published the first national census of
expanded time schools (Farbman,
2009). We identified 655 such schools
in 36 U.S. states and the District of
Columbia. These schools add, on
average, about 25 percent more time
each year—or the equivalent of three
extra years of school for students who
attend such schools for their entire
school career. Longer days account for
most of the time expansion, but 20
percent of the schools have lengthened
the school year as well.
These schools serve the neediest
students in the United States. Students
in expanded time schools are twice as
likely to be minorities, and two-thirds
are poor. Three-quarters of the schools
are charters, but the most rapidly
growing group is in-district conversions.
We were heartened to see that these
expanded time schools show higher
academic achievement than the average
for their host districts (Farbman, 2009).
PHOTO COURTESY OF MASSACHUSETTS 2020
For Whom Should
the Expanded Day Bell Toll?
The most compelling initial target for
expanding learning time is middle-grade
students in high-poverty schools. The
notable success of many expanded
learning time schools at this level
provides strong encouragement that this
approach can succeed.
Children in our highest-poverty
middle schools rarely participate in
many programs so familiar to their more
affluent peers—tutoring, summer institutes, martial arts courses, science
camps, sports leagues, and the like—and
rarely have strong homework support at
home. For these students, schools must
be muscular enough to get most of the
job done.
Middle school is well documented to
be the level at which students seem to
diverge into two groups. One group
tends to be well socialized to school,
proficient academically, and on a strong
path to high school graduation; the
other group tends to show alienation
from school and become at high risk
of dropping out.
Through strong core instruction
combined with individualized support,
expanding learning time can ensure that
at-risk students keep up academically;
develop attachments to school through
such activities as sports, arts, and drama;
and develop the beliefs and behaviors
consistent with success.
Many elementary schools have benefited from expanding learning time by
both raising academic achievement and
providing a well-rounded day. More
learning time could benefit high schools
as well, but to lesser effect in the context
of the traditional high school structure.
There are a number of impressive high
schools across the United States that use
expanded learning time, but expanded
time did not drive their conversion.
Rather, these schools have radically
redesigned how they operate, and they
happen to need and use more time to
get the job done.
A Good Fit
To succeed, expanded learning time has
to work for teachers, students, parents,
and the education system. In general,
teachers agree that they don’t have
enough time to help all students reach
their academic goals, especially when
students are already lagging. Teachers
usually welcome the improved pace that
expanded learning time provides as well
as the opportunity to engage students in
a wider variety of instructional
approaches, including more project-
based learning. Teachers’ unions want to
ensure that established teachers are
offered choice and that they receive
adequate compensation for more time.
Charter schools usually recruit with the
longer schedule as part of the plan and
sometimes with moderately higher
overall pay.
