Reply to Extended year for 11 schools. Is this a pilot for the rest of the schools?

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Reply to "Extended year for 11 schools. Is this a pilot for the rest of the schools?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]How did these schools do on PARCC?  [/quote]

According to one of the media stories, they had bigger gains than the traditional schedule schools. [/quote]

If that's the case, perhaps this will become a bigger trend in DC?  I'm game for whatever works!  I love the idea of having a week off in fall and I'd be willing to give up several weeks of summer vacation to make that happen!  also it does seem like this could really help the achievement gap- I understand that FARMs kids are generally "harmed" more by the long summer break than non-FARMs kids.    [/quote]

It will be interesting to see how this unfolds. I am pretty sure the WOTP schools would reject this set up vehemently, so I do hope they do this on a school-by-school basis.[/quote]

Why? We are in a WOTP elementary and I don't have any issue with an extended school year set up. In fact, I quite like the idea of broken up breaks and being able to travel at times of the year when destinations are less crowded. Summer is my least favorite time to travel due to crowds and weather, but I don't believe in pulling my children from school at other times to travel. I also don't think there's anything sacred about 8 weeks off in the summer and find it to be a pain to schedule various camps and deal with before and aftercare and much less (i.e. not walkable) convenient commutes to camps. [/quote]

Your reasoning doesn't address what's developmentally best for your children, but rather the convenience of daycare and your travel preferences.[/quote]

So your reasoning for sticking with the traditional US model is that there's something developmentally best about having 8 weeks off in a row in the summer? All the research I've ever seen points to a loss of learning over such a long break, for all categories of students, particularly in the areas of math and foreign languages. Sure, I didn't address that in my post because I would think that would be an obvious point? The added benefits to me would be the ability to travel at less expensive/crowded times and not having to deal with 8 weeks of rotating camps, visiting relatives, beach vacation, etc. 8 weeks is a long break, my children tire of the novelty of camps about halfway through the summer, no matter which ones they choose and are pretty much over summer by 6 weeks in at the latest. [/quote]

+1  It isn't just DCPS that is trying this-- other states are also trying this.  I like the model of 4 week summer break, and one week breaks sprinkled throughout the year.  I think it would be in the public's interest (and in my family's interest) to have additional one week breaks through out the year in exchange for a shorter summer break.

Seriously-- a one week vacation- to California wine country or to Spain or something in October?  I would love that so much!  February in Maine?  April in Paris?  Grand Canyon in May?  It boggles my mind that people would take the 8 weeks of summer plan rather than 4 weeks plus 4 additional weeks at other seasons.  [/quote]

You do realize this IS NOT how extended school year is set up in DC??  The students go 210 days instead of 180. They don't get "extra weeks" off. The get a 4 day break in Oct (5 if you include the Monday of Columvus Day). They have the exact same breaks as other schools Nov-June. They get one three day weekend in June and the day before July 4 off. School ends July 14 and starts back July 31 for the new year. So your plans of vacations during the school year doesn't hold up. DCPS is not doing year round school like other states they are literally extending the school year. [/quote]

200 days, not 210. That's an extra 4 weeks of school.[/quote]

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