseminating information or training on security and crisis procedures for schools, including on the use of phones. The Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and Justice all offer resources but take a "piecemeal" approach, according to a 2016 report by the Government Accountability Office.

On a normal day, the debate over smartphones in the classroom is about student distraction vs. potential boons to learning. The more typical way they become a safety issue is if students are using them to bully or threaten one another. But some of the policies that schools are adopting to try to mitigate the negatives while preserving the positives of phones may also help in an emergency.

For example, there is a company called Yondr that markets a patented locking pouch for phones. It's in use by schools, concerts and events. The company's own research concurs with Trump's findings about the downsides of having general and unlimited access to phones in an emergency. In response, their system allows for teachers and other responsible parties to control access to the phones without making them entirely inaccessible.

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Should The Parkland Shooting Change How We Think About Phones, Schools and Safety?

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While Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was on lockdown, with an active shooter in the building, students were on their phones. They were tweeting. They were posting on Snapchat and sending videos to friends and family. They were calling their parents to let them know they were safe and texting classmates to find out if they had survived.

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WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF 4-DAY SCHOOL WEEKS?

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WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF 4-DAY SCHOOL WEEKS?

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What are the Pros and Cons of 4-Day School Weeks? - The Edvocate

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Spread the loveThe four-day school is a phenomenon that has been sweeping across the U.S. When I was a teacher, many moons ago, this was a fringe schooling schedule only practiced by rural school districts. Why did they switch to 4-day school weeks? It was a kneejerk response to dwindling education…

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The four-day school week: Research behind the trend

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The four-day school week: Research behind the trend

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To save money and help with teacher recruitment, a growing number of public schools are taking Fridays off. We've gathered research on the benefits and consequences of four-day school weeks.

We have updated this post, originally published on June 5, 2018, to include new figures, research and other information.
To save money and help with teacher recruitment, numerous school districts in the United States have decided to give students and employees Fridays off. An estimated 560 districts in 25 states have allowed at least one of their schools to adopt a four-day school week, with most moving to a Monday-to-Thursday schedule, according to the National Conference of State Legislators. Generally, schools make up for the lost day by adding extra time to the remaining four days.

Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico and South Dakota are among the states leading the trend, which is especially popular in rural areas in the Midwest. In Colorado alone, 111 out of the state's 178 school districts are using a compressed schedule, The Colorado Sun reports. Meanwhile, four-day scheduling started spreading so quickly across New Mexico that lawmakers have placed a moratorium on the practice until state leaders can study its impact on student performance and working-class families.

Just days ago, school board members in Norfolk, Arkansas voted unanimously to move to a four-day week for their district beginning next school year - the second district in the state to do so. News reports show that education officials in Alaska, Missouri, Montana, Oregon and Wyoming are currently debating the option.

Critics point out the change can be tough on lower-income parents, who may have trouble paying for childcare on the day their kids no longer have class. Also, low-income students rely on public schools for almost half their meals - breakfasts and lunches during the week. Paul T. Hill, a research professor at the University of Washington Bothell who founded the Center on Reinventing Public Education, has argued that while some adults like the new schedule, this "troubling development" could end up hurting rural students.

"The idea has proved contagious because adults like it: Teachers have more free time, and stay-at-home parents like the convenience of taking kids to doctors and doing errands on Friday," Hill co-wrote in a piece published on the Brown Center Chalkboard blog in 2017. "If local leaders are lucky, graduates of these schools won't be any less well educated than their siblings who went to school all week. But, in an environment where young rural adults already suffer from isolation and low economic opportunity, the shorter school week could exacerbate their problems."

It appears that while a truncated schedule does cut costs, the savings is small. A 2011 report from the Education Commission of the States examined six school districts and found that switching to a four-day schedule helped them shave their budgets by 0.4 percent to 2.5 percent. "In the Duval [County, Florida] school district, moving to a four-day week produced only a 0.7 percent savings, yet that resulted in a budget reduction of $7 million. That $7 million could be used to retain up to 70 teaching positions," the report states.

Scholars have conducted little peer-reviewed research on the topic in recent years. To help journalists cover this issue, we've pulled together some of the newest academic journal articles and government reports. Below, we also provide links to other resources, including a 50-state comparison of local laws outlining student instructional time requirements.

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"Three Midwest Rural School Districts' First Year Transition to the Four Day School Week"
Turner, Jon; Finch, Kim; Uribe-Zarain, Ximena. The Rural Educator, 2019. DOI: 10.35608/ruraled.v40i1.529.

Abstract: "The four-day school week is a concept that has been utilized in rural schools for decades to respond to budgetary shortfalls. There has been little peer-reviewed research on the four-day school week that has focused on the perception of parents who live in school districts that have recently switched to the four-day model. This study collects data from 584 parents in three rural Missouri school districts that have transitioned to the four-day school week within the last year. Quantitative statistical analysis identifies significant differences in the perceptions of parents classified by the age of children, special education identification, and free and reduced lunch status. Strong parental support for the four-day school week was identified in all demographic areas investigated; however, families with only elementary aged children and families with students receiving special education services were less supportive than other groups."

Abstract: "We leverage the adoption of a four-day school week across schools within the jurisdiction of rural law enforcement agencies in Colorado to examine the causal link between school attendance and youth crime. Those affected by the policy attend school for the same number of hours each week as students on a typical five-day week; however, treated students do not attend school on Friday. This policy allows us to learn about two aspects of the school-crime relationship that have previously been unstudied: one, the effects of a frequent and permanent schedule change on short-term crime, and two, the impact that school attendance has on youth crime in rural areas. Our difference-in-difference estimates show that following policy adoption, agencies containing students on a four-day week experience about a 20 percent increase in juvenile criminal offenses, where the strongest effect is observed for property crime."

Abstract: "The four-day school week is a concept that has been utilized in rural schools for decades to respond to budgetary shortfalls. There has been little peer-reviewed research on the four-day school week that has focused on the perception of staff that work in school districts that have recently switched to the four-day model. This study collects data from 136 faculty and staff members in three rural Missouri school districts that have transitioned to the four-day school week within the last year. Quantitative statistical analysis identifies strong support of the four-day school week model from both certified educational staff and classified support staff perspectives. All staff responded that the calendar change had improved staff morale, and certified staff responded that the four-day week had a positive impact on what is taught in classrooms and had increased academic quality. Qualitative analysis identifies staff suggestions for schools implementing the four-day school week including the importance of community outreach prior to implementation. No significant differences were identified between certified and classified staff perspectives. Strong staff support for the four-day school week was identified in all demographic areas investigated. Findings support conclusions made in research in business and government sectors that identify strong employee support of a compressed workweek across all work categories."

Abstract: "The four-day school week is a concept that has been utilized in rural schools in the United States for decades and the number of schools moving to the four-day school week is growing. In many rural communities, the school district is the largest regional employer which provides a region with permanent, high paying jobs that support the local economy. This study collects data from 71 community and business leaders in three rural school districts that have transitioned to the four-day school week within the last year. Quantitative statistical analysis is used to investigate the perceptions of community and business leaders related to the economic impact upon their businesses and the community and the impact the four-day school week has had upon perception of quality of the school district. Significant differences were identified between community/business leaders that currently have no children in school as compared to community/business leaders with children currently enrolled in four-day school week schools. Overall, community/business leaders were evenly divided concerning the economic impact on their businesses and the community. Community/business leaders' perceptions of the impact the four-day school week was also evenly divided concerning the impact on the quality of the school district. Slightly more negative opinions were identified related to the economic impact on the profitability of their personal businesses which may impact considerations by school leaders. Overall, community/business leaders were evenly divided when asked if they would prefer their school district return to the traditional five-day week school calendar."

"Impact of a 4-Day School Week on Student Academic Performance, Food Insecurity, and Youth Crime"
Report from the Oklahoma State Department of Health's Office of Partner Engagement, 2017.

Summary: "A Health Impact Assessment (HIA) utilizes a variety of data sources and analytic methods to evaluate the consequences of proposed or implemented policy on health. A rapid (HIA) was chosen to research the impact of the four-day school week on youth. The shift to a four-day school week was a strategy employed by many school districts in Oklahoma to address an $878 million budget shortfall, subsequent budget cuts, and teacher shortages. The HIA aimed to assess the impact of the four-day school week on student academic performance, food insecurity, and juvenile crime ... An extensive review of literature and stakeholder engagement on these topic areas was mostly inconclusive or did not reveal any clear-cut evidence to identify effects of the four-day school week on student outcomes - academic performance, food insecurity or juvenile crime. Moreover, there are many published articles about the pros and cons of the four-day school week, but a lack of comprehensive research is available on the practice."

Abstract: "School districts use a variety of policies to close budget gaps and stave off teacher layoffs and furloughs. More schools are implementing four-day school weeks to reduce overhead and transportation costs. The four-day week requires substantial schedule changes as schools must increase the length of their school day to meet minimum instructional hour requirements. Although some schools have indicated this policy eases financial pressures, it is unknown whether there is an impact on student outcomes. We use school-level data from Colorado to investigate the relationship between the four-day week and academic performance among elementary school students. Our results generally indicate a positive relationship between the four-day week and performance in reading and mathematics. These findings suggest there is little evidence that moving to a four-day week compromises student academic achievement. This research has policy relevance to the current U.S. education system, where many school districts must cut costs."
Other resources Looking for more research on public schools? Check out our other collections of research on student lunches, school uniforms, teacher salaries and teacher misconduct.
Teacher salaries impact the types of educators working in schools

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The four-day school week: Research behind the trend

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To save money and help with teacher recruitment, a growing number of public schools are taking Fridays off. We've gathered research on the benefits and consequences of four-day school weeks. We have updated this post, originally published on June 5, 2018, to include new figures, research and other information.

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25 States Are Testing 4-Day School Weeks—Will Yours Be Next?

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25 States Are Testing 4-Day School Weeks—Will Yours Be Next?

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Making the switch to a four-day school week is a growing trend in districts across the country. Once a practice reserved for rural districts, the idea is catching on in suburban and urban areas as well. Research by The National Conference of State Legislatures estimates 560 school districts in 25 states have at least one school with a four-day schedule. Leading the charge are Colorado (55%), New Mexico (43%), Idaho (38%), and Oregon (32%).

SOURCE: Center on Reinventing Public Education

While the majority of districts cite financial reasons as the major reason for making the change, the concept has issues on both sides, from academic achievement and equity issues to life-work balance and teacher retention.

Pros to a Four-Day School Week

Financial Benefits

Most school districts cite budget constraints as the top reason for making the change. Cutting back services to four days a week helps districts reduce overhead costs, particularly in the categories of building operations and maintenance, transportation and food service. Although a report from the Education Commission of the States declares the overall savings small (an average savings of between 0.4% and 2.5%) the difference can lead to big savings. In Duval County School District in Jacksonville, Florida, moving to a four-day week produced only a paltry-sounding 0.7 percent savings. But that figure translated to a budget reduction of $7 million.

More Teachers

Proponents claim a four-day work week helps attract and retain quality teachers. After Colorado's District 27J switched to four-day school weeks, their recruiting prospects jumped from a handful of applicants to over 100 per opening. This includes what superintendent Chris Fiedler calls "harder vacancies," such as special ed and secondary math positions. In addition, the pool included more highly qualified applicants with master's degrees and special certifications. Most impressive, the district's teacher turnover rate dropped from over 21 percent to just 13 percent this year.

Improved Quality of Life

Compacting school into just four days a week leaves more time for kids to spend with family, friends and outside interests. Older students can spend time engaging in resumé-building public service or paid work. Teachers have more time to prepare lessons and collaborate during the day.

In addition, having an extra day each week to schedule appointments and family trips results in improved attendance. After all, when each day counts as 25% of the learning, students are less likely to miss a day. Looking forward to a three-day weekend each week leads to greater work-life balance for teachers, which leads to improved staff morale and a positive impact on what is taught in classrooms.

Cons to a Four-Day School Week

It's inequitable.

Opponents of the four-day school week point out the difficulties for lower income families. Finding childcare for just one day a week is often difficult and costly. And since most adults work five days a week, chances are that many children will simply find themselves in non-school "school" settings, like daycares, on the remaining day. It's not exactly the idyllic three-day weekend that proponents of the adjusted schedule put forth.

Not to mention, many students rely on school food services for the majority of their meals. For these children, adding an extra day to the weekend comes at a real cost.

Longer days are tough on the youngest learners.

School days are long enough for preschoolers, kindergarteners and primary students. Switching to a four-day school week extends the school day by an hour to an hour and a half. With limited capacity for learning and retention, these long days may have negatively affect achievement and students' attitudes.

Extracurriculars are adversely affected.

Students who wish to participate in after school sports and clubs may have fewer opportunities, especially if other schools in their district operate on different hours. In addition, transportation may not be available because of late start and finish times.

Kids need structure.

Some opponents worry about the unstructured, unsupervised free time that goes with a shorter school week. One study of schools in Colorado showed a direct correlation between a four day schedule and juvenile crime. Juvenile arrests for property crimes, especially larceny, increased by 73%, although no change was reported in drug related or violent crimes.

When it comes to academic outcomes, the jury is still out.

Opinions differ when it comes to measuring student achievement in the context of the four-day school week. One study, reported in Education Finance and Policy, reports a positive relationship between the four-day week and student performance in reading and math, using standardized test results. Another study, cited in Rural Educator, found no significant difference in the mean levels of overall academic achievement between four-day districts and five-day districts. However, an unpublished Oregon study found a temporary decline in academic performance among minority, low-income and special needs students, in particular. Time and more research are needed to determine whether the change leads to positive or negative results.
Has your district made the move to a four-day week? If so, come share your experience in our WeAreTeacher HELPLINE group on Facebook. Plus, what teachers need if the U.S. ever wants to see another globally-competitive generation.

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25 States Are Testing 4-Day School Weeks-Will Yours Be Next?

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Making the switch to a four-day school week is a growing trend in districts across the country. Once a practice reserved for rural districts, the idea is catching on in suburban and urban areas as well. Research by The National Conference of State Legislatures estimates 560 school districts in 25 states have at least one school with a four-day schedule.

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Video:  PBS NewsHour:  What this school district learned from a 4-day week. (7:41)

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Video:  PBS NewsHour:  What this school district learned from a 4-day week. (7:41)

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What this school district learned from a 4-day week

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Video: Why Schools Should Start Later Podcast (3:05)

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Video: Why Schools Should Start Later Podcast (3:05)

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Why Schools Should Start Later – Video Podcast

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Video: Teens show improved grades, attendance with later school start time, researchers find (2:21)

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Video: Teens show improved grades, attendance with later school start time, researchers find (2:21)

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Teens show improved grades, attendance with later school start time, researchers find

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Video: Bottle Fill Stations Bring Cleaner Water to Crockett High (1:34)

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Video: Bottle Fill Stations Bring Cleaner Water to Crockett High (1:34)

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Bottle Fill Stations Bring Cleaner Water to Crockett High

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Video: There’s a Cell Phone in Your Student’s Head (2:04)

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Video: There’s a Cell Phone in Your Student’s Head (2:04)

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There's a Cell Phone in Your Student's Head

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Video: Banning cell phones in the classroom? (3:01)

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Video: Banning cell phones in the classroom? (3:01)

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FOND DU LAC - It's official: Fond du Lac High School's football field will get makeover, including artificial turf after the school board approved spending up to $5.3 million this week for the project.

The motion passed 5-2, with board members Linda Uselmann, Mark Henschel, Brittany Hoerth, Tom Schreiter and Mark Jurgella voting in favor and Susan Jones and Richard Gedemer against.

In addition to the turf, the improvements would also include bleachers and lighting upgrades. Although $5.3 million would be the maximum cost, it could be as low as $4.4 million, Jurgella said.

Football, track and soccer teams would use the field, as would the marching band and physical education classes.
RELATED: Fond du Lac School Board discussion on artificial turf at high school focuses on cost, necessity
In an email to the board, high school band director Chris Barnes said the band would often have to practice in the parking lot at night due to the condition of the field, Jurgella said.

Gedemer opposed the project, calling it a non-academic expense, referencing the history of government-mandated education.

"The law is to get an education. That's the goal of this district and every school district that exists," he said. "Personally, I'd like to see every school district student obtain a full academic program before I put one dollar into anything else."

Gedemer said he respects the rights and desires of taxpayers in the district and tried to put the issue up referendum for voters to decide, but his effort to amend the resolution failed without a second.

Jones agreed with Gedemer about the project being unrelated to education, calling the spending "frivolous."

Usselmann argued that turf would prepare students for the fields on which they would be competing, noting Fond du Lac is the last district in the conference to make the switch to turf, and that the price will rise if it waits.

Because gym classes and extracurricular activities also would use the field, the project goes beyond just football, Hoerth said.

Schreiter said the project would attract students to extracurriculars that would benefit them beyond school.

"What they do in the classroom isn't exactly what they're going to get at that next level," he said. "So to have something like this, that they can use on a day to basis, gives us the ability to create more well-rounded students."

Henschel backed the project for the increase in student engagement.

"If we engage the students at every single level, the performance of the academics should follow," he said. "Let's give them something that has the Fondy pride behind it to get them involved."

What's next for Fruth Field? Community possibilities are vast

The district shared the current field, Fruth Field, with St. Mary Springs Academy, but flooding and regular wear and tear often wreak havoc on the field.

St. Mary Springs built its own artificial turf field last year, and with the new field coming to Fond du Lac High School, the question arose on the future of Fruth Field.

As a football field, the use of Furth was limited in order to protect the grass, but when the two new high school fields are up and running, the Fruth Field gates could open to the community, Henschel said.

Possibilities include letting the residents walk the track, holding YMCA flag football there instead of at Buttermilk Creek Park and giving use to the Boys and Girls Club and Big Brothers Big Sisters, Henschel said.
Contact Daphne Lemke at dlemke@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @daphlemke. RELATED: RELATED: Alliant Energy's community solar garden - Wisconsin's first - is now operating in Fond du Lac Fond du Lac city, county elections: Who's running for local government office, judgeships this spring?
In the mean time, the next step will be to take requests for proposal and bids on the project, Superintendent Jeffrey Flieg said.

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Fond du Lac school board approves high school field improvements, including artificial turf

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FOND DU LAC - It's official: Fond du Lac High School's football field will get makeover, including artificial turf after the school board approved spending up to $5.3 million this week for the project. The motion passed 5-2, with board members Linda Uselmann, Mark Henschel, Brittany Hoerth, Tom Schreiter and Mark Jurgella voting in favor and Susan Jones and Richard Gedemer against.

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White House talent show supports the arts in schools

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White House talent show supports the arts in schools

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Newsela | White House talent show supports the arts in schools

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First lady Michelle Obama hosts the White House's first student talent show to push for more arts in education, and the president makes a surprise guest appearance.

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The rallying cry in Boston is, don't sacrifice children's education

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The rallying cry in Boston is, don't sacrifice children's education

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Newsela | The rallying cry in Boston is, don't sacrifice children's education

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Public school teachers, students and supporters gathered on the Boston Common in Massachusetts to rally in support of increased funding for local schools.

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Newsela | How Massachusetts pays for its schools

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Massachusetts requires cities and towns to spend a minimum amount of money on schools, and the state provides funding so less-wealthy towns can meet the target. Richer towns spend more.

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Football or Music? What’s the Best K-12 Investment? (5)

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Football or Music? What’s the Best K-12 Investment? (5)

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In a perfect world, all high school activities would be fully funded. But to educators struggling to find the financial means to establish and pay for educational priorities, it is clear that we do not live in a perfect world.

Today's schools are subjected to growing pressures from increased academic standards and the expectation that they will provide all of their students with an education worthy of the 21st century. These demands must be met, moreover, in a climate of sharply declining resources. The world is changing at breathtaking speed, and the challenges inherent in responding to that change are daunting. So, too, are the economic stresses on schools.

All that being the case, communities and school boards have to be more open, honest, thoughtful, and strategic in considering how to allocate scarce educational resources. When program cuts are necessary, priorities must be set and difficult choices made. Traditionally, one choice has been between fielding elite athletics programs and maintaining enriching programs in the arts-with the arts usually being the first to suffer. Because the challenges and funding gaps for schools will only increase, such decisionmaking will become more and more difficult.

In such an environment, the fundamental question we should ask about program funding is this: Which activities produce the best educational return on investment? And the first principle in making such decisions should be clear: We can no longer afford to sponsor activities based only on anecdotal evidence of benefit, or simply because we have always done so, or because a particular activity's "lobby" screams the loudest.

The decisions also must be made with the recognition that the American economy has changed from one based on industrial might to one driven by technology, creativity, collaboration, and innovation. Simply put, every issue the nation faces, whether relating to health care, the environment, or geopolitics, bears the stamp-and holds the complexity-of an increasingly fast-paced and interconnected world. There is no way to effectively meet the challenges wrought by change and complexity without developing in our people greater creativity, social adaptability, and the ability to think more broadly and with greater depth.

What does this mean for decisionmaking on priorities and funding? First, we must rethink the criteria we use. For too long, educators have relied primarily on personal experiences and anecdotal evidence in making decisions about extracurricular programs. That is no longer enough. Decisions must also be driven by fact, data, and research. Fortunately, there is a growing research base on the impact of both football and music on student learning and engagement, brain function, academic environment, and health (both individual and public) to draw on.

Because a more thorough understanding of the wide range of issues surrounding these activities is imperative, I recently conducted a return-on-investment analysis of the effectiveness as educational tools of football (because it consumes by far the most resources of school athletic departments) and music (because it is the arts-program component with which I am most familiar).

The purpose was clear and simple: to present a thoughtful, thorough, and clear-eyed assessment of the relative value of football versus music programs in providing students with learning experiences most suited to the 21st century.

As a life-long athlete and musician who believes in the power of both sports and music to change people's lives, this investigation has been a long and, at times, disconcerting journey. But here's where my experience and the data have led.

There are several areas-student engagement; development of positive character traits such as self-discipline, teamwork, and personal responsibility; and capacity to bring people together to build community-in which both football and music have similar positive impacts. There is little, if any, difference, for example, between the sacrifices made, lessons learned, and effort required as a sports-team member whose goal is winning games and a band member who is working to achieve a particular "sound."

But from there, the similarities mostly end. When considering the broadest impact on education over the longest period of time, music programs are far superior to football programs in return on dollars invested.

Consider music's pluses: the capacity to be a lifelong participatory-learning activity (football, for all but a select few, ends after high school); the fact that music is a universal language (football is uniquely American); its gender inclusiveness; a far lower cost-per-student ratio; the potential it offers as an essential platform for international and interdisciplinary studies; and its effectiveness in strengthening the brain's neural activity and development (versus the possibility, if not the likelihood, of sustaining brain trauma). Finally, the effectiveness of sports as an educational tool has been steadily diminishing as athletic programs have become more about the end result-winning-and less about the process (learning).

Given contemporary social and economic realities, many have questioned the wisdom of continuing to teach with curricular offerings and methods more suited to the industrial needs of the 20th century. Would it not also be wise to question the activities we sponsor at schools in light of current needs? Are we sacrificing in budget battles and narrowed thinking the most effective tools in our educational arsenal for teaching creativity? I believe we are. Music produces results much more in sync with a creative, information-based global economy and world community.

This is not to say that football does not have a place in our society. It does. Rather, the question is whether that place should continue to be within our education system.

In the end, the dialogue about these funding decisions must be more thorough, reasoned, honest, and data-driven. With increased expectations and decreased resources comes a smaller margin for error. We have to make every dollar count.

When dealing with the programs and activities that add so much to the human dimension of learning, we need the courage and commitment to go where logic, truth, and data take us. Despite the fact that some of the answers to our sports-versus-arts conundrum may be uncomfortable or inconvenient, educators should welcome the discussion. If we approach it honestly, the end result will be better schools, serving our children and communities more effectively. Isn't that what we all want and what our nation needs?

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Football or Music? What's the Best K-12 Investment? (Opinion)

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In a perfect world, all high school activities would be fully funded. But to educators struggling to find the financial means to establish and pay for educational priorities, it is clear that we do not live in a perfect world.

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Why your kid should read banned books (1)

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Why your kid should read banned books (1)

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What do " The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," " The Catcher in the Rye," " The Great Gatsby," " Native Son," " To Kill a Mockingbird," " Fahrenheit 451" and " The Adventures of Captain Underpants " have in common? At one time or another, someone has tried to ban them from classrooms and public or school libraries.

The American Library Association launched Banned Books Week in 1982 to celebrate the freedom to read. Libraries, bookstores, publishers and teachers across the country use the week - this year it's Sept. 22-28 - to highlight great books that people have banned and to spark a discussion about censorship. At Common Sense Media, we think reading banned books offers families a chance to celebrate reading and promotes open access to ideas, both of which are keys to raising a lifelong reader.

Why do people ban books? Often it's for religious or political reasons: An idea, a scene or a character in the book offends their religion, sense of morality or political view. Some folks feel they need to protect children from the cursing, morally offensive behavior or racially insensitive language in a book. Or they think a book's content is too violent or too sexual.

I don't censor the books my children read. I think they'll be stronger for it.

The Civil War novel " The Red Badge of Courage" has been banned for its graphic depictions of war. The edgy teen bestseller " The Perks of Being a Wallflower" has been banned for its descriptions of sexual behavior and alcohol and drug use. Profanity and an explicit scene featuring oral sex got " Looking for Alaska " on a banned list.

Who is challenging these books? Parents, school board members, individuals, groups - yet what's considered offensive may depend on the era or specific community. As the ALA argues, these challenges pose a threat to freedom of speech and choice - freedoms Americans hold dear and are worth standing up for.

Here are five good reasons for kids to read banned books:

Today's edgy is tomorrow's classic. Original work pushes boundaries in topic, theme, plot and structure. What's shocking today may be assigned in English class five or 10 years from now if it has true literary merit. " The Great Gatsby " is a high school staple today, but it was shocking when its gin-soaked pages were published in 1925.

There's more to a book than the swear words in it. Many books have been banned for language that your kid has encountered before or will encounter soon. Even potty humor (like in "Captain Underpants") has caused people to call for a ban. A character's language may add realism to the story, or it may seem gratuitous or distracting - your kids can make their own judgments.

Kids crave relatable books. Banned books often deal with subjects that are realistic, timely and topical. Young people may find a character going through exactly what they are, which makes it a powerful reading experience and helps the reader sort out thorny issues such as grief, divorce, sexual assault, bullying, prejudice and sexual identity. The compelling teen rebels story " The Outsiders " has been banned, yet many middle-schoolers cite it as the book that turned them into readers.

Controversial books are a type of virtual reality. Exploring complex topics such as sexuality, violence, substance abuse, suicide and racism through well-drawn characters lets kids contemplate morality and vast aspects of the human condition, build empathy for people unlike themselves and possibly discover a mirror of their own experience. " Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry " is an eye-opening story of an African American family facing racism in 1930s Mississippi, yet it has been banned for having racial slurs.

They'll kick off a conversation. What did people find so disturbing in a book that they wanted to ban it, and to what extent was it a product of its time or did it defy social norms of its era? For example, the Harry Potter books were banned by people who felt they promoted magic. Reading a challenged book is a learning experience and can help your kids define their own values and opinions of its content.

This piece first ran at Common Sense Media. Regan McMahon is deputy editor for books at Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that aims to help kids and parents navigate the world of media and technology.

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Perspective | Why your kid should read banned books

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What do " The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," " The Catcher in the Rye," " The Great Gatsby," " Native Son," " To Kill a Mockingbird," " Fahrenheit 451" and " The Adventures of Captain Underpants " have in common? At one time or another, someone has tried to ban them from classrooms and public or school libraries.

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How banning books marginalizes children (2)

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How banning books marginalizes children (2)

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Every year since 1982, an event known as Banned Books Week has brought attention to literary works frequently challenged by parents, schools, and libraries. The books in question sometimes feature scenes of violence or offensive language; sometimes they're opposed for religious reasons (as in the case of both Harry Potter and the Bible). But one unfortunate outcome is that 52 percent of the books challenged or banned in the last 10 years feature so-called "diverse content"-that is, they explore issues such as race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental illness, and disability. As a result, the organizers of Banned Books Week, which started Sunday, chose the theme "Celebrating Diversity" for 2016.

Since the inception of the American children's literature industry in the 1820s, publishers have had to grapple with the question of who their primary audience should be. Do kids' books cater to parents and adult cultural gatekeepers, or to young readers themselves? But as books that address issues of diversity face a growing number of challenges, the related question of which children both the industry and educators should serve has become more prominent recently. Who benefits when Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of Part-Time Indian, which deals with racism, poverty, and disability, is banned for language and "anti-Christian content"? Who's hurt when Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings's picture book I Am Jazz, about a transgender girl, is banned? The history of children's book publishing in America offers insight into the ways in which traditional attitudes about "appropriate" stories often end up marginalizing the lives and experiences of many young readers, rather than protecting them.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, debates over the target audience of the American children's-literature industry largely centered around the question of how much adults should trust children to choose what they read. Before the Civil War, the prevailing answer was "very little." Accordingly, kids' books and magazines addressed the instructional concerns of adults without worrying much about readers' interests. New entertainment options, from dime novels to nickelodeons, led to a greater effort to retaining children's attention by amusing them. Yet even as publishers focused more on engagement, they carefully avoided subjects that riled the parents who bought the books.

In researching my book Commercializing Childhood, I discovered that children's stories and magazines during the 19th century rarely discussed slavery. When the popular children's magazine The Juvenile Miscellany ran anti-slavery stories in the early 1830s, its largely New England-based audience abandoned it, and the magazine collapsed within 18 months. The outcome had a chilling effect on other publications. The subject of slavery had a brief revival during the war (when it served to highlight the evils of Southern society), but afterward the topic remained unpopular within the industry. Indeed, the recent #SlaveryWithASmile controversy over two books' depiction of slaves' lives indicates that publishers today still haven't figured out how to address the subject for younger children in a way that's both historically accurate and acceptable to parents.

When librarians and teachers reject works that may be "emotionally inappropriate" for children (a common reason), they're adhering to the traditional and mostly prevailing view that children's literature should avoid controversial topics. It's understandable that adults want to minimize children's anxiety, and schools are often under intense social and financial pressure to maintain established standards. But it 's also important to recognize that this tradition was established in the 19th century to serve the needs of the white, wealthy Protestant producers and consumers who have dominated the field of American children's literature for much of the past 200 years.

The distinction between books that have inspired calls for censorship (including series like Nancy Drew and The Hunger Games) versus the works that more often have actually been kept out of children's hands ( Huckleberry Finn, To Kill A Mockingbird, the novels of Judy Blume) reveals the insidious effects of this tradition. Whereas violence or elements of fantasy rarely leads to widespread censorship, concerns about race or sexuality are more likely to restrict circulation. It's an especially troubling tendency, considering the structural biases within the publishing industry that have made it harder for minority authors to get children's books published. In effect, this pattern means the industry serves those who benefit from the status quo, which is why most scholars see children's literature as a conservative force in American society.

There is an alternative tradition of using children's literature specifically to introduce more diverse perspectives to young readers that dates back to The Juvenile Miscellany, which encouraged empathy for American Indian and slave characters. This practice mostly remained economically and culturally marginalized until the 1960s, when books like Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day and Don Freeman's Corduroy began to naturalize the experiences of children of color. Around the same time, Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are and In The Night Kitchen challenged cultural taboos about addressing children's normal stages of psychological and emotional development.

Perhaps no recent book has illuminated the benefits of such an approach for young readers as much as R.J. Palacio's 2012 bestseller Wonder. This novel narrates the school year of 10-year-old Augie, a boy with a severe facial deformity, from his own perspective as well as those of the people that surround him. By encouraging children to imagine themselves in the place of Augie and his classmates, Wonder transports them beyond their own experiences and instills the feelings of empathy and humility that are an essential part of the reason why we tell stories.
Keeping books about certain types of children out of libraries perpetuates a vision of a sheltered American childhood that has rarely existed.
Despite Wonder's commercial success, a recent survey of 574 librarians by the School Library Journal suggests a trend toward a more conservative approach to producing and curating children's books. Content labels, restricted access areas, and self-censorship have all been on the rise since 2008, and in 2014, a group of children's book authors started the We Need Diverse Books campaign to highlight the lack of diversity in children's publishing.

Quiet decisions by libraries not to carry titles such as Kate Messner's The Seventh Wish, whose protagonist has an older sibling grappling with addiction, or Alex Gino's George, which is about the life of a transgender fourth-grader, reflect a resurgent fear and misinterpretation of difference. As Messner wrote on her blog after being disinvited from a planned school talk, "When we say 'This book is inappropriate,' we're telling those children 'your situation ... your family ... your life is inappropriate." More broadly, keeping books about certain types of children or experiences out of libraries or putting them on separate shelves perpetuates a troubling vision of a sheltered American childhood that in fact has rarely existed.

After publishing The Seventh Wish, Messner received several messages from librarians and parents concerned about the topics her book dealt with. One elementary-school librarian explained why she wouldn't share Messner's book with her students. "For now," the librarian said, "I just need the 10 and 11-year-olds biggest worry to be about friendships, summer camps, and maybe their first pimple or two." Messner responded by emphasizing a broader obligation that parents, teachers, writers, and publishers all share. "We don't serve only our children," Messner said. "We serve children in the real world."

That message of tolerance, compassion, and affirmation aligns with the values of Banned Books Week, as well as with the ideals of children's literary classics ranging from Little Women and Tom Sawyer to The Diary of Anne Frank and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. This shared sensibility is grounded in respect for young readers, which doesn't mean providing them with unfettered access to everything on the library shelves. Instead, it means that librarians, teachers, and parents curate children's choices with the goals of inspiring rather than obscuring new ideas. Such an approach allows kids to learn how to navigate imaginary worlds filled with differences, with the faith that they will apply those lessons to their own lives.

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Every year since 1982, an event known as Banned Books Week has brought attention to literary works frequently challenged by parents, schools, and libraries. The books in question sometimes feature scenes of violence or offensive language; sometimes they're opposed for religious reasons (as in the case of both Harry Potter and the Bible).

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This statement was originally developed in 1981, revised April 2009 to adhere to NCTE's Policy on Involvement of People of Color, and revised again in September 2018. The Right to Read and the Teacher of English
Overview: The Students' Right to Read provides resources that can be used to help discuss and ensure students' free access to all texts. The genesis of the Students' Right to Read was an original Council statement, "Request for Reconsideration of a Work," prepared by the Committee on the Right to Read of the National Council of Teachers of English and revised by Ken Donelson. The current Students' Right to Read statement represents an updated second edition that builds on the work of Council members dedicated to ensuring students the freedom to choose to read any text and opposing "efforts of individuals or groups to limit the freedom of choice of others." Supported through references from text challenges and links to resources, this statement discusses the history and dangers of text censorship which highlight the breadth and significance of the Students' Right to Read. The statement then culminates in processes that can be followed with different stakeholders when students' reading rights are infringed.

For many years, American schools have been pressured to restrict or deny students access to texts deemed objectionable by some individual or group. These pressures have mounted in recent years, and English teachers have no reason to believe they will diminish. The fight against censorship is a continuing series of skirmishes, not a pitched battle leading to a final victory over censorship.

We can safely make two statements about censorship: first, any text is potentially open to attack by someone, somewhere, sometime, for some reason; second, censorship is often arbitrary and irrational. For example, classics traditionally used in English classrooms have been accused of containing obscene, heretical, or subversive elements such as the following:

Plato's Republic: "the book is un-Christian"

Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days: "very unfavorable to Mormons"

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter: "a filthy book"

Shakespeare's Macbeth: "too violent for children today"

Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment: "a poor model for young people"

Herman Melville's Moby-Dick: "contains homosexuality"

Modern works, even more than the classics, are criticized with terms such as "filthy," "un-American," "overly realistic," and "anti-war." Some books have been attacked merely for being "controversial," suggesting that for some people the purpose of education is not the investigation of ideas but rather the indoctrination of a certain set of beliefs and standards. Referencing multiple years of research completed by the American Library Association (ALA), the following statements represent complaints typical of those made against modern works of literature:

D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye: "profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled"

John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath: "uses the name of God and Jesus in a vain and profane manner"

Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson's And Tango Makes Three: "anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group"

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird: "promotes racial hatred, racial division, racial separation, and promotes white supremacy"

Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia: "occult/Satanism, offensive language, violence"

Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye: "offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group"

Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings's I Am Jazz: "inaccurate, homosexuality, sex education, religious viewpoint, and unsuited for age group"

Some groups and individuals have also raised objections to literature written specifically for young people. As long as novels intended for young people stayed at the intellectual and emotional level of A Date for Marcy or A Touchdown for Thunderbird High, censors could forego criticism. But many contemporary novels for adolescents focus on the real world of young people-drugs, premarital sex, alcoholism, divorce, gangs, school dropouts, racism, violence, and sensuality. English teachers willing to defend classics and modern literature must be prepared to give equally spirited defense to serious and worthwhile children's and young adult novels.

Literature about minoritized ethnic or racial groups remains "controversial" or "objectionable" to many adults. As long as groups such as African Americans, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Latinxs "kept their proper place"-awarded them by a White society-censors rarely raised their voices. But attacks have increased in frequency as minoritized groups have refused to observe their assigned "place." Though nominally, the criticisms of literature about minoritized racial or ethnic groups have usually been directed at "bad language," "suggestive situations," "questionable literary merit," or "ungrammatical English" (usually oblique complaints about the different dialect or culture of a group), the underlying motive for some attacks has unquestionably been discriminatory. Typical of censors' criticisms of ethnic works are the following comments:

Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: "homosexuality, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group"

Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima: "occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, violence"

Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner: "sexual violence, religious themes, 'may lead to terrorism'"

Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian: "anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs/alcohol/smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence, depictions of bullying"

Books are not alone in being subject to censorship. Magazines or newspapers used, recommended, or referred to in English classes have increasingly drawn the censor's fire. Few libraries would regard their periodical collection as worthwhile or representative without some or all of the following publications, but all of them have been the target of censors on occasion:

National Geographic: "Nudity and sensationalism, especially in stories on barbaric foreign people."

Scholastic Magazine: "Doctrines opposing the beliefs of the majority, socialistic programs; promotes racial unrest and contains very detailed geography of foreign countries, especially those inhabited by dark people."

National Observer: "Right-wing trash with badly reported news."

New York Times: "That thing should be outlawed after printing the Pentagon Papers and helping our country's enemies."

The immediate results of demands to censor books or periodicals vary. At times, school boards and administrators have supported and defended their teachers, their use of materials under fire, and the student's right of access to the materials. At other times, however, special committees have been formed to cull out "objectionable works" or "modern trash" or "controversial literature." Some teachers have been summarily reprimanded for assigning certain works, even to mature students. Others have been able to retain their positions only after initiating court action.

Not as sensational, but perhaps more important, are the long range effects of censoring the rights of educators and students to self-select what they read and engage with. Schools have removed texts from libraries and classrooms and curricula have been changed when English teachers have avoided using or recommending works which might make some members of the community uncomfortable or angry. Over the course of their schooling, many students are consequently "educated" in a system that is hostile to critical inquiry and dialogue. And many teachers and other school staff learn to emphasize their own sense of comfort and safety rather than their students' needs.

The problem of censorship does not derive solely from the small anti-intellectual, ultra-moral, or ultra-patriotic groups which will typically function in a society that guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press. The present concern is rather with the frequency and force of attacks by others, often people of good will and the best intentions, some from within the teaching profession. The National Council of Teachers of English, the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, and the American Library Association, as well as the publishing industry and writers themselves agree: pressures for censorship are great throughout our society.
Where suspicion fills the air and holds scholars in line for fear of their jobs, there can be no exercise of the free intellect. . . . A problem can no longer be pursued with impunity to its edges. Fear stalks the classroom. The teacher is no longer a stimulant to adventurous thinking; she [sic] becomes instead a pipe line for safe and sound information. A deadening dogma takes the place of free inquiry. Instruction tends to become sterile; pursuit of knowledge is discouraged; discussion often leaves off where it should begin.
The material that follows is divided into two sections. The first on "The Right to Read" is addressed to parents and the community at large. The other section, "A Program of Action," lists Council recommendations for establishing professional committees in every school to set up procedures for book selection, to work for community support, and to review complaints against texts.
The Right to Read
-Justice William O. Douglas, United States Supreme Court: Adler v. Board of Education, 1951

An open letter to our country from the National Council of Teachers of English:

The right to read, like all rights guaranteed or implied within our constitutional tradition, can be used wisely or foolishly. In many ways, education is an effort to improve the quality of choices open to all students. But to deny the freedom of choice in fear that it may be unwisely used is to destroy the freedom itself. For this reason, we respect the right of individuals to be selective in their own reading. But for the same reason, we oppose efforts of individuals or groups to limit the freedom of choice of others or to impose their own standards or tastes upon the community at large.

One of the foundations of a democratic society is the individual's right to read, and also the individual's right to freely choose what they would like to read. This right is based on an assumption that the educated possess judgment and understanding and can be trusted with the determination of their own actions. In effect, the reader is freed from the bonds of chance. The reader is not limited by birth, geographic location, or time, since reading allows meeting people, debating philosophies, and experiencing events far beyond the narrow confines of an individual's own existence.

In selecting texts to read by young people, English teachers consider the contribution each work may make to the education of the reader, its aesthetic value, its honesty, its readability for a particular group of students, and its appeal to young children and adolescents. English teachers, however, may use different texts for different purposes. The criteria for choosing a text to be read by an entire class are somewhat different from the criteria for choosing texts to be read by small groups.

For example, a teacher might select John Knowles's A Separate Peace for reading by an entire class, partly because the book has received wide critical recognition, partly because it is relatively short and will keep the attention of many slower readers, and partly because it has proved popular with many students of widely differing skill sets. The same teacher, faced with the responsibility of choosing or recommending books for several small groups of students, might select or recommend books as different as Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch, Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, Malcolm X's The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, Carlos Bulosan's America Is in the Heart, or Paul Zindel's The Pigman, depending upon the skills and interests of the students in each group.

And the criteria for suggesting books to individuals or for recommending something worth reading for a student who casually stops by after class are different from selecting material for a class or group. As opposed to censoring, the teacher selects texts, and also helps guide students to self-select them. Selection implies that one is free to choose a text, depending upon the purpose to be achieved and the students or class in question, but a book selected this year may be ignored next year, and the reverse. Censorship implies that certain works are not open to selection, this year or any year.

Wallace Stevens once wrote, "Literature is the better part of life. To this it seems inevitably necessary to add / provided life is the better part of literature" (1957). Students and parents have the right to demand that education today keep students in touch with the reality of the world outside the classroom. Many of our best literary works ask questions as valid and significant today as when the literature first appeared, questions like "What is the nature of humanity?" "Why do people praise individuality and practice conformity?" "What do people need for a good life?" and "What is the nature of a good person?" English teachers must be free to employ books, classic or contemporary, which do not hide, or lie to the young, about the perilous but wondrous times we live in, books which talk of the fears, hopes, joys, and frustrations people experience, books about people not only as they are but as they can be. English teachers forced through the pressures of censorship to use only safe or antiseptic works are placed in the morally and intellectually untenable position of lying to their students about the nature and condition of humanity.
The Threat to Education
The teacher must exercise care to select or recommend works for class reading and group discussion. One of the most important responsibilities of the English teacher is developing rapport and respect among students. Respect for the uniqueness and potential of the individual, an important facet of the study of literature, should be emphasized in the English class. One way rapport and respect can be developed is through encouraging the students themselves to explore and engage with texts of their own selection. Also, English classes should reflect the cultural contributions of minoritized groups in the United States, just as they should acquaint students with diverse contributions by the many peoples of the world. Finally, the teacher should be prepared to support and defend their classroom and students' process in selecting and engaging with diverse texts against potential censorship and controversy.

Censorship leaves students with an inadequate and distorted picture of the ideals, values, and problems of their culture. Writers may often represent their culture, or they may stand to the side and describe and evaluate that culture. Yet partly because of censorship or the fear of censorship, many writers are ignored or inadequately represented in the public schools, and many are represented in anthologies not by their best work but by their "safest" or "least offensive" work.

The censorship pressures receiving the greatest publicity are those of small groups who protest the use of a limited number of books with some "objectionable" realistic elements, such as Brave New World, Lord of the Flies, George, The Joy Luck Club, Catch-22, Their Eyes Were Watching God, or A Day No Pigs Would Die. The most obvious and immediate victims are often found among our best and most creative English teachers, those who have ventured outside the narrow boundaries of conventional texts. Ultimately, however, the real victims are the students, denied the freedom to explore ideas and pursue truth wherever and however they wish.
The Community's Responsibility
Great damage may be done by book committees appointed by national or local organizations to pore over anthologies, texts, library books, and paperbacks to find passages which advocate, or seem to advocate, causes or concepts or practices these organizations condemn. As a result, some publishers, sensitive to possible objections, carefully exclude sentences or selections that might conceivably offend some group, somehow, sometime, somewhere.

Individuals who care about the improvement of education are urged to join students, teachers, librarians, administrators, boards of education, and professional and scholarly organizations in support of the students' right to read. Widespread and informed support in and across communities can assure that
A Program of Action

enough residents are interested in the development and maintenance of a rigorous school system to guarantee its achievement;

malicious gossip, ignorant rumors, internet posts, and deceptive letters to the editor will not be circulated without challenge and correction;

news media will observe that the public sincerely desires objective reporting about education, free from slanting or editorial comment which destroys confidence in and support for schools;

the community will not permit its resources and energies to be dissipated in conflicts created by special interest groups striving to advance their ideologies or biases; and

faith in democratic processes will be promoted and maintained.

Censorship in schools is a widespread problem. Teachers of English, librarians, and school administrators can best serve students, literature, and the profession today if they prepare now to face pressures sensibly, demonstrating on the one hand a willingness to consider the merits of any complaint and on the other the courage to defend their literacy program with intelligence and vigor. The Council therefore recommends that schools undertake the following two-step program to protect the students' right to read:
Procedures for Text Selection

establish a diverse committee that is representative of the local school community to consider book selection procedures and to screen complaints; and

promote a community atmosphere in which local residents may be enlisted to support the freedom to read.

Although one may defend the freedom to read without reservation as one of the hallmarks of a free society, there is no substitute for informed, professional, and qualified book selection. English teachers are typically better qualified to choose and recommend texts for their classes than persons not prepared in the field. Nevertheless, administrators have certain legal and professional responsibilities. For these reasons and as a matter of professional courtesy, they should be kept informed about the criteria and the procedures used by English teachers in selecting books and the titles of the texts used.

In each school, the English department should develop its own statement explaining why literature is taught and how books are chosen for each class. This statement should be on file with the administration before any complaints are received. The statement should also support the teacher's right to choose supplementary materials, to build a diverse classroom library, and to discuss controversial issues insofar as they are relevant. In addition, students should be allowed the right to self-select books to read from classroom and school library shelves.

Operating within such a policy, the English department should take the following steps:

1. Establish a committee to support English teachers in finding exciting and challenging texts of potential value to students at a specific school. Schools without departments or small schools with a few English teachers should organize a permanent committee charged with the responsibility of alerting other teachers to new texts just published, or old texts now forgotten which might prove valuable in the literacy program. Students should be encouraged to participate in the greatest degree that their development and skill sets allow.

2. Devote time at each department or grade-level meeting to reviews and comments by the above committee or plan special meetings for this purpose. Free and open discussions on texts of potential value to students would seem both reasonable and normal for any English department. Teachers should be encouraged to challenge any texts recommended or to suggest titles hitherto ignored. Require that each English teacher give a rationale for any text to be read by an entire class. Written rationales for all texts read by an entire class would serve the department well if censorship should strike. A file of rationales should serve as impressive evidence to the administration and the community that English teachers have not chosen their texts lightly or haphazardly.

3. Report to the administration the texts that will be used for class reading by each English teacher.

The Legal Problem
A procedure such as this gives each teacher the right to expect support from fellow teachers and administrators whenever someone objects to a text.

Apart from the professional and moral issues involved in censorship, there are legal matters about which NCTE cannot give advice. The Council is not a legal authority. Across the nation, moreover, conditions vary so much that no one general principle applies. In some states, for example, textbooks are purchased from public funds and supplied free to students; in others, students must rent or buy their own texts.

The legal status of textbook adoption lists also varies. Some lists include only those books which must be taught and allow teachers and sometimes students the freedom to select additional titles; other lists are restrictive, containing the only books which may be required for all students.
Preparing the Community
As a part of sensible preparations for handling attacks on books, each school should ascertain what laws apply to it.

To respond to complaints about texts, every school should have a committee of teachers (and possibly students, parents, and other representatives from the local community) organized to
Defending the Texts

1. inform the community about text selection procedures;

2. enlist the support of residents, possibly by explaining the place of literacy and relevant texts in the educational process or by discussing at meetings of parents and other community groups the texts used at that school; and

3. consider any complaints against any work. No community is so small that it lacks concerned people who care about their children and the educational program of the schools, and will support English teachers in defending books when complaints are received. Unfortunately, English teachers too often are unaware or do not seek out these people and cultivate their goodwill and support before censorship strikes.

Despite the care taken to select worthwhile texts for student reading and the qualifications of teachers selecting and recommending books, occasional objections to a work will undoubtedly be made. All texts are potentially open to criticism in one or more general areas: the treatment of ideologies, of minorities, of gender identities, of love and sex; the use of language not acceptable to some people; the type of illustrations; the private life or political affiliations of the author or the illustrator.

Some attacks are made by groups or individuals frankly hostile to free inquiry and open discussion; others are made by misinformed or misguided people who, acting on emotion or rumor, simply do not understand how the texts are to be used. Others are also made by well-intentioned and conscientious people who fear that harm will come to some segment of the community if a particular text is read or recommended.

What should be done upon receipt of a complaint?

If the complainant telephones, listen courteously and refer them to the teacher involved. That teacher should be the first person to discuss the text with the person objecting to its use.

If the complainant is not satisfied, invite them to file the complaint in writing, but make no commitments, admissions of guilt, or threats.

If the complainant writes, contact the teacher involved and have the teacher call the complainant.

For any of the situations above, the teacher is advised to be aware of local contractual and policy stipulations regarding such situations, and keep a written record of what transpired during the complaint process.

Request for Reconsideration of a Text
An additional option is to contact the NCTE Intellectual Freedom Center to report incidents and seek further resources ( https://www2.ncte.org/resources/ncte-intellectual-freedom-center/).

Author ____________________________________________

Paperback_____ Hardcover _____ Online _____

Title ______________________________________________

Publisher (if known) __________________________________

Website URL (if applicable) ___________________________

Request initiated by __________________________________

Telephone _________________________________________

Address ___________________________________________

City / State / Zip _______________________________________________

Complainant represents
____ (Name of individual) ___________________________
____ (Name of organization) ___________________________

1. Have you been able to discuss this work with the teacher or librarian who ordered it or who used it?
____ Yes ____ No

2. What do you understand to be the general purpose for using this work?

Provide support for a unit in the curriculum?
___ Yes ___ No

Provide a learning experience for the reader in one kind of literature?
___ Yes ___ No

Provide opportunities for students self-selected reading experiences?

___ Yes ___ No

Did the general purpose for the use of the work, as described by the teacher or librarian, seem a suitable one to you?
____Yes ____ No

1. What do you think is the author's general purpose for this book?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

2. In what ways do you think a work of this nature is not suitable for the use the teacher or librarian wishes to carry out?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

3. What have been students' responses to this work?
____ Yes ____ No

If yes, what responses did the students make?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

Have you been able to learn what qualified reviewers or other students have written about this work?
____ Yes ____ No

If yes, what are those responses?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

1. Would you like the teacher or librarian to give you a written summary of what qualified reviewers and other students have written about this book or film?
____ Yes ____ No

2. Do you have negative reviews of the book?
____ Yes ____ No

3. Where were they published?
__________________________________________________________

4. Would you be willing to provide summaries of their views you have collected?
____ Yes ____ No

5. How would you like your library/school to respond to this request for reconsideration?
____ Do not assign/lend it to my child.
____ Return it to the staff selection committee/department for reevaluation.
____ Other-Please explain
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

6. In its place, what work would you recommend that would convey as valuable a perspective as presented in the challenged text?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Signature __________________________________________

Date______________________________________________

At first, the English teacher should politely acknowledge the complaint and explain the established procedures. The success of much censorship depends upon frightening an unprepared school or English department into some precipitous action. A standardized procedure will take the sting from the first outburst of criticism and place the burden of proof on the objector. When the reasonable objector learns that they will be given a fair hearing through following the proper channels, they are more likely to be satisfied. The idle censor, on the other hand, may well be discouraged from taking further action. A number of advantages will be provided by the form, which will

formalize the complaint,

indicate specifically the work in question,

identify the complainant,

suggest how many others support the complaint,

require the complainant to think through objections in order to make an intelligent statement on the text and complaint (1, 2, and 3),

cause the complainant to evaluate the work for other groups than merely the one they first had in mind (4),

establish the familiarity of the complainant with the work (5),

give the complainant an opportunity to consider the criticism about the work and the teacher's purpose in using the work (6, 7, and 8), and

give the complainant an opportunity to suggest alternative actions to be taken on the work (9 and 10).

The committee reviewing complaints should be available on short notice to consider the completed "Request for Reconsideration of a Work" and to call in the complainant and the teacher involved for a conference. Members of the committee should have reevaluated the work in advance of the meeting, and the group should be prepared to explain its findings. Membership of the committee should ordinarily include an administrator, the English department chair, and at least two classroom teachers of English. But the department might consider the advisability of including members from the community and the local or state NCTE affiliate. As a matter of course, recommendations from the committee would be forwarded to the superintendent, who would in turn submit them to the board of education, the legally constituted authority in the school.

Teachers and administrators should recognize that the responsibility for selecting texts for class study lies with classroom teachers and students, and that the responsibility for reevaluating any text begins with the review committee. Both teachers and administrators should refrain from discussing the objection with the complainant, the press, or community groups. Once the complaint has been filed, the authority for handling the situation must ultimately rest with the administration and school board.
References
Freedom of inquiry is essential to education in a democracy. To establish conditions essential for freedom, teachers and administrators need to follow procedures similar to those recommended here. Where schools resist unreasonable pressures, the cases are seldom publicized and students continue to read works as they wish. The community that entrusts students to the care of an English teacher should also trust that teacher to exercise professional judgment in selecting or recommending texts. The English teacher can be free to teach literacy, and students can be free to read whatever they wish only if informed and vigilant groups, within the profession and without, unite in resisting unfair pressures.

Stevens, W. (1957, April). Adagia Part One. Poetry, 41-44.

American Library Association. (2018). Top Ten Most Challenged Books Lists. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10#Before%201990 (Accessed July 15, 2018)

American Library Association. (2018). Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2017: Resources & Graphics. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/NLW-Top10 (Accessed July 15, 2018)

American Library Association (2013, March). Banned & Challenged Classics. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics (Accessed June 15, 2018).

The Committee on the Right to Read of the National Council of Teachers of English:
Statement Authors

Edward R. Gordon, Yale University, New Jersey, Chair

Martin Steinmann, University of Minnesota, Associate Chair

Harold B. Allen, University of Minnesota

Frank A. Doggett, D. U. Fletcher High School, Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Jack Fields, Great Neck South High School, New York

Graham S. Frear, St. Olaf College, Minnesota

Robert Gard, Camelback High School, Phoenix, Arizona

Frank Ross, Detroit Public Schools, Michigan

Warren Taylor, Oberlin College, Ohio

This document was revised by an NCTE working committee comprising the following:

Benjamin "Benji" Chang, Education University of Hong Kong, Chair

Anna Lavergne, Houston Independent School District, Texas

Kim Pinkerton, Texas A&M University, Commerce

Pernille Ripp, Oregon School District, Oregon, Wisconsin

Gabe Silveri, Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District, Houston, Texas

Permission is granted to reproduce in whole or in part the material in this publication, with proper credit to the National Council of Teachers of English. Some schools may wish to modify the statements and arrange separately for printing or duplication. In such cases, of course, it should be made clear that revised statements appear under the authorization and sponsorship of the local school or association, not NCTE.

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Pro and Con: Banned Books (Britannica) SHORTENED (4*)

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Pro and Con: Banned Books (Britannica) SHORTENED (4*)

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© Atlantide Phototravel-Corbis Documentary/Getty Images

To access extended pro and con arguments, sources, and discussion questions about whether parents or other adults should be able to ban books from schools and libraries, go to ProCon.org.

The American Library Association (ALA) has tracked book challenges, which are attempts to remove or restrict materials, since 1990. In 2020, the ALA recorded 156 reported book challenges in the United States, a significant decrease from the 377 reported challenges in 2019 perhaps due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, challenges jumped to an all-time high in 2021 with 729 challenges, containing a total of 1,597 books.

In most years, about 10% of the reported challenges result in removal or ban from the school or library. However, in 2016, five of the top ten most challenged books were removed. The ALA estimates that only about 3% to 18% of challenges are reported to its Office for Intellectual Freedom, meaning that the actual number of attempts to ban books is likely much higher.

In 2021, challenges were most frequently brought by parents (39%), followed by patrons (24%), a board or administration (18%), librarians or teachers (6%), elected officials (2%), and students (1%). Books were most often challenged at school libraries (44%), public libraries (37%), schools (18%), and academic libraries (1%).

Sexually explicit content, offensive language, and "unsuited to any age group" are the top three reasons cited for requesting a book be removed. The percentage of Americans who think any books should be banned increased from 18% in 2011 to 28% in 2015, and 60% of people surveyed believed that children should not have access to books containing explicit language in school libraries, according to The Harris Poll. A 2022 poll found 71% disagreed with efforts to have books removed, including 75% of Democrats, 58% of independents, and 70% of Republicans.

Parents have the right to decide what material their children are exposed to and when.

Children should not be exposed to sex, violence, drug use, or other inappropriate topics in school or public libraries.

Keeping books with inappropriate content out of libraries protects kids, but doesn't stop people from reading those books or prevent authors from writing them.

Parents may control what their own children read, but don't have a right to restrict what books are available to other people.

Many frequently challenged books help people get a better idea of the world and their place in it.

Books are a portal to different life experiences and reading encourages empathy and social-emotional development.

This article was published on August 2, 2022, at Britannica's ProCon.org, a nonpartisan issue-information source.

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Some argue that parents and other adults should have the final say in what children read from schools and libraries because children should not be exposed to certain topics, while others argue that the books available to all children should not be restricted by a few parents who object to world-clarifying topics.

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Banned Books: Top 3 Pros and Cons (Britannica ProCon.org) FULL (4)

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Banned Books: Top 3 Pros and Cons (Britannica ProCon.org) FULL (4)

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The American Library Association (ALA) has tracked book challenges, which are attempts to remove or restrict materials, since 1990. In 2020, the ALA recorded 156 reported book challenges in the United States, a significant decrease from the 377 reported challenges in 2019 perhaps due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in 2022 challenges jumped to an all-time high with in 2021 with 729 challenges, containing a total of 1,597 books.

In 2022, attempts to ban books doubled from 2021 with 1,269 attempts to ban 2,571 unique titles, according to the ALA. The numbers also reflect a trend in which one complaint includes challenges for multiple books, whereas in the past most complaints only included one book. As of Aug. 31, 2023, there were 695 book challenges 1,915 unique titles; the ALA notes this is a 20% increase from 2022.

In most years, about 10% of the reported challenges result in removal or ban from the school or library. However, in 2016, five of the top ten most challenged books were removed. The ALA estimates that only about 3% to 18% of challenges are reported to its Office for Intellectual Freedom, meaning that the actual number of attempts to ban books is likely much higher.

In 2021, challenges were most frequently brought by parents (39%), followed by patrons (24%), a board or administration (18%), librarians or teachers (6%), elected officials (2%), and students (1%). Books were most often challenged at school libraries (44%), public libraries (37%), schools (18%), and academic libraries (1%).

Sexually explicit content, offensive language, and "unsuited to any age group" are the top three reasons cited for requesting a book be removed. The percentage of Americans who thought any books should be banned increased from 18% in 2011 to 28% in 2015, and 60% of people surveyed believed that children should not have access to books containing explicit language in school libraries, according to The Harris Poll. A 2022 poll found 71% disagreed with efforts to have books removed, including 75% of Democrats, 58% of independents, and 70% of Republicans.

Should Parents or Other Adults Be Able to Ban Books from Schools and Libraries?

Pro 1

Parents have the right to decide what material their children are exposed to and when.

Having books with adult topics available in libraries limits parents' ability to choose when their children are mature enough to read specific material. "Literary works containing explicit [scenes, as well as] vulgar and obscene language" were on the approved reading list for grades 7-12, according to Speak up for Standards, a group seeking age-appropriate reading materials for students in Dallas, Texas.

If books with inappropriate material are available in libraries, children or teens can be exposed to books their parents wouldn't approve of before the parents even find out what their children are reading.

Bans are necessary because "opting your child out of reading [a certain] book doesn't protect him or her. They are still surrounded by the other students who are going to be saturated with this book," said writer Macey France.
Read More

Pro 2

Children should not be exposed to sex, violence, drug use, or other inappropriate topics in school or public libraries.

Books in the young adult genre often contain adult themes that young people aren't ready to experience. Of the top ten most challenged books in 2020, one had LGBTQ+ content, two were sexually explicit, five dealt with racism and anti-police opinions, and others had profanity and drug use.

According to Jenni White, a former public school science teacher, "Numerous studies on the use of graphic material by students indicate negative psychological effects," including having "more casual sex partners and [beginning] having sex at younger ages."

The American Academy of Pediatrics has found that exposure to violence in media, including in books, can impact kids by making them act aggressively and desensitizing them to violence.

Kim Heinecke, a mother of four, wrote to her local Superintendent of Public Schools that "It is not a matter of 'sheltering' kids. It is a matter of guiding them toward what is best. We are the adults. It is our job to protect them - no matter how unpopular that may seem."
Read More

Pro 3

Keeping books with inappropriate content out of libraries protects kids, but doesn't stop people from reading those books or prevent authors from writing them.

Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council noted that removing certain books from libraries is about showing discretion and respecting a community's values, and doesn't prevent people from getting those books elsewhere: "It's an exaggeration to refer to this as book banning. There is nothing preventing books from being written or sold, nothing to prevent parents from buying it or children from reading it."

What some call "book banning," many see as making responsible choices about what books are available in public and school libraries. "Is it censorship that you're unable to go to your local taxpayer-funded branch and check out a copy of the 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion'? For better or for worse, these books are still widely available. Your local community has simply decided that finite public resources are not going to be spent disseminating them," Weekly Standard writer and school board member Mark Hemingway stated.
Read More

Con 1

Parents may control what their own children read, but don't have a right to restrict what books are available to other people.

Parents who don't like specific books can have their kids opt out of an assignment without infringing on the rights of others.

The National Coalition against Censorship explained that "Even books or materials that many find 'objectionable' may have educational value, and the decision about what to use in the classroom should be based on professional judgments and standards, not individual preferences."

In the 1982 Supreme Court ruling on Board of Education v. Pico, Justice William Brennan wrote that taking books off of library shelves could violate students' First Amendment rights, adding that "Local school boards may not remove books from school libraries simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books."
Read More

Con 2

Many frequently challenged books help people get a better idea of the world and their place in it.

Robie H. Harris, author of frequently challenged children's books including It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing up, Sex, and Sexual Health, stated, "I think these books look at the topics, the concerns, the worry, the fascination that kids have today... It's the world in which they're living."

Many books that have long been considered to be required reading to become educated about literature and American history are frequently challenged, such as: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, Beloved by Toni Morrison, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

46 of the Radcliffe Publishing Group's "Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century" are frequently challenged. Banning these books would deprive students of essential cultural and historical knowledge, as well as differing points of view.
Read More

Con 3

Books are a portal to different life experiences and reading encourages empathy and social-emotional development.

One study found that reading J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, which is frequently challenged for religious concerns about witchcraft, "improved attitudes" about immigrants, homosexuals, and refugees.

Another study found that reading narrative fiction helped readers understand their peers and raised social abilities.

A study published in Basic and Applied Social Psychology found that people who read a story about a Muslim woman were less likely to make broad judgments based on race.

Neil Gaiman, author of the frequently challenged novel Neverwhere, among other books, stated that fiction "build[s] empathy... You get to feel things, visit places and worlds you would never otherwise know. You learn that everyone else out there is a me, as well. You're being someone else, and when you return to your own world, you're going to be slightly changed. Empathy is a tool for building people into groups, for allowing us to function as more than self-obsessed individuals."
Read More

Discussion Questions

1. Should parents or other adults be able to ban books from schools or libraries? Why or why not?

2. Have you read any of the Top 10 Challenged Books of 2021 (see the graphic below)? Should those books be banned or restricted? Explain your answers.

3. Is book banning censorship? Why or why not?

Take Action
1. Evaluate the perspective of parents who would like to remove a book from a school library.

2. Consider " 11 Banned Books through Time " at Encyclopaedia Britannica.

3. Explore the American Library Association's resources and efforts against banning books, including the 13 most challenged books of 2022.

4. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? If so, how? List two to three ways. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the "other side of the issue" now helps you better argue your position.

5. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives.
Sources

28.

Miranda Mazariegos and Meghan Collins Sullivan, "Efforts to Ban Books Jumped an 'Unprecedented' Four-Fold in 2021, Ala Report Says," npr.org Apr. 4, 2022

29.

American Library Association, "Voters Oppose Book Bans in Libraries," ala.org (accessed Apr. 4, 2022)

30.

American Library Association, "Banned Books: Free Downloads," ala.org (accessed Aug. 2, 2022)

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Banned Books Pros and Cons - Top 3 Arguments For and Against

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Proponents say parents have the right to choose what kids read. Opponents say that right doesn't extend to everyone's children.

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Funding Athletics and Fine Arts to the Greatest Extent Possible

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Funding Athletics and Fine Arts to the Greatest Extent Possible

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Funding Athletics and Fine Arts to the Greatest Extent Possible

By Dr. Sam Robinson on February 08, 2022 hst Print

Athletics and fine arts programs are vital to school success. How they are funded can oftentimes lead to athletics and fine arts competing against each other for the same pool of funding. This does not have to be the case and should not be the case as both play an important role in our schools, communities and to a greater extent our identity as a nation.

Athletics in the United States are recognized globally. As an example, when someone thinks of Alabama, one of the first things that comes to mind is football. Just google Alabama, and more than likely you will see more information about the University of Alabama football team than about the people, industry and history of the state.

Athletics is important, but fine arts are important, too - musicians, actors, painters, photographers, digital artists, etc. A search of New York University will show people who have excelled in fine arts. Fine arts play a pivotal role in American society, and the arts are just as important in shaping the perception of the United States on the world stage as athletics.

The problem with the important role athletics and fine arts have on the greater society is how they are funded in K-12 public education. Many times, the funding can be nonexistent and most of the time is not specifically earmarked for expenditures through state legislatures or local board policy. The funding directed at public schools is mostly for academics such as English, math, reading, science and social studies.

Athletics, and to some extent fine arts, are often viewed as extracurricular only. As such, some people feel like funding for those programs should be minimal, or that those programs should be self-funded through fundraising or grants. The funding of athletics and fine arts programs varies depending on state and local priorities across the country. The priority and importance placed on programs is dependent upon the individual communities, and in many instances, the past successes of those programs.

Funding comes down to the following types of school/district funds: student-raised activity funds, parent/booster organization funds and community grants provided at the local, state and national levels. Athletics and fine arts programs also require a community commitment for facilities. While the commitment may have happened 20, 30 or even 50 years ago, the community still made a commitment to pass a bond and provide financial assistance to construct facilities such as stadiums, auditoriums or other venues required for specialized programs. Once a community has made a commitment to specific programs, or perhaps both athletics and fine arts programs, it helps these programs to be viewed as having equal importance when it comes to competing for annual operational funds.

There are communities that have identified themselves as "the" community for basketball or the community that excels as "the" community for vocal music; however, in truth, they have students who can and may be excelling in both areas. We also know communities that might need a new basketball gym, but the question in the community is, "Why do we need a new gym when we barely have a basketball team that can win games?" At the same time, building a new auditorium or music room might never be questioned. The exact opposite of this scenario can also play out.

An easy assumption for some would be that funding for athletics many times appears to be a given, and/or it is given priority over funding for fine arts. That should not be the case. When funding comes into question for athletics or fine arts, there is often an individual or group that rallies together as a booster organization to raise funds to support what may be an underfunded program by the school district.

When this happens, several things can occur. If the booster organization is successful in its fundraising, that can propel the program to new heights and change mindsets for the school. But the exact opposite could also happen if the organization is not successful. Then, it could possibly create resentment toward the school for what is perceived as a lack of funding for that specific program.

The other issue with booster organizations providing funding for athletics and fine arts is that they can begin to assume that they have control over the direction of that specific program. Many times, control does follow the money, and this can be difficult for a school to manage - when they are providing only minimal financial investment into the program. On the other hand, by leveraging booster support with an equal or greater amount of financial support from the school, the school and program can create a partnership for positive promotion and hopefully greater community support for the program.

The question comes down to "why should we as school leaders provide, and ensure, that athletics and fine arts programs are adequately funded?" This doesn't mean they have to be equally funded, just adequately funded...to meet the needs of the students and to provide an atmosphere that is conducive to learning by providing a safe opportunity to participate - regardless of their family income or ability to pay for participation. Research has shown time and time again that without athletics or fine arts programs, many students would lose their motivation to come to school and dropout rates would increase.

Research also shows that extracurricular participation helps make better citizens, while creating unique opportunities for students who might not otherwise get to experience in only a regular classroom setting. The ability to showcase talents and strive for excellence are all attributes that lead to positive character development and ultimately create a well-rounded student who can enter our society with the ability to face challenges and to succeed when challenged.

Finding the balance of funding that is right for each school, each community and each athletics/fine arts program will vary for each school district - based on community buy-in. Schools should fund athletics and fine arts to the greatest extent their budgets will allow. The funding should be based on clearly identifiable needs and program essentials.

Student success later in life has been shown to be closely related, and tied to, participation in athletics and fine arts. Leaders in government, business and industry often give credit to their participation in athletics and fine arts activities for their current successes. It is our duty as educators to prepare students to be successful and active participants within our democracy. What better way can schools do this than to provide funding for athletics and fine arts programs that challenge and engage students in meaningful real-world endeavors that could lead to the next John Madden or Betty White.

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Funding Athletics and Fine Arts to the Greatest Extent Possible

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By Dr. Sam Robinson on February 08, 2022 hst Print Athletics and fine arts programs are vital to school success. How they are funded can oftentimes lead to athletics and fine arts competing against each other for the same pool of funding.

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Why are certain school books being banned in US? (5)

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Why are certain school books being banned in US? (5)

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A growing number of US parents are alleging that school books are obscene or otherwise harmful to children. It's creating an increasingly divisive political battle that could spill over into upcoming national elections.

Yael Levin-Sheldon, a mother of two who lives near Richmond, Virginia, recently heard about a book that a teacher in an area school brought into the classroom. She made a note of the title, The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person.

The title alone, Levin says, is racist - and it's not the kind of book that should be available to children in public schools.

"Now think of it saying, 'on being a better black person'," she said. "Would that be ok?

Levin-Sheldon is the Virginia chapter president of the conservative parents-rights group No Left Turn in Education. Her organisation compiles a list of books it says are "used to spread radical and racist ideologies to students" and "divide us as a people for the purpose of indoctrinating kids to a dangerous ideology".

The list includes Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale and White Fragility by Robin Diangelo. The Black Friend, a New York Times best-selling memoir by Frederick Joseph recounting his challenges as a black student in a predominantly white high school, isn't on the list. At least, not yet.

Books such as Joseph's - offering critical views on topics like US history or race - gained new prominence in school curricula and library collections as a response to the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 and educational efforts to address concerns about persistent racism in the US. No Left Turn contends that the works should be taught in context, along with other texts that provide a different (and assumedly more positive) view of America's past. And parents, Levin-Sheldon adds, should have the choice of opting out of those lessons.

Other works, however, particularly ones that touch on human sexuality in explicit detail, should be outright prohibited, the group argues.

"When it comes to pornography and paedophilia," Levin-Sheldon says, "that's when we want those books removed."

This, she adds, is all her group is seeking. It's not too different from what free-speech advocates and educators say they would like, as well - a conversation between parents, teachers and school librarians, balancing moral and educational interests and conducted with the best interests of the children in mind.

In practice, however, it hasn't always worked out that way.

A rising tide of complaints

A state legislator in Texas produced a list of more than 850 books that he contended may cause students to feel "discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress" because of their race or sex. A Dallas Morning News review found 97 of the first 100 books on the list were written by ethnic minorities, women or LGBTQ authors.

A school district in San Antonio pulled 400 of those books from its libraries without any formal review process or specific complaints from parents.

A Tennessee school board removed Maus, a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust, from its eighth-grade curriculum because of profanity and anthropomorphised mouse nudity.

In Polk County, Florida, a school removed 16 books pending review, including award-winning novels The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and Beloved by Toni Morrison, because they contained "obscene material".

Challenges have come from the left, as well. A school district near Seattle, Washington, dropped the 1960 Harper Lee classic To Kill a Mockingbird from its curriculum because of its depiction of race relations and use of racist language.

Characters' use of racist epithets also prompted efforts last year to limit the teaching of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men in school districts in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, and Burbank, California.

The American Library Association keeps track of the number of complaints lodged against books in school libraries and has recorded a marked increase over the past year. According to preliminary data, from September through November of 2021 the association tallied 330 incidents. The total number reported for all of 2019, the last year schools across the US were in-person for the entire year, was 377 - suggesting that the final 2021 numbers ultimately will dwarf previous amounts.

The cumulative effect, says Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, is significant damage to open discourse and learning across the country.

"We are a government, a society that purports to protect freedom of speech, the freedom to access information to make up our own minds, to engage in a broadly liberal education," she says. "And we're now finding that we have a movement to shut down that conversation, to deny those rights, particularly to young people."

'Covid lemonade'

According to Tiffany Justice, co-founder of the parents group Moms for Liberty, the surge in parental interest can be attributed, at least in part, to the remote learning policies schools implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic. For the first time, they say, many parents had an up-close view of what their children were being taught - and they didn't like it. She calls it "Covid lemonade," because the pandemic had a silver lining.

"We had never really been able to get parents as invigorated as they have been seeing the curriculum up close and personal while they were sitting with their child doing the work," she says. "We saw it as an opportunity to really engage parents even more and to get them involved in their children's education."

Social media has also proved to have a potent effect on the scope of the movement. Activists says it has helped their groups organise across the US, as parents learn that they are not alone in their concern. On the other side, groups like the American Library Association have found the same books identified in complaints turn up again and again, as lists - like the one on the No Left Turn websites - are circulated online.

"Social media is amplifying and driving both the messages of these groups that are pursuing a particular agenda, as well as individual challenges that crop up in a community," Caldwell-Stone says.

At the heart of the issue is a debate over the role of parents, schools and the rights of students in the classroom. Both Levin-Sheldon and Justice point out that until children turn 18 they are minors, and parents should be able to review the ideas and subject matters to which their children are exposed - even if that's not supervision all parents want to exercise at home or in the classroom.

Free-speech proponents counter that libraries are meant to serve an entire community of students, not just the ones with the most prudish parents. And although students are not adults, they still have rights - and agency. A dialogue between parents, teachers and librarians is important, but if teenagers seek out information on a topic of interest, they should have access to it.

"There's this notion that young people are in search of the most illicit material in every area of their lives, all the time," says Jonathan Friedman, director of Free Expression and Education at PEN America, an author's free-speech group. "I don't think that's true. I think people go to a library there's usually an alignment between reader and text."

The politics of anger

As the push to pass judgement on - and remove - certain books from schools has become a national drive with national attention from conservative and liberal media, tempers have become increasingly frayed.

A school board meeting in Flagler County, Florida, to discuss the removal of the book All Boys Aren't Blue devolved into obscenity-laced protests and counter-protests. (The board's decision to approve the book's use was ultimately overruled by a county official).

Meetings in other parts of the US have had to be cancelled or delayed because of threats against public officials. During a school board meeting in Carmel, Indiana, last July, where parents were taking turns reading out explicit passages from books that they believed should be removed from their school library, a man was arrested after a handgun fell out of his pocket.

Levin is quick to note that her group does not approve of such parental conduct and they seek to train their members to behave "respectfully and professional" at school board meetings. Justice agrees, calling her members "joyful warriors", but adds that parents have reason to be angry.

"Yeah, they're upset," she says. "Their kids aren't learning in school. They're sending their kids to school and their kids are learning more about - who knows? Not reading and writing."

Anger can be a potent force in politics, and conservative politicians - and Republican-dominated legislatures - have sought to harness the passion.

Last November, Republican Glenn Youngkin won the Virginia governorship by campaigning on education and parental rights. One of his television adverts featured a mother who objected to Morrison's Beloved being taught in her son's high-school English class.

As November's mid-term elections approach, with control of the US Congress and many state governments at stake, more candidates on the right are following suit.

Matt Krause, the Texas legislator with the 850-book list, is running for state attorney general. On Tuesday, the Indiana state Senate approved a bill that would allow the criminal prosecution of school librarians for disseminating "material harmful to minors". The Oklahoma legislature is considering a bill that would ban public school libraries from offering any books on sexuality or gender identity.

Friedman warns that efforts to remove books will have an adverse impact on librarians and school officials, who could engage in "soft censorship" by pre-emptively pulling titles they worry could spark controversy. It could also have a chilling effect on authors and publishers, who might shy away from controversial topics and stifle their creativity.

"If you are telling a story that's on the borderline of any of these issues right now, you're going to think twice about writing in a way that might get banned or draw national attention," he says. "You're not going to publish that book; you're not going to give that talk publicly about it."

Ashley Hope Perez is one of those authors feeling the pressure. In a recent issue of Texas Monthly, she describes how she was harassed after her book Out of Darkness was criticised as being obscene in meeting of a school board near Austin.

"Ugly phone messages calling me a 'degenerate piece of -', emails that were little more than expletives strung together, social media comments saying I was 'literally SATAN' and suggestions that I hang myself," she writes. "The attacks on Out of Darkness say far more about our cultural moment than they do about my book."

She notes that her book was first published six years ago with little controversy. The political ground, it seems, has shifted significantly since then.

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Why are certain school books being banned in US?

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A growing number of US parents are alleging that school books are obscene or otherwise harmful to children. It's creating an increasingly divisive political battle that could spill over into upcoming national elections. Yael Levin-Sheldon, a mother of two who lives near Richmond, Virginia, recently heard about a book that a teacher in an area school brought into the classroom.

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The Aspen Institute Play Project - Youth Sports Facts: Benefits 

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The Aspen Institute Play Project - Youth Sports Facts: Benefits 

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YOUTH SPORTS FACTS
BENEFITS

Regular physical activity benefits health in many ways, including helping build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints; helping control weight and reduce fat; and preventing or delaying the development of high blood pressure (GAO, 2012). Exercise is one of the least expensive ways to stay healthy, with one study finding that exercise can prevent chronic diseases as effectively as medication (British Journal of Medicine, 2013). A comprehensive study and analysis of existing research found that leisure-time physical activity is associated with reduced risk of 13 different types of cancer, including breast, colon, liver and myeloid leukemia (National Institutes of Health, 2016).

Sports participation is a significant predictor of young adults' participation in sports and physical fitness activities. Adolescents who play sports are eight times as likely to be active at age 24 as adolescents who do not play sports (Sports Participation as Predictors of Participation in Sports and Physical Fitness Activities in Young Adulthood, Perkins, 2004). Three in four (77%) of adults aged 30+ who play sports today played sports as school-aged children. Only 3% of adults who play sports currently did not play when they were young (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/Harvard University/NPR, 2015).

Active communities are healthier. The Aspen Institute examined the top 10 cities (overall ranked) in the 2019 ACSM American Fitness Index to understand the values, capital and financial investments, and environments of a community that invests in sport and recreation. The cities with the highest scores are considered to have a strong community fitness, a concept comparable to individuals having strong personal fitness. See related chart on the results.

Active children are less obese. In a 2014 study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers analyzed obesity prevention strategies and their ability to reduce obesity by the year 2032. They found afterschool physical activity programs would reduce obesity the most, 1.8% among children ages 6 to 12. That's twice the projected impact as any ban on child-directed fast-food advertising. An earlier study of college students found that "motives for sport participation are more desirable than those for exercise and may facilitate improved adherence to physical activity recommendations" (Kilpatrick, Journal of American College Health, 2005).

But the obesity epidemic continues. Twenty-two percent of children and teens have been classified as obese during the coronavirus pandemic, an "alarming" increase from 19% before COVID-19, according to a 2021 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For severely obese kids, their expected annual weight gain increased from 8.8 pounds before the pandemic to 14.6 pounds in August 2020. Moderately obese kids went from 6.5 pounds to 12 pounds. Even children who had a healthy weight prior to the pandemic saw their annual weight gain increase from 3.4 pounds to 5.4 pounds.

Children of color show higher rates of obesity. In 2018, a study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics showed overweight and obesity rates increased in all age groups among children ages 2 to 19 ( Prevalence of Obesity and Severe Obesity in U.S. Children, 1999-2016). The rates generally increased with age, with 41.5% of teens being obese by 16 to 19 years old. Of particular concern were continued racial and ethnic disparities. White and Asian children showed significantly lower rates of obesity than Hispanic and Black children. Researchers also found a sharp increase in obesity from 2015 to 2016 compared to the previous cycle among children ages 2 to 5, especially boys. Girls 16 to 19 years old had a notable jump in overweight rates, from 36% in 2013-14 to 48% in 2015-16. Youth who have disabilities are 4.5 times less active and have obesity rates that are 38% higher than other youth (Physical Literacy in the United States: A Model, Strategic Plan, and Call to Action, 2015).

The Aspen Institute's Healthy Sport Index is a tool that can help parents find the best sport for their child based on health benefits and risks. The resource includes original research that found boys generate more vigorous physical activity at high school practices than girls (North Carolina State University, 2018).

Educational Benefits

Sports activity helps children develop and improve cognitive skills, according to a study that tracked kids from kindergarten through fourth grade (Piche, 2014). Physical activity in general is associated with improved academic achievement, including grades and standardized test scores. Further, such activity can affect attitudes and academic behavior, including enhanced concentration, attention, and improved classroom behavior (GAO, 2012).

High school athletes are more likely than non-athletes to attend college and get degrees, and team captains and most valuable players achieve in school at even higher rates (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2005). Also, high school athletes are more likely to expect to graduate from a four-year college (73% girls, 59% boys) compared to non-athletes (67% girls, 53% boys), according to data collected for the Healthy Sport Index (Women's Sports Foundation, 2018). A higher percentage of high school athletes also receive A/A- grades than non-athletes (Women's Sports Foundation, 2018).

The benefits extend to the workplace. A survey of 400 female corporate executives found 94% played a sport and that 61% say sports contributed to their career success (EY Women Athletes Business Network/espnW, 2014).

mental, social, emotional Benefits

A correlation has been found between regular exercise and mental health among students in general as they move into the teenage years. Among students who exercised six to seven days a week, 25.1% felt sad for two weeks or more in the past 12 months, compared to 35.7% of students who reported exercising on zero to one day (Women's Sports Foundation, 2004). Of students who exercised six to seven days, 15% reported suicidal ideation, and 6.4% reported a suicide attempt in the past year, compared to 24.6% and 10.3% of students who exercised zero to one day, respectively (Journal of American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2015). A 2019 study found that children who reported no exercise were twice as likely to have mental health problems, particularly related to anxiety and depression, compared with those who met the recommendation of an hour a day, and a 2020 study suggested that the more physical activity teenagers participated in, the less likely they were to report depression as 18-year-olds (The New York Times, 2020).

The loss of sports during COVID-19 hurt the mental health of many children. One in four youth sports parents said their child's mental health suffered, according to a 2021 survey by Project Play and Utah State University. Since restrictions have been lifted on sports, many parents said their child's mental health improved. A majority of parents also believe their child's physical fitness, emotional control and social well-being have increased by returning to sports.

Physical activity, and sports in particular, can positively affect aspects of personal development among young people, such as self-esteem, goal-setting, and leadership. However, evidence indicates that the quality of coaching is a key factor in maximizing positive effects (GAO, 2012).

Both male and female high school athletes are less likely to smoke cigarettes and suffer from loneliness and low self-esteem, when compared to non-athlete peers, according to research used for the Healthy Sport Index (Women's Sports Foundation, 2018). High school athletes, though, are more likely to binge drink alcohol, with youth in contact sports (football, lacrosse, wrestling) showing the riskiest off-field behavior.

Different sports have different social and psychological benefits. A 2018 psychosocial survey by the Aspen Institute and University of Texas showed that team sports fared better than individual sports, such as tennis, track and field, and cross country. The study, part of the Healthy Sport Index, evaluated personal and social skills, cognitive skills, goal setting skills, initiative skills, health skills and negative experiences for high school athletes based on their primary sport. There seems to be evidence that more traditional team sports may be structured - or, at least, interpreted by the participants - in a manner that produces more concrete experiences associated with well-being.

Parents appreciate these benefits. Improving physical health was the No. 1 benefit parents gave for engaging their children in organized sports (Hospital for Special Surgery/Aspen Institute, 2018). Improved mental health, fun and enjoyment, promote teamwork and improved self-confidence were the next highest benefits identified by parents. In Southeast Michigan, 82% of parents said it's very important or somewhat important for their child to be regularly involved in sports, according to a 2017 survey by the Siena College Research Institute commissioned by the Aspen Institute. (Read the Southeast Michigan report.) Another survey of parents, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/Harvard/NPR survey in 2015, showed the positive traits parents believe playing sports has had for their children: physical health (88%), giving the child something to do (83%), teaching discipline or dedication (81%), teaching how to get along with others (78%), mental health (73%), social life (65%), skills to help in future schooling (56%), and skills to help in a future career (55%).

And youth appreciate these health benefits, too. High school students say their biggest motivations to play sports are having fun (81%) and exercise (79%), according to a national survey by Project Play and Resonant Education in 2020-21. Winning games/championships (53%) ranked sixth. Positive emotional well-being (49%) was cited more by students than trying to earn a college scholarship (39%). Learn more from Project Play's Reimagining School Sports initiative.

Financial Benefits

Getting people active could save the the global economy nearly $68 billion annually in medical costs and productivity. The U.S. alone could save up to $28 billion. And individuals could find $2,500 or more in their pocket if they move for 30 minutes five times per week ( The Lancet Physical Activity Series).

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Youth Sports Facts: Benefits - The Aspen Institute Project Play

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YOUTH SPORTS FACTS BENEFITS Regular physical activity benefits health in many ways, including helping build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints; helping control weight and reduce fat; and preventing or delaying the development of high blood pressure (GAO, 2012).

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Arts Integration and 21st Century Skills

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Arts Integration and 21st Century Skills

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The event will begin at: 11:06 AM (8/16/2021)

Message last updated: 9:55 AM

Please be advised that we are experiencing higher than normal website traffic due to a members-only on sale. If you are not here for that event, please consider visiting another time when your experience will be more efficient.

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Arts Integration and 21st Century Skills

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What knowledge and skills do students need to be successful in the 21st century? Arts integration provides answers.

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What the research tells us about four-day school weeks

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What the research tells us about four-day school weeks

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For many communities across America, a school calendar with four-day weeks is unheard of. And in many of these communities, such a proposal would garner little support. Indeed, there isn't a single urban district that has adopted the schedule, and it's rare to find a suburban district that has made the switch. But the story is very different in parts of rural America, where four-day school weeks are well-liked and gaining traction.

The most recent survey, taken during the 2018-2019 school year, found that 650 districts, or about 1,600 schools, in 24 states had adopted a four-day schedule. That's up significantly from two decades ago, and those numbers appear to be climbing. Communities backing the trend cite benefits for teacher recruitment and retention, cost savings, community support for the schedule, and more.

How is the schedule different from a typical five-day week?

Most districts that adopt a four-day week close on Fridays, though some opt to have Mondays off. The districts then redistribute the time from the day they are closed to the rest of the week, starting school earlier and ending school later than their five-day week counterparts. How much earlier they start and how much later they end varies, but on average they add about 50 minutes to each school day.

An extra 50 minutes in a day could equate to adding 10 minutes to five different classes. So, in theory, it's not impossible that students could be receiving the same amount of seat time in five subjects (e.g., math, English, social studies, science, and an elective) on a four-day week.

But the differences between a four-day and five-day week are not as simple as a choice between four 50-minute classes per week in each subject versus five 40-minute classes. Students may benefit from non-core academic time at school each day, such as morning meetings, recess, passing time between classes, advisory periods, and lunch. And they'd get less of that in a four-day week since, overall, districts with four-day weeks have 31 fewer days of school than other schools: typically, they're open 148 days a year, compared to 179.

Because they spend less time at school, students on a four-day week schedule have more free time outside of school. Students tend to spend their extra time on a variety of activities, but they also spend substantially more time on chores and work (for their family or at a job) over the course of a week than students at similar five-day week districts, according to research by the RAND Corporation.

Where and why do districts switch to four-day weeks?

Four-day weeks have generally been most popular in rural areas in states west of the Mississippi River. The approach is particularly growing in Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas. However, some policymakers are pushing back against the trend. In Oklahoma, for example, lawmakers have made it harder for districts to operate four-day weeks, establishing challenging accountability standards and requiring districts to apply for a calendar waiver.

About 90 percent of districts operating four-day weeks are located in rural areas. Leaders in those communities cite teacher recruitment and retention, cost savings, and community support among the reasons they've opted for the shortened week.

Childcare is often raised as a concern related to four-day weeks. However, families and school leaders at the school districts that have adopted the schedule have said that childcare is not an issue for the majority of the community. In some cases, this is because the school district is a major employer in the community, so many adults have the day off when schools are closed. In other cases, rural adults work from home in farming or ranching, and the extra day off school allows younger children to both be cared for and engage in those family responsibilities. It is also common to have multi-generational and extended family networks in the community who might help provide childcare support when needed.

What are the impacts?

The research is mixed on the impact of four-day weeks on student achievement, but most studies find small to medium negative impacts on achievement on average. These negative effects are roughly equivalent to a student being two to seven weeks behind where they would have been if they had stayed on a five-day week.

But local context and implementation matter a lot. Notably, in one recent multi-state study, researchers found that the negative impacts were concentrated among districts with the shortest school days on the four-day schedule. In particular, districts operating with fewer than 30 hours per week drove the negative effects in the study, whereas there were no significant impacts of the schedule on student achievement at districts operating 32 hours or more per week.

The existing research also shares the impacts of the schedule on cost savings, student behavior, and attendance. Cost savings, despite being a primary motivation for adopting the schedule in many districts, are only about two percent, on average. Some district leaders maintain that these small savings, equivalent to about $57,000 per district, are meaningful in their district. Others acknowledge that the schedule saves them less than they originally anticipated, but they continued to use a four-day week schedule for other reasons.

Proponents of the schedule claim that it improves school climate and student behavior, but the evidence is mixed. In support of the claim, research shows the four-day week significantly reduces high school bullying and fighting incident rates and increases the amount of sleep elementary students get. However, surveys of four-day week and five-day week students and families found no differences in their ratings of school climate.

Another argument for four-day school weeks is that they improve attendance, allowing students to travel for appointments and extracurricular activities that can be far away on their day off. But the evidence provides little support for that argument, as studies have not found any effect of four-day weeks on attendance rates.

Despite this mixed evidence on the schedule's effects, communities' satisfaction with the schedule is clear. Survey data shows 84 percent of families and 95 percent of students in four-day week districts would continue to choose a four-day week over a five-day week. Families noted a range of reasons they preferred the four-day week, with some of the most common reasons being increased time with family, reduced stress, and flexibility for appointments.

More research is needed to investigate the impacts of the schedule on other important outcomes, such as teacher recruitment and retention, efficiency of class time, rates of food insecurity, student safety and mental health, and family income and resources.

Policies to consider

For any community thinking about switching to or continuing on a four-day week, it's important to consider the benefits and drawbacks of the schedule. The local context and proposed implementation of the schedule are critical components of the decision.

For districts using the schedule, there are policies education leaders can adopt to minimize any negative impacts. Among the most important is ensuring schools maintain or increase the total time spent on academic learning.

School and system leaders should closely audit instructional minutes to see how the change is impacting teaching and learning. For example, students and teachers may have 50-minute class blocks on the four-day schedule instead of 40-minute blocks. School leaders should collaborate with and support educators to restructure curriculum and lesson plans as needed to ensure students get the instruction they need and educators have the time to teach all the required material.

Another important policy decision is what, if any, services the district provides on the day off. Additional time at home is of particular concern for students whose lives outside of school are unsafe or for those lacking access to resources, such as food or a caring adult. School leaders considering a four-day week need to be particularly thoughtful about how to design the schedule and provide wraparound supports (e.g., backpack lunch programs, enrichment opportunities on the day off) for these students and families.

Monitoring and evaluating the policy

The use of data is essential for monitoring and evaluating this kind of complex change. Schools need to closely monitor students' academic growth, teacher recruitment and retention, and other metrics, before and after the transition, and compare their own progress to that of similar five-day week schools.

Pursuing research partnerships may be an especially promising strategy for districts interested in evaluation support. Our research team is actively recruiting district partners to study the implementation and impacts of four-day school weeks. Consider collaborating with us. Or, if your school community has moved to a four-day week, we'd love to hear how it's going. We are @NWEAPolicy on Twitter.

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Emily Morton, CALDER at the American Institutes of Research

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What the research tells us about four-day school weeks

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Four-day school weeks are gaining popularity in rural America, but the research on the advantages and disadvantages is mixed.