Altering the Traditional Calendar to Enhance Education

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According to several studies the world’s richest super power, The United States of America has fallen to the 15th position in education. Traditional academic calendars in the United States consist of 180 days per year. This type education calendar allows children one large break typically two and a half months long, with two shorter breaks usually one to two weeks long. As the United States continues to dwindle in educational ranking; politicians, educators, and parents have been looking for a solution. Recent studies show implementing a year-round curriculum increases test scores, reduces juvenile delinquency, and lowers costs, yet the curriculum has met resistance due to misperceptions.

For instance, test scores in the United States educational institutions have become a focal point in deciding what education calendar works best. As students struggle to learn and retain the materials covered in school; legislation such as leave no student behind were constructed, yet the test scores still trend downward. As mentioned above, traditional education calendar students have a large summer break, during this break they are not engaged in academic activates. Extended breaks from the classroom often result in students failing to retain all of the material covered prior to the break. As students return to the classroom weeks are wasted reviewing topics already covered, so students can advance to the next step in the curriculum. Year-round education tackles this dilemma with shorter, yet more frequent breaks throughout the school year. These Shorter breaks allow students time away from the classroom to relieve stress, and results in greater retention of material covered compared to the traditional acade...

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...c.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED077117>.

Banta, Trudy W. "Evaluation of the Knox County Extended School Year Program. Final Report." (1976): 1-191. Academic Search Premier. Web. 05 Mar. 2012. .

Richmond Jr., Mossie J. "School as a Deterrant to Juvenile Crime." 97.3 (1977): 252+. Academic Search Premier. Web. 05 Mar. 2012..

Worthen, Blaine R., and Stephen W. Zsiray Jr.. "What Twenty Years of Educational Studies Reveal about Year-Round Education." (1994): 41. ERIC. Web. 05 Mar. 2012. .

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