Should A School Change Start Time For Sleep? Later School Start Times Improve Student Performance: Study
In high school, Melissa Edwards woke up at 6:30 a.m. to catch a bus. It was dark, she was tired and the school's 7:15 a.m. morning bell forced the St. Louis teen to eat lunch at 10:45.
Her brother was incredulous. "I thought that this couldn�t possibly be good," said Finley Edwards, a Colby College economist, of his sister's predawn start. But when Edwards sought data on the topic, he couldn�t find any. So he ran the numbers himself.
On Thursday, the Harvard journal Education Next will release Edwards' findings that show that later start times, which usually allow teens more sleep, boost test scores significantly. The Economics of Education Review will publish a longer version of the study.
Her brother was incredulous. "I thought that this couldn�t possibly be good," said Finley Edwards, a Colby College economist, of his sister's predawn start. But when Edwards sought data on the topic, he couldn�t find any. So he ran the numbers himself.
On Thursday, the Harvard journal Education Next will release Edwards' findings that show that later start times, which usually allow teens more sleep, boost test scores significantly. The Economics of Education Review will publish a longer version of the study.
