Creating Optimal Time For Learning

CREATING OPTIMAL TIME FOR LEARNING A community conversation about age-appropriate sleep needs and research-based recommendations on changing school start times

THE CHARGE To advise whether Barrington 220 should and could optimize the defined time and configuration of an instructional day, understanding the systemwide impact on grades Pre-K-12.

THE WHY

Adolescent students are not getting enough quality sleep Early school start times often lead to sleep deprivation, which can cause:

6,500

students, parents and staff participated in a community survey 64% of students

59% of parents

student sleep is a priority

92%

of students said they would use the additional time in the morning to sleep.

The Research The American Sleep Association recommends middle and high schools start close to 9 a.m. or later. Better quality sleep results in: Higher grades and test scores

Fewer teenage car accidents

Decreased sports injuries

Decline in mental health issues

Reductions in tardiness

Decline in substance abuse

THE INPUT 220 PROCESS What has been considered?

Current medical and mental health research recommendations on adolescent sleep needs

Transportation

Community and family impact

Labor contracts

Cost

Sports and extra-curricular activities

How have the recommendations been developed?

40+ 35 13 10 9+ 3

More than 40 meetings and conversations with community organizations, schools and departments to discuss this very complex issue.

35-person committee representing all 12 schools and a variety of stakeholder groups.

13 different scenarios have been considered, including the status quo.

10 scenarios eliminated, including the status quo, due to contractual, financial and logistical constraints, or because they did not align with the current medical and mental health research recommendations on adolescent sleep needs.

9+ scientific research institutions recommend adolescents begin school after 8:30 a.m. The American Sleep Association recommends starting at 9 a.m. or later.

3 options presented are in range of acceptable start times according to current research regarding sleep for all age groups and grade levels.

INPUT 220 RECOMMENDED SCENARIOS Scenario #1 Pre-K-5 Schools 8 a.m. to 2:40 p.m.

Middle Schools 8:50 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

High School 9 a.m. to 3:56 p.m.

Aligns with research on adolescent sleep needs Maintains most parameters of current labor contract Preserves instructional time for grades pre-K-8 Provides more time for high school staff development Recovers some minutes of high school classroom time Requires about 50 additional buses $845,309 estimated annual added transportation costs based on current state reimbursements Latest high school school end time

Scenario #2 Pre-K-5 Schools 8 a.m. to 2:40 p.m.

Middle Schools 8:50 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

High School 9 a.m. to 3:18 p.m.

Aligns with research on adolescent sleep needs Maintains most parameters of current labor contract Preserves instructional time for grades pre-K-8 Provides more time for high school staff development Requires 48 additional buses $841,309 estimated annual added transportation costs based on current state reimbursements Adjusts minutes of high school classroom time

Scenario #3 Pre-K-5 Schools 8 a.m. to 2:40 p.m.

Middle Schools 8:50 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

High School 9:30 a.m. to 3:48 p.m.

Aligns with research on adolescent sleep needs Maintains most parameters of current labor contract Preserves instructional time for grades pre-K-8 Provides more time for high school staff development Allows time for high school students to meet with teachers before school Requires no additional buses Lowest cost option $58,309 estimated annual added transportation costs based on current state reimbursements Adjusts minutes of high school classroom time; latest high school start

HOW MIGHT THE HIGH SCHOOL DAY CHANGE?

While changes to the high school schedule are not part of the Input 220 recommendations, the BHS faculty is imagining a new approach to learning in response.

Goal Accommodate adolescent sleep needs while still allowing for a dismissal before 4 p.m.

One Possibility Adjusting the length of class periods, while providing more efficient instruction. This scenario could...

•

Provide additional time for professional development, necessary for high-school educators to plan and continue robust and engaging course offerings for students

•

Allow teachers to be more accessible to students before school who need help or enrichment

•

Create flexible scheduling for students to select an optional zero hour at 8:30 a.m.

Another Possibility Professional development time in the first scenario allows for the possibility of an alternating or modified-block schedule in future years.

This possibility could...

•

Create extended class periods, longer teacher-student interaction, blended learning opportunties and flexible course scheduling, and latitude for upperclassman to choose an earlier release

•

Research shows modified block schedules can lead to: Higher student GPAs

Increased graduation rates

Increased ability for higher thinking

Flexibility in length of classroom minutes The State of Illinois recognizes learning can extend beyond our classroom walls. BHS is allowed to adjust the number of instructional minutes per day because virtual learning provides flexibility to augment traditional classroom instruction.

The quality of instruction happening inside a classroom is more valuable than the quantity.

COMPARISON TO OTHER LATE-START SCHOOLS Quick Stats

1,000

More than 1,000 high schools in the U.S. have moved to later start times, including the most recent in Illinois to announce a change, Stevenson High School, District 125.

The top high schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin have moved their start times later.

43

According to 2009 research by James Madison University, the national norm for a class period is 43 minutes. The average length of class period for topperforming high schools in the Chicago-area is about 44 minutes, including:

minutes

50%

Across the country, new start times typically range from 8 to 9:20 a.m. In a recent study of 38 high schools, nearly 50 percent moved to after 8:30 a.m.

NEW TRIER H.S. 40 MINUTE PERIODS EVANSTON H.S. 42 MINUTE PERIODS LAKE ZURICH H.S. 44 MINUTE PERIODS Extra-curriculars, including sports and arts No negative impact found in districts that have made the change • • • •

Scheduling not an issue; athletic conferences adjusted start times for games Some high schools found partcipation increased, teams won more and there were fewer injuries Some elementary schools saw an increase in extra-curricular activity participation Some schools eliminated, or created guidelines, regarding before-school activities

Of the approximately 70-benchmark high schools studied nationwide, Input 220 found none that reverted to a pre-8 a.m. start time.

For more information on data and studies in this report, visit Barrington220.org/Input220