More MA Districts Extend the School Day
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Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 08/01/2007
Ten more schools in Massachusetts will extend their days this fall, practically doubling the number of schools statewide that have done so to improve academic performance.
The move, which will affect more than 10,000 students, is the result of a two-year-old state initiative. As recipients of Expanded Learning Time (ELT) grants, 10 schools will launch their new schedule in September. In all, 19 schools—including seven elementary schools, six middle schools, five K–8 schools, and one high school—in nine districts will offer longer school days. Schools in Boston, Cambridge, Chicopee, Fall River, Fitchburg, Greenfield, Malden, and Worcester will participate, and eight of the nine participating districts are in urban areas.
"Creating meaningful and lasting improvement in public education today requires that we challenge fundamental systemic assumptions that have not kept pace with changes in our society," says Governor Deval Patrick. "And when we identify things that work for our children—like more time for teaching and learning—we have an obligation as leaders to provide the strongest support that we can.”
Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll says that although redesigning the school day is not an easy task, it’s the right thing to do. “Our children need more time in school to learn the tools they will need to succeed in school and beyond,” he says. “To do this right, educators need to rethink their teaching practices, curricula, and do more to better engage each child in their learning.”
To qualify for the ELT program, districts had to propose a plan to expand their hours of operation in their schools by at least 25 percent—or 300 hours—for all students.
Last fall, 10 schools in five districts started the 2006–2007 school year with newly expanded schedules. And the results have been positive: each school now spends more time on math, literacy, and science; integrates enrichment opportunities into the school day to motivate students to learn; and provides teachers with additional time to work, collaborate, and plan together.
This effort will be funded by $13 million in the state's FY2008 budget, up from $6.5 million in the FY2007 budget.
