SCSD#1 seeking public input on four-day school week calendar

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Tyler Johnson, [email protected]

ROCK SPRINGS, WYOMING (December 4, 2020) – Sweetwater County School District No. 1 is seeking feedback before another workshop to discuss how a four-day school calendar will look in the future.

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On Friday, Dec. 4, the school board sent a message to the community giving updates and giving them an opportunity to give input:

In a board workshop on December 19, 2019, Sweetwater School District Number One Board of Trustees directed the district to look develop a committee that represented all areas to look at an alternative calendar that would accomplish the following:

  • Increase student achievement
    • How can we provide professional development and keep the teacher in the classroom? We know the largest impact on student achievement is having the best teacher in the classroom teaching.
    • Give time for proper data analysis to inform instructional practices. Proper planning based off of where students are performing in order to execute high quality instruction improves student achievement.
  • Recruit/retain staff
    • What can we do to bring in staff and keep them?  The consistent feedback we receive is to give time.
  • Ensure uninterrupted collaboration time for the teachers
    • How can we provide uninterrupted time for teacher to properly collaborate with each other and have administrators in the meetings?

The committee was developed and worked very hard coming up with multiple options of alternative schedules, along with giving numerous opportunities for public feedback.  On April 28, 2020, the Board of Trustees voted and approved the alternative schedule developed by the group given the feedback from the staff and community.  The alternative schedule chosen was a 4-day week for students with staff working every other designated day off.  This will go into effect beginning the 2021-2022 school year.  The board voted on this early to give the community a year to prepare and adjust.

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School districts are required to meet a minimum number of instructional hours yearly. 900 for elementary, 1050 for middle school/junior high, and 1100 for high school.  Going to a 4 day week for students requires an adjustment to the start and end times in order to meet instructional hours.  The fewer student contact days, the longer the days, the more student contact days (lengthening the school calendar), the shorter the days.  Each option meets these minimum guidelines.

Research shows that younger children perform well starting school earlier as they go to bed earlier and they are naturally up earlier. Whereas teenagers developmentally do not start learning effectively until later in the morning.  Their bodies do not want to go to sleep until late and they are not ready to wake up really early. On November 9, 2020 Sweetwater School District One Board of Trustees voted to follow research and not allow secondary schools to begin before 8 a.m. There is an abundance of research that shows adolescent development and school start times. The CDC research that is consistent with the rest of the research is provided in the link below.

https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/features/schools-start-too-early.html

Most secondary schools on a 4-day school week go 8 hours a day with elementary students attending less and getting out before the secondary students in order to meet their state required number of instructional hours for the year.  Smaller districts on a 4-day week are able to start all students at the same time.  Larger districts such as Sweetwater School District Number One has to stagger school start times to provide transportation to all students.  Most of our bus drivers drive an elementary and secondary route meaning there has to be at least 45 – 55 minutes between start and end times.  

We will continue to take all the feedback as the committee is meeting again for follow-up discussion and adjustments. Thank you.

https://forms.gle/yjFaeSsH6cCcATzE6

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