Running head: SHOULD PUBLIC SCHOOLS OPERATE YEAR-ROUND? 1 SHOULD PUBLIC SCHOOLS OPERATE YEAR-ROUND? 9 Should Public Schooling Operate Year-Round? Ascania Alfred South University Should Public Schools Operate Year-Round? At first glance specifically if your unfamiliar with the concept, year-round schooling may seem excessive, unconventional, and to numerous tax payers counterproductive. The National Association for Year-Round Education (NAYRE) defines year-round education (YRE) as, a reorganization of the school year to provide more continuous learning by dividing the long summer vacation into shorter more frequent breaks. Students in a year-round program attend the same classes and receive the same amount of instruction as students on a traditional nine-month calendar (usually 180 days) (McMillen, 2001). The operation of public schools year-round would strengthen academic performance by allowing students more time to learn, lessen the troubles encountered in the summer, and is all around cost effective. The year-round calendar is organized into instructional blocks and vacation periods that are evenly distributed across 12 months (McMillen, 2001). According to Warrick-Harris (1995), the term "year-round" is misleading, other descriptive terms include "continuous learning," "all-seasons learning" and "four-seasons school" (Warrick-Harris, 1995). Year-round school is the term most frequently associated with the organizational system that uses the school facility during every season. The year-round school is not an alternative curriculum for learning (Warrick-Harris, 1995). Many have never heard of such a thing. In fact, if you were to ask a student attending a traditional school their thoughts on year-round schooling, after they asked what it is they would probably disagree with the concept maybe even calling it insane. Giving the opportunity they could probably give you a host of reasons why this unnatural concept would not work and how it would disrupt their lives. In need of implementing change to rebuild structure, more school districts are converting to year-round school to assist their counties experiencing rapid population growth, educational economic direst, and prolonged academic decrepitude. The operation of public schools year-round would strengthen academic performance, provide year-round employment for individuals working in the school system, and assist in the stabilization of economic stress rapid population growth has caused on a growing amount of school districts and its communities. Every year millions of students across the country anxiously wait on the end of the school year in anticipation for the impending summer. “So much to do so little time” we can easily see in the excitement in their body language. Only a select few incorporate voluntary studies in their summer breaks. Most American students unplug their academic brains during the summer months and fill it with exploration, curiosity, respite and slumber ...

1. Running head: SHOULD PUBLIC SCHOOLS OPERATE
YEAR-ROUND? 1
SHOULD PUBLIC SCHOOLS OPERATE YEAR-ROUND? 9
Should Public Schooling Operate Year-Round?
Ascania Alfred
South University
Should Public Schools Operate Year-Round?
At first glance specifically if your unfamiliar with the concept,
year-round schooling may seem excessive, unconventional, and
to numerous tax payers counterproductive. The National
Association for Year-Round Education (NAYRE) defines year-
round education (YRE) as, a reorganization of the school year
to provide more continuous learning by dividing the long
summer vacation into shorter more frequent breaks. Students in
a year-round program attend the same classes and receive the
same amount of instruction as students on a traditional nine-
month calendar (usually 180 days) (McMillen, 2001). The
operation of public schools year-round would strengthen
academic performance by allowing students more time to learn,
lessen the troubles encountered in the summer, and is all around
cost effective.
The year-round calendar is organized into instructional blocks
and vacation periods that are evenly distributed across 12
months (McMillen, 2001).

2. According to Warrick-Harris (1995), the term "year-round" is
misleading, other descriptive terms include "continuous
learning," "all-seasons learning" and "four-seasons school"
(Warrick-Harris, 1995). Year-round school is the term most
frequently associated with the organizational system that uses
the school facility during every season. The year-round school
is not an alternative curriculum for learning (Warrick-Harris,
1995). Many have never heard of such a thing. In fact, if you
were to ask a student attending a traditional school their
thoughts on year-round schooling, after they asked what it is
they would probably disagree with the concept maybe even
calling it insane.
Giving the opportunity they could probably give you a host of
reasons why this unnatural concept would not work and how it
would disrupt their lives. In need of implementing change to
rebuild structure, more school districts are converting to year-
round school to assist their counties experiencing rapid
population growth, educational economic direst, and prolonged
academic decrepitude. The operation of public schools year-
round would strengthen academic performance, provide year-
round employment for individuals working in the school system,
and assist in the stabilization of economic stress rapid
population growth has caused on a growing amount of school
districts and its communities.
Every year millions of students across the country anxiously
wait on the end of the school year in anticipation for the
impending summer. “So much to do so little time” we can easily
see in the excitement in their body language. Only a select few
incorporate voluntary studies in their summer breaks. Most
American students unplug their academic brains during the
summer months and fill it with exploration, curiosity, respite
and slumber. As a result, a number of students suffer from
summer learning loss. Stated in research performed by
Cooper,long vacation breaks the rhythm of instruction, leads to

3. forgetting, and requires that significant time be spent on
review of material when students return to school in the fall.
In addition, advocates say, the long summer break can have an
even larger negative effect on the learning of children with
special educational needs (Cooper, et al., 2003). For example,
students who’s second language is English may have their
understanding of the English language skills set back due to
extended periods without using them (Cooper, et al., 2003).
Additionally, there is growing concern that the negative impact
summer vacations have on learning might be uneven for
children from different economic groups (Cooper, et al., 2003).
Tying summer vacations to equity issues, Jamar (1994) wrote,
students from a higher economic background may return to
school in the fall with a considerable educational advantage
over their less advantaged peers. A clear result of either
additional school-related learning. Furthermore, reading
comprehension scores of both income groups declined, but more
so for disadvantaged students (Cooper, 2003).
Research indicated that summer learning loss equals at least 1
month of instruction (Cooper, 2003). On average, children's
achievement test scores were at least 1 month lower when they
returned to school in fall than they had been when the children
left school in spring (Cooper, 2003). Summer loss was more
pronounced for mathematics and spelling than for other tested
skill areas. A study by Sargent and Fidler (1987) provided some
evidence suggesting that children with learning disabilities have
a special need for extended-year schooling. Year-round school
advocates claim that dividing the long summer vacation period
into smaller pieces helps alleviate some of the "forgetting" that
occurs over the summer in traditional school programs
(McMillen, 2001).
Students who have nothing to do during summer too often turn
to mischief, or worse. A disadvantage to the traditional school
year calendar is the vandalism to empty to school buildings
especially during the summer months (Warrick-Harris, 1995).
Research performed by Warrick-Harris (1995), has shown

4. schools operating on a year-round schedule have been able to
reduce the incidence of vandalism and burglary. One of the
strongest arguments given to increase the academic year is the
potential for increased academic improvement by all students. It
is also argued that an extended school year provides a closer fit
with the lifestyles of today's American families, which often are
headed by a single parent or by two parents with out-of-home
employment (Cooper, 2003).
Research by Warrick-Harris (1995), concluded traditional
curriculum content continues to be used in the academic
schedules of year-round schooling. The advantage is these
students retain learned information with minimal interruption
from summer months (Warrick-Harris, 1995). Students retain
more information during four short breaks than they would after
the normal ten-week summer vacation (Warrick-Harris,1995).
This education organization helps reduce the number of students
who must be retained. Stakeholders have found countless
benefits to year-round education. The year-round schedule
allows teachers benefit from evenly spaced vacations. Parents
and families find that this schedule not only provided for
childcare most of the year but, they have more options for
arranging vacations and can enjoy off-season rates and less-
crowded vacation sites (Warrick-Harris, 1995).
Today local school districts often view modified school
calendars as a means for responding to enrollment growth,
inadequate capital improvement resources, and lifestyle changes
of American families (Cooper, 2003). Advocate that suggest
change in the normative school calendar point out that the
United States ranks near the bottom among industrialized
nations in the number of days that children attend school
(Cooper, 2003). Educators feel the benefits to modified
schooling year would be immense (Daly,2006). According to
Daly (2006), teachers felt year-round schooling provided an
increased sense of empowerment, reduced professional stress,
more professional options, and less burnout. Sam Peppers of the
NAYRE wrote a passage titled Prisoners of Time that resonates

5. with supporters and non-supporters alike, it reads:
“There is the pretense that because yesterday’s calendar was
good enough for us, it should be good enough for our children
despite major changes in the larger society.”
The pie charts below provided by NAYRE compare the
distribution of instructional days and days out of session on the
nine-month traditional calendar vs. the distribution of school
days on a balanced or modified calendar (Peppers, n.d.).
Weekends are excluded from the charts, with both models
representing a standard school year of 180 days (Peppers, n.d.).
The traditional calendar features a summer vacation of 12 weeks
followed by an extended period of instructional days, with the
first break coming at Thanksgiving (Peppers, n.d.). The winter
holidays are followed by 55 instructional days before a short
spring break (Peppers, n.d.). Spring break is followed by 40
instructional days before the end of the school year (Peppers
n.d.).
Traditional
Modified
The benefits of year-round school extend beyond the
academic success of students. The school district employs a
number of employees holding different positions but all play an
interact part in the effective operation of our schools
Thesis statement:
The operation of public schools year-round would strengthen

6. academic performance by allowing students more time to learn,
lessen the troubles encountered in the summer, and is all around
cost effective.
References
Cooper, H., Valentine, J. C., Charlton, K., & Melson, A. (2003).
The effects of modified school calendars on student
achievement and on school and community attitudes. Review of
Educational Research, 73(1), 1-52. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/d
ocview/214122165?accountid=87314
Daly, J. A. (2006). Teachers' take on modified school
calendars. The Educational Forum, 70(2), 188-189. Retrieved
from
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ocview/220692719?accountid=87314
Warrick-Harris, E. (1995). Year-round school: The best thing
since sliced bread. Childhood Education, 71(5), 282. Retrieved
from
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ocview/210385799?accountid=87314
McMillen, B. J. (2001). A statewide evaluation of academic
achievement in year-round schools. The Journal of Educational

7. Research, 95(2), 67. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/d
ocview/204192881?accountid=87314
McMullen, S. C., & Rouse, K. E. (2012). The impact of year-
round schooling on academic achievement: Evidence from
mandatory school calendar conversions. American Economic
Journal.Economic Policy, 4(4), 230-252.
doi:http://dx.doi.org.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/10.1257
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Bower, C., & Of, t. P. (1999, Jul 19). EXTENDED SCHOOL
YEAR IS VIEWED AS A SUCCESS IN FERGUSON-
FLORISSANT. St.Louis Post - Dispatch Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/d
ocview/403979695?accountid=87314
Pepper, S. (n.d.). Lasting Consequences of the Summer
Learning Gap. Retrieved December 03, 2016, from
http://www.nayre.org/research.html