Expanded Learning Time by the Numbers
The Traditional School Calendar Is Failing to Meet Many Students’ Needs
SOURCE: AP/Chris O'MearaSome schools serving large concentrations of low-income and minority students have dramatically improved student achievement by increasing instructional time.
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Expanding learning time, or ELT, in schools is a core strategy on the national education reform agenda as policymakers and educators recognize that the standard school calendar does not fit many students’ needs. Most U.S. students attend school for an average of 6.5 hours a day, for 180 days a year. This is not nearly enough time for many students, particularly those who are English language learners and those who start the school year learning below their grade level.
Some schools serving large concentrations of low-income and minority students have dramatically improved student achievement by increasing instructional time in the form of a longer school day, week, or year for all students. Schools that expand learning time formally incorporate traditional out-of-school activities such as the arts and service opportunities into the official school calendar so all students, including those living in the highest poverty, have access to them.
ELT schools allow community-based organizations such as arts and cultural institutions to take on more collaborative roles within the school than is typically the case in a conventional school calendar. It is not uncommon in ELT schools for these organizations to co-teach classes with regular classroom teachers and provide professional development for teachers, and mental and physical health services to students. And they play a key role in
