“Tracking An Emerging Movement: A Report on Expanded Time Schools in America”
The report documents the state of expanded-time schools in America. It draws from data on schools that have broken from the conventional school calendar in efforts to improve educational outcomes. It analyzes key characteristics of these schools, as well as their student outcomes and the various ways in which the added time has been utilized and funded.
Findings suggest that expanded-time schools offer about 25 percent more time than the typical school calendar. Compared with national averages, schools with expanded time serve a greater minority and low-income student population. Students in schools with an expanded school day were also found to outperform their district peers.
The findings come amid calls by President Barack Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan to include expanded learning time in the push for national school reform -- particularly as expressed in the federal Race to the Top grant of the American Recovery Act.
The report was produced by the National Center on Time & Learning, which works to expanding learning time in efforts to improve student achievement.
