Please identify which group best describes your association with - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Please identify which group best describes your association with Center Grove Schools? Check all that apply.

1,320 298 143 164 30 37

Association with CGCSC

Parent/Guardian Teacher Support Staff Community Member Student Other

In which of the following levels do you have children enrolled? Check all that apply.

155 787 557 560 264

Level of Children in School

Kindergarten Elementary School Middle School High School None

A balanced school year calendar could enhance the academic achievement for students.

73% 14% 13%

Enhance Achievement?

Agree/Strongly Agree Disagree/Strongly Disagree Not Sure

A shorter summer vacation time would possibly reduce learning loss by students.

74% 16% 10%

Reduce Learning Loss?

Agree/Strongly Agree Disagree/Strongly Disagree Not Sure

A balanced school year would have a positive impact on my family’s regular and traditional activities (vacations, involvement in sports, camps, etc.).

60% 24% 16%

Positive Impact on Family Activities?

Agree/Strongly Agree Disagree/Strongly Disagree Not Sure

I would like a calendar that starts after Labor Day and ends around June 20.

17% 69% 14%

Start After Labor Day?

Agree/Strongly Agree Disagree/Strongly Disagree Not Sure

I would like a calendar that starts the first of August, has two- week breaks at the end of each quarter, and ends around June 7.

66% 24% 10%

Balanced Calendar?

Agree/Strongly Agree Disagree/Strongly Disagree Not Sure

I would like a calendar that is similar to Center Grove’s current calendar (starts the second week in August and ends around Memorial Day).

35% 48% 17%

Stay With Current Calendar?

Agree/Strongly Agree Disagree/Strongly Disagree Not Sure

It’s important for the first semester to end in December (prior to winter break/and the new year).

71% 12% 17%

End 1st Semester in December?

Agree/Strongly Agree Disagree/Strongly Disagree Not Sure

Child care is easy to find during June, July, and the beginning of August.

43% 11% 46%

Child Care Easy to Find in June, July, August?

Agree/Strongly Agree Disagree/Strongly Disagree Not Sure

Child care would be easy to find if there were seven weeks of summer break.

41% 9% 50%

Child Care if 7 Weeks of Summer Break?

Agree/Strongly Agree Disagree/Strongly Disagree Not Sure

Child care would be easy to find if there were two-week breaks after each quarter.

26% 25% 49%

Child Care During 2 Week Breaks?

Agree/Strongly Agree Disagree/Strongly Disagree Not Sure

Having opportunities for students to receive optional enrichment/remediation after each quarter is an advantage for students.

82% 6% 12%

Enrichment/Remediation Advantageous?

Agree/Strongly Agree Disagree/Strongly Disagree Not Sure

Having a shorter summer break, but two-weeks at the end of each quarter has advantages for our family.

64% 22% 14%

Shorter Summers, 2 Week Breaks?

Agree/Strongly Agree Disagree/Strongly Disagree Not Sure

The taxpayer cost of providing education remains the same no matter which calendar is selected.

60% 8% 32%

Taxpayer Cost Remain the Same?

Agree/Strongly Agree Disagree/Strongly Disagree Not Sure

Having the same schedule as most of the schools in Johnson County and nearby school districts is important.

60% 27% 13%

Same Calendar as Surrounding Schools?

Agree/Strongly Disagree Disagree/Strongly Disagree Not Sure

Here’s What The Teachers Said

• UTACG surveyed their membership and

received feedback from 84%

• The majority (73.7%) responded favorably to

considering a balanced calendar

• 18.1% responded unfavorably
• 84.7% said they would be open to further

discussion.

• 15.3 % were not interested in any further

discussion

Teacher Questions

• Data showing how it will affect student

achievement

• Athletic and performing arts practice

implications

• Student and parent job implications
• Child care implications
• Contract implications – extended contracts,

sick leave, personal leave, etc.

Balanced Calendars

• Advocates feel many aspects of learning improve

such as student attendance, attitude, academic achievement and that teachers have greater job satisfaction

• Opponents insist that there is no substantial

increase in academic student achievement, research is limited and inadequate, and students, parents and caregivers must deal with schedule challenges and adaptation to change

What Does the Research Say?

• There are obviously opposing views to the benefits of a

balanced calendar.

• What both sides would probably agree to is that “much
• f the empirical data regarding the effects of YRE

(balanced calendar) on student achievement and other related outcomes suffers from poor research designs or incomplete data making it difficult to draw conclusions.” (Palmer and Bemis, 1999)

• Cooper et al (2003) noted that “weak research designs”

prevent us from making “strong inferences about the effects of modified calendars.”

What Does the Research Say?

Pros:

• Eliminates or reduces the

“learning loss” that takes place during the long summer break (Ballinger, 1999; Shields and Oberg, 2001, Winter, 2005)

• Improves student achievement

(Bradford, 1993; Kneese, 1996; Mutchler, 1993; Peltier, 1991; Perry, 1991)

Cons:

• The number of quality studies

conducted and published in this area is limited (Kneese, 1996)

• Research on year round schools

does not provide a clear consensus on the relationship between year-round schooling and student achievement

• Shields and Oberg (1999) caution

that there may not be a simple relationship between student achievement and the modified calendar

What Does the Research Say?

Pros:

• Students have a more positive

attitude to schooling (Fardig & Locker, 1992; Shields & Laroque, 1998)

• Benefits students identified as

“at-risk” (Capps & Cox, 1991; Gandara & Fish, 1994, Perry, 1991; Serifs, 1990; Evans, 2007)

• Teachers seem less stressed and

have a more positive attitude (Fardig & Locker, 1992, Shields & Oberg, 1999)

Cons:

• Evidence on retention of

previously learned material is mixed at best, may vary according to subject, and that claims regarding achievement differences should be viewed with caution (Allinder, Fuchs, Fuchs and Hamlet, 1992)

• A review of 12 empirical studies

examining student attendance,

• nly one found significantly

higher rates of attendance, while

• ther showed non-significant

differences in both directions (Palmer and Bemis, 1999)

What Does the Research Say?

Pros

• Less absenteeism by both

students and teachers, and a reduced student dropout rate (Glines & Mussatii, 2002; Shields & Oberg, 1999; Zykowski, Mitchell, Hough & Gavin, 1991)

• The shorter instructional periods

results in a reduction of teacher fatigue and burnout and higher teacher morale (Levine & Ornstein, 1993)

Cons

• Parents found it difficult to

arrange childcare during intercessions and reported difficulty coordinating the schedules of their other children who attended schools with traditional calendars (Graves, 2009; Orellana & Thorne, 1998)

What Does the Research Say?

Pros

• Many teachers believe that the

continuity of instruction leads to a better quality of instruction (Quinlan, George &Emmett, 1987) and that year-round schedule impacts positively on the way in which they plan for instruction (Shields and Oberg, 2000)

Cons

• There was no significant

differences in students’

• utcomes, but students and

parents perceived year-round education benefits (Campbell, 1994)

• Does not reduce class size
• Does not increase building

capacity

Summary

• The preponderance of literature indicates there is no

conclusive evidence to support or refute the value of a balanced calendar. While it is not clear that a balanced calendar improves student achievement, it appears that is does not bring about a decline in achievement either

• A substantial body of work indicates there are no

significant differences in achievement between students on a modified calendar and those on a traditional one (Harp, 1993; Zykowski et al., 1991)

Surrounding Schools

Balanced Calendar

• MSD Warren Township
• MSD Wayne Township
• MSD Perry Township
• MSD Franklin Township
• Avon
• Brownsburg
• IPS
• Beech Grove

Considering

• Clark-Pleasant
• Greenwood*
• C-9*
• Plainfield*
• *Modified this year

What’s Next?

Gather input from parents/teachers Review research Work with UTACG to develop calendar proposal(s) for the 2013-14 school year Bring a proposal back to the board in March, 2012

(Provides community 17 months to prepare for 2013-14 calendar)