[QUOTE=loudi94;5154464]There would be costs associated with running in the summer. Air conditioning would have to be installed in most schools. Opening a window wouldn't cut it.
I wouldn't be opposed to year round schooling, but there is no data to show an increase in the amount of actual days a child is in school promotes optimal learning. QUOTE]
Not sure I agree. A lot of studies have been done on this, many are in favor and some say no real difference.
One study says:
Experts cite "summer learning loss" as a major problem for North American students, compared with their peers in countries with year-round schooling.
Recent studies suggest that, when fall comes around, teachers waste weeks reviewing last year's work because our kids forgot what they learned in the spring.
Summer learning loss also widens the gap between rich and poor children because disadvantaged kids are less likely to have books at home to help maintain skills and knowledge.
Shockingly though, even for the average child, the whole first month of school is wasted relearning last year's material. Researchers at the Canadian Council on Learning last month released the findings of a review of 39 studies, including Canadian reports, on summer learning loss. They found the drop in standardized test scores achieved in the fall compared to those in the spring equated to the loss of a month's instruction.
When experts look particularly at math, the picture is even worse. Researchers at the John Hopkins University School of Education studied the drop-off in students' mathematical computation skills. The results show a mean loss of approximately 2.6 months of grade-level equivalency. That means students performed, in September, as if they had missed a quarter of the previous school year.
Found at
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/2008/...schooling.html
Another one:
Research indicates that summer learning loss is a real problem for students—especially for economically disadvantaged students. In one study, Alexander, Entwisle, and Olson (2007) found that low-income students made similar achievement gains to other students during the school year; the widening of the achievement gap between the two groups occurred over the summer. Another study found that summer learning loss is more pronounced for math facts, spelling, and other academic material that is concrete rather than conceptual (Cooper, Nye, Charlton, Lindsay & Greathouse, 1996).
Found at
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...article570683/
The other side...
There are a substantial number of studies which are conducted by researchers (with no vested interest in either supporting or opposing year-round schooling) which conclude that there appears to be no significant difference in achievement between students in year-round and students in traditional calendar schools. Such studies include Zykowski (1991),
Carriedo (1989), Harp (1993) and Kreitzer/Glass (1990).
Found at
https://www.bctf.ca/publications/Res...s.aspx?id=5608
Would be interesting!