There is a growing consensus that our education system needs to increase the time students spend in school or school sponsored learning activities. This is especially important in low-income communities, where students may not have access to enrichment activities or academic supports outside of school.
The term “extended learning time” is used to refer to everything from after-school tutoring to comprehensive school reorganizations that expand and align a wide range of academic and non-academic offerings. Some districts focus on lengthening the school day, others on adding days or even weeks to the school year.
Most parents and educators are clear, that if students aren’t learning in their current classrooms, tacking on more of the same isn’t …show more content…
Mass 20/20 provides technical assistance to each school, and other partners serve other roles.
The Clarence R. Edwards Middle School was one of the ten schools to implement an extended learning initiative, through Mass 20/20, in the fall of 2006. Edwards serves 303 students, nearly 87 percent of whom are low income. Edwards had failed to make AYP for several years and faced state takeover. School leaders opted to restructure the school, extending the school day by about two hours each day, four days a week.
The additional time at Edwards allows for extra instruction in core academic subjects. In its first year, Edwards focused on mathematics, creating “math leagues” where small teams worked to learn and practice math concepts and held weekly competitions. After seeing significant improvements in student achievement in math, Edwards expanded to include English and Science leagues the following year. In addition, the extended day allowed Edwards to incorporate several electives into the school day, including a variety of sports, karate, cooking, Latin and jazz dance, musical theater, robotics, and music …show more content…
In 2009, the Mayor brought together over 200 organizations, including schools, the police department, libraries, recreation centers, boys and girls clubs, the humane society and others to create community “campuses” where students could be engaged in a range of programs from 2:45 to 6pm each afternoon. Dozens of partnering organizations were asked to develop programs aligned with schools’ instructional calendar. The initiative brought together a huge variety of participants. Students have been taken out on Narragansett Bay to learn about environmental efforts, and to the Humane Society to take care of animals. Arts and community-based projects have been
The term “extended learning time” is used to refer to everything from after-school tutoring to comprehensive school reorganizations that expand and align a wide range of academic and non-academic offerings. Some districts focus on lengthening the school day, others on adding days or even weeks to the school year.
Most parents and educators are clear, that if students aren’t learning in their current classrooms, tacking on more of the same isn’t …show more content…
Mass 20/20 provides technical assistance to each school, and other partners serve other roles.
The Clarence R. Edwards Middle School was one of the ten schools to implement an extended learning initiative, through Mass 20/20, in the fall of 2006. Edwards serves 303 students, nearly 87 percent of whom are low income. Edwards had failed to make AYP for several years and faced state takeover. School leaders opted to restructure the school, extending the school day by about two hours each day, four days a week.
The additional time at Edwards allows for extra instruction in core academic subjects. In its first year, Edwards focused on mathematics, creating “math leagues” where small teams worked to learn and practice math concepts and held weekly competitions. After seeing significant improvements in student achievement in math, Edwards expanded to include English and Science leagues the following year. In addition, the extended day allowed Edwards to incorporate several electives into the school day, including a variety of sports, karate, cooking, Latin and jazz dance, musical theater, robotics, and music …show more content…
In 2009, the Mayor brought together over 200 organizations, including schools, the police department, libraries, recreation centers, boys and girls clubs, the humane society and others to create community “campuses” where students could be engaged in a range of programs from 2:45 to 6pm each afternoon. Dozens of partnering organizations were asked to develop programs aligned with schools’ instructional calendar. The initiative brought together a huge variety of participants. Students have been taken out on Narragansett Bay to learn about environmental efforts, and to the Humane Society to take care of animals. Arts and community-based projects have been