Some question whether year-round schooling is beneficial for students. While some believe this is not an effective way to teach students, others feel it would be a huge academic advantage for students. This second line of thought is what led to a number states putting this educational calendar in place.
Calendar available all year
Students are not required to attend school every day of the year, even though they follow a year-round school schedule. Year-round school follows a modified version of the traditional school calendar.
Students typically go to school in September and have Thanksgiving recess in November. Students have a holiday in December during winter recess. This lasts until the New Year. The students will continue to school until the spring recess break. After that, there will be a few holidays and days off for parent/teacher meetings. Students will start their summer vacation around mid-June or early June. It will usually last until the end of August or early September.
Students are allowed to take a shorter vacation in summer due to the year-round calendar. These summer weeks are then re-allocated by school districts to be used in the rest of the school year. Schools believe that a year-round school calendar is better for student learning outcomes because it avoids learning loss that can often occur during summer months.
Pros
- Effective study habits should be practiced consistently.
- Higher retention of course material without putting yourself at risk of the “summer slide”.
- Students develop closer friendships with their friends.
- Improve your relationships with teachers.
- Make sure your children are intellectually stimulated and not in trouble.
Cons
- Children don’t get the traditional summer vacation.
- The campus’s heavier requirements can overwhelm children.
- Too little preparation time between classes can lead to teachers becoming more stressed.
- It is more difficult to find a sense of school spirit when there are alternating school sessions.
Year-round school districts
According to the National Association for Year Round Education, there are many school districts that follow the year-round school schedule. These school districts can be found in the following states
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
Understanding the reasons behind year-round education
This type of education is being implemented by some school advocates who are there all year. It is believed that it will allow students to retain the knowledge they have received. Others state that it is more efficient and useful in dealing with issues such as overcrowding.
It is just an opinion. This system works in some cases, but it is not always effective in others. Both methods are unlikely to be perfect and parents will need to decide which is best for their child.