School start times have been receiving attention across the nation since the mid-1990s (Editorial). Many school districts have considered the benefits of later start times, others have already made the leap of starting classes later in the day, while others are still reluctant to change schedules, questioning if there is any noticeable difference in academic achievement to be seen. However, almost all the school districts that have made changes thus far have reported benefits not only in student performance and achievement, but also in overall student attitude (Gormly). The reason for this is linked to teenagers’ circadian rhythm: the “biological rhythm that governs our sleep-wake cycles” (Carrell 4). In order for students to achieve academic success, schools should push back start times to better accommodate teenagers’ circadian rhythm.
While the push for later school start times has many supporters, some fail to believe that the positive benefits outweigh the negative. Beginning school later in the morning requires a shift in the schedule as a whole—causing teachers, coaches, bus drivers, and parents to drastically shift their schedules as well (Editorial). A shift in the schedule would cause financial complications for school districts. For instance, extra transportation services may be needed to accommodate a shift in the schedule (Editorial). Some school districts remain reluctant to change start times, despite the mental and physical evidence that supports the benefits of later classes.
Some students may not be as affected by sleep rhythms as others, but for many, staying awake in class is a daily struggle. Recent surveys have reported that nearly twenty-five percent of high school students fall asleep during...
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An advantage to starting school later would be that students would be less drowsy at school; thus, being forced to pay attention and -- in the long run -- improve grades. According to a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, “28 percent of students [fall] asleep” during f...
“BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!” The teenage student slams on the snooze button and struggles to get out of bed for the early school day. Teens on average need 9 ¼ hours of sleep (Backgrounder: Later School Start Times). Teens currently average fewer than 7 hours of sleep (Backgrounder: Later School Start Times). Hectic schedules, poor sleep habits, homework, and family obligations are the problem (Backgrounder: Later School Start Times). Schools are considering starting their school days later in the morning. For example, one Minneapolis school considered pushing back their start time from 7:15 to 8:30. Another Seattle school considers pushing back the school day start reported Jean Enersen. Would this benefit the students or harm the students? Is this for the better or for the worse? These are questions many superintendents and school board members are asking themselves. They all want to do what is best for their students, so the topic takes a lot of thinking, planning, and conversations. School starting later can be a very controversial issue.
Wolfson, Amy R., et al. "Middle School Start Times: The Importance of a Good Night's Sleep for
Although sizeable information exists for the concepts that early school start times are destructive to adolescents’ health and well-being along with delaying school start times results in real and constant benefits to students, the current debate among school districts in the United States regarding school systems later start times for middle and high schools continues to spark controversy.
One drawback to later start times is the fact that school would end later. Since schools that start later still have the same number of hours in a day, they would in turn end later in the afternoon. This can cause problems for after school activities, and also homework after school. Some students families depend on the money earned from working after school jobs. If the school they were attending got out later, they would have less time after school to work these jobs, so they would be unable to make the money they need to support their families (“Eight Major Obstacles to Delaying School Start Times”). In addition, any after school clubs or activities would end later after school, causing those involved to stay up later at
Lack of sleep of teens is not caused by choice. Many teens do not choose to stay up late at night because they are out or having fun. The body has circadian rhythms. “These rhythms are generated internally and develop without any social or environmental cues. Adolescents experience a natural circadian phase delay and, therefore, tend to stay up later and sleep in later than in preadolescents” (Final Report Summary, 2001). The opening and closing schedules of schools are not based on these rhythms but are based on the business world and what is best for it. “School schedules should be adapted to the unique needs of different sub-populations of pupils. The administrator must not bear the sole responsibility for planning class schedules” (...
You’re in your bed sleeping peacefully when all of a sudden you’re jolted awake by your alarm. You drag yourself out of bed, having only gotten five hours of sleep. Does that sound like a nightmare? For many students, that’s a reality. Many students feel they aren’t getting enough sleep which can lead to more problems at school; therefore, school should start later in the day because it would increase grades, keep students safer, and allow teenagers to get enough sleep.
School start times should be later because of adolescent mental strength abilities. In the meantime, studies have been shown recently that schools that start later earn better standardized test grade scores. “With early start times, some before 7:00 a.m., adolescents are not getting enough sleep,” says Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren. She explains how teens (adolescents) are not receiving the rest they need to stay healthy. With later school start times, kids can be more awake in their studies, and will pay more attention in school since they are more awake. There is this a rhythm within a person's body called the circadian rhythm which involves release of melatonin in the person's sleep cycle. This is why it is important to not
For the past three or so years now, there have been many controversies on whether schools should start at a later time. There are definitely many pros and cons if school were to start at a later time, but many teenagers would greatly appreciate it. Nowadays lately, especially in our generation that is full of technology and socializing, students tend to stay up much later than they should be. This not only causes many problems for a student’s health itself, but also pushes many problems into a teacher’s hand. This leads to the conclusion that schools should start a much later time.
In more than 40 states, at least 75 percent of public schools start earlier than 8:30 a.m. Students who don't get enough sleep are likely to fail because their always tired. Most schools, who boosted their time in the morning are getting more progress from students from test scores, attendance, and better grades in their classes. (Teny M. Shapiro), an economist at Santa Clara University, estimates that a one-hour change produces the same benefit as shrinking class size by one-third or replacing a teacher in the 50th percentile of effectiveness with one in the 84th percentile.
The teen’s health is a very significant issue. Pushing back times just by thirty minutes can improve their moods, energy levels, and overall health. “When children reach puberty their body clocks change and they need to stay up at night and sleep in later. When they were given the chance to do so for the study, the number of teenagers who said they fel...
High school arrival times can have a huge impact on the daily routine of teenagers across the United States. The negative effects of early arrivals can range from depression and sleep deprivation. High schools across the nation have been experimenting to find the “perfect” start time for their stundentsstudents. Some schools begin their day earlier than 7:30 AM, while others begin well after 9:00 AM. Start times are important due to the fact that , because they generally set the rhythm of the day for students. It has been proven that teenager’s body clocks are set to a unique schedule due to changes during puberty. These changes cause teenagers to go to sleep at a later time and wake up later in the morning. Because of this, students who attend early-starting schools generally receive less sleep than those who attend later-starting schools. Also, research shows students in early-starting schools are more likely to be tardy and absent than students in later-starting schools (Lamberg). Creating an arrival time that compliments the unique schedule of teenagers would encourage students to arrive on time, boost individual student achievement, and allow students to get more sleep. High schools should start later in the morning to better benefit the students both academically and for their healthents.
Many people are resistant to change, especially if it involves reassembling their plans and procedures to adjust to the new schedule. This is a problem for parents’ work schedules since they most likely will not be able to see their kids in the morning which will leave students unsupervised when they get ready. This is also a problem for transportation since parents will not be able to take their kids to school which might cause traffic and more costs since bus schedules would change too. According to the Sleep Foundation, "If elementary students have the earliest start times, they may be waiting for the bus in the dark early mornings, or waiting at home alone after school." Later start times are thought to solve tardies and absences, but if students cannot get to school, it does not solve anything. A change in the school schedule will result in disorder in many people’s daily routines perhaps having to discard certain activities to fully adjust to the new schedule. The changes caused by a new schedule affects students
The alarm goes off at six am and the typical high school student is barely able to open their eyes. It is time to get up and prepare for a full day at school, about eight hours. Most teenagers, according to the National Sleep Foundation, will only get about six hours of sleep since they tend to stay up until midnight (“Should schools start later in the day?”). After getting ready, many students look forward to a nap in their first hour class despite the information they will miss. Teenagers seem to always have had trouble getting up in the morning, even earning the title of lazy from their parents. However, recent research on adolescent sleep patterns has produced a biological explanation for this tendency. This raises a serious question: why are high schools starting early in the morning when teenagers are biologically programmed to sleep in? For most cases, school start time has not been conformed to fit student physiological needs simply because of transportation issues.
Brett, Jennifer. “8 to 5 Some Educators Like Barnes’ Latest Plan to Improve Schools by Lengthening the Day.” The Atlanta Journal –