Year-Round Schools
The traditional school-year calendar with early morning start times and two or three month summer breaks was designed when many Americans lived on a farm. At the time, school calendars revolved around the harvesting and planting of crops so that children could be home to help during the busiest summer months. Year-round schools spend the same number of days in class as students in traditional calendar schools - the days are just arranged differently, with smaller, more frequent breaks throughout the year.
The CCAT calender is composed of four academic sessions of 45 days each (two days each session are devoted to student/parent/teacher conferences), prior to and after these sessions, teacher planning days facilitate instructional needs. Each academic session is generally followed by a minimum fifteen-day hiatus.
- Students and teachers are refreshed by more
frequent breaks, will not get burnt-out as easily
- No time is lost reviewing in the fall
- Students who fall behind don't have to wait to go to summer
school. They can catch up during breaks
- The
Oxnard, California school district has been on a year-round calendar
since 1976, and a nine-year analysis shows significantly improved test
scores, without changing the basic education program
- Enhances teacher planning
- Allows off-season vacations and appointments that don't interfere with school days