The Four-Day School Week: Impact on Student Academic Performance

• In Event: Economics of Education

Proposal

Since the Great Depression, four-day classes a week utilized as an alternative school schedule reducing costs and easing financial pressure. This alternative to the traditional five-day school week model eliminates a one-day school week and provides longer hours for the remaining four days. In the United States, a four-day school week has been in use since the 1930s, but the use of this model has increased significantly after the Great Depression. As of the 2018-19 school year, approximately 1,607 schools in 662 school districts across at least 24 states use a four-day school calendar. Despite the growing use of four-day classes across the U.S., little is known about the characteristics of schools implementing this model, the rationale for this rescheduling, and how these schedules are organized.
The connection between "The Power of Protest" and shortening school days lies in the need to consider the rights and well-being of migrant students, the importance of inclusive education policies, the promotion of integration and social cohesion, and the potential impact on educational outcomes. It highlights the complex interplay between education, migration, and human rights in shaping educational policies and practices in diverse communities.
Especially, shortening school days may have implications for student academic performance and achievement. Research suggests that instructional time is an important factor in educational outcomes. When considering the intersection between education, migration, and human rights, it is crucial to assess the potential impact of shortened school days on the educational attainment of both migrant and non-migrant students. Ensuring that any changes in school schedules are implemented in a way that minimizes negative effects on students' educational outcomes is essential.
This study investigated how achievement tests scores of schools with a four-day school week compared with schools with a traditional five-day school week. Focusing on student performance in Colorado where 62 school districts operated a four-day school week, we use school- and district-level data including academic performance among elementary school students from Colorado. Employing a comparative interrupted time series model, our results generally indicate a positive relationship between the four-day week and performance in reading and mathematics.

Authors

• YUNMI SHIN, Kongju National University

• Hyun-Ki Shim, Kongju National University

• Hoonho Kim, Kongju National University