Comparing the Old with the New: Exploring 4DSW Adoption and its Effects on Teachers and Staffing

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

In response to worsening teacher shortages, many rural school districts across the United States have adopted four-day school weeks (4DSW) as a strategy to attract and retain educators. While this shift is growing rapidly—with over 850 districts operating on such calendars by 2023—empirical evidence on its effectiveness remains mixed and limited. The proposed panel, consisted of four distinct studies explores various dimensions of 4DSW implementation, with a focus on Texas and Missouri, will offer nuanced insights into its impact on teacher and staff recruitment and retention. Missouri is an early adopter of 4DSW policy, while in Texas, the adoption is recent.

Cade Lawson’s paper tracks over 300,000 teachers annually over a 15-year span, finds that while 4DSW adoption slightly improves teacher retention—reducing departures by nearly three teachers per district per year—it does not enhance teacher recruitment. Specifically, 4DSW districts experience no increase in net teacher inflows or success in filling vacancies. However, these districts tend to recruit more experienced teachers, often drawing from other districts rather than hiring first-time educators. Using an innovative “anti-IV” approach, the study estimates teacher preferences, suggesting that while some educators value the shorter week enough to accept lower pay, this preference does not translate into broader improvements in staffing metrics.

Complementing these findings, Mairaj’s Texas-based study highlights the variation in how 4DSW is implemented, which may partly explain the inconsistent effects observed across districts. The analysis identifies two typologies: full 4DSW and hybrid models, with most districts using the fifth day for teacher-focused activities like planning and professional development. Districts adopting 4DSW tend to be small, rural, and predominantly White, with higher rates of economic disadvantage and fewer English Learners and students of color. The authors argue that understanding these implementation differences is critical to interpreting outcome data meaningfully.

Andrew Camp’s study in Missouri further investigates the perceived and actual effects of 4DSW on teacher recruitment and retention. Despite strong beliefs among school leaders that the policy helps attract and retain educators, quantitative analysis finds no significant changes in these outcomes post-adoption. This disconnection between perception and data raises questions about how evidence informs policy decisions, especially given the potential negative consequences of 4DSW on student learning.

Extending the conversation beyond teaching staff, Hannah Kistler’s research explores how 4DSW affects non-teaching school personnel. Using a difference-in-differences approach in Missouri, preliminary findings show a modest boost in retention for non-student-facing staff, such as central office employees, but no change for roles with higher levels of student interaction. This variation is attributed to differences in work flexibility, compensation structures, and job responsibilities, which may influence how various roles adapt to the new schedule.

Altogether, the panel on 4DSW will shed light on teachers’ and other staff’s retention and recruitment in 4DSW districts and along with the nuances of adoption. The findings underscore the importance of implementation context and caution against assuming that a reduced workweek alone can significantly improve teacher or staff recruitment and retention.

Policy Area

• Education

Chair

• Aaron Ainsworth, University of California Irvine

Discussant

• Alexander Moran, University of Maryland

Organizer

• Fiza Mairaj, University of Houston

Individual Presentations

• Teacher recruitment and mobility: evidence from four-day school week adoption - Presenting Author: Cade Lawson, Georgia State University

• Four-Day School Week Adoption in Texas: An Exploration of Typologies and Characteristics - Presenting Author: Fiza Mairaj, University of Houston; Presenting Author: Toni Templeton, University of Houston; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Neng Priyanti, University of Houston

• The Effects of Four Day School Weeks on Teacher Recruitment and Retention - Presenting Author: Andrew Mitchell Camp, Brown University

• The Effects of Four Day School Weeks on Retention for Non-Teaching Staff - Presenting Author: Hannah Kistler, University at Albany