Schools Cut Back on Other Subjects to Focus on Reading, Math
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Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 02/27/2008
Are teachers spending less time on science and social studies to focus on their students’ reading and math scores? You bet, says a new report that analyzes how much other subjects are suffering as a result of districts trying to meet the strict requirements of No Child Left Behind.
Since President Bush’s signature education law was passed in 2002, the majority of school districts—62 percent—say they’ve increased the time teachers spend on English language arts (ELA) and math, says the Washington, DC-based Center on Education Policy (CEP).
Specifically, CEP reports that 44 percent of elementary schools say they’ve increased time spent on English and math, but they’ve also cut time from science, social studies, art and music, physical education—and even recess and lunch, says "Instructional Time in Elementary Schools: A Closer Look at Changes for Specific Subjects."
Overall, districts that increased time for ELA and math did so by an average of 43 percent, or about three hours each week, the report adds. To make room for the added time spent on English and math, districts reduced time in other areas by an average of 32 percent across other subjects, or nearly 2.5 hours each week. While some districts reduced time in one subject, others decreased instructional time in several areas.
“We knew that many school districts had made shifts in the time spent teaching different subjects since No Child Left Behind was enacted, but we had little evidence of the magnitude of these changes within those districts,” says Jack Jennings, president and CEO of CEP. “Digging deeper into the data, we now know that the amount of time spent teaching reading, math, and other subjects has changed substantially. In other words, changes in curriculum are not only widespread but also deep.”
How much more time is being devoted to reading and math? Eight out of 10 districts that increased time for ELA did so by at least 75 minutes per week, and more than half (54 percent) increased it by 150 minutes or more per week, or at least 30 minutes per day, the report says.
Of the districts that added more time for math, 63 percent increased it by at least 75 minutes per week, with 19 percent adding 150 minutes or more per week.
Of the districts that boosted time spent on ELA or math and reduced time in other subjects, a large majority—72 percent—cut time by at least 75 minutes per week for one or more of the other subjects. For example, 53 percent of the districts surveyed cut instructional time by at least 75 minutes per week for both social studies and science.
The report is based on CEP’s nationally representative survey of 349 school districts conducted between November 2006 and February 2007, and is a part of the organization’s multi-year effort to track the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act since it became law.
