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Illustration by RJ Matson
Four-day school weeks are becoming more popular. Here’s what you need to know.
By Mary Kate Frank
From the April 2023 Issue
Complexity Factors
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Purpose
This debate has a clear purpose: to present arguments for and against switching to a four-day school week.
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Structure
The text is mostly informational. Points for and against four-day school weeks are woven throughout the article..
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Language Conventionality and Clarity
Vocabulary: some challenging vocabulary (e.g., detrimental, logistical, rural)Conventionality: The language is mostly conventional.
Lexile: 1070L
Featured Skill: Argument Writing,
Common Core Standards
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Anchor Standards
R.1, R.2, R.4, R.6, R.8, W.1, W.5, SL.1, L.4, L.5, L.6
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Grade 6
RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.4, RI.6.6, RI.6.8, W.6.1, W.6.5, SL.6.1, L.6.4, L.6.6
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Grade 7
RI.7.1, RI.7.2, RI.7.4, W.7.1, W.7.5, SL.7.1, L.7.4, L.7.6
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Grade 8
RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.4 ,RI.8.6, RI.8.8, W.8.1, SL.8.1, L.8.4, L.8.6
TEKS Standards
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1a, 1c, 1d, 2a, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5a, 5b, 5d, 5e, 5f, 5g, 5h, 5i, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h, 6i, 6j, 8d, 8e, 8f, 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d, 9e, 9f, 9g, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 11c, 11d, 12d, 12f, 12g, 12h, 12i, 12j
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Students at Hull-Daisetta High School in Texas are smiling more this year—especially on Thursday afternoons.
This past fall, the school district switched to a four-day schedule. That means students don’t have classes on most Fridays. Instead, the other school days are about 45 minutes longer.
So far, the change has been positive, says superintendent Tim Bartram. “Our students are happier,” he says. “The mood is better.”
Having a three-day weekend every week may sound like a dream, but it’s a reality for students at more than 1,600 schools in 24 states. And it’s certainly favored by families: A 2021 study by the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, found that the four-day schedule is popular with both parents and students in districts that use it. A whopping 85 percent of teens in the study said they “like it a lot.”
Still, the trend has some experts wondering: Is spending less time at school the best choice for students?
More Convenient?
Over the past century, many schools have experimented with four-day weeks during tough times. When electricity and gasoline prices skyrocketed in the 1970s, for example, several states shortened school weeks. This enabled them to spend less on gas for buses and less on heating and cooling buildings. (Many schools returned to a five-day schedule after prices came down.)
Today, saving money remains a big reason that schools make the switch. It isn’t the only reason though. Shorter weeks can also be convenient—particularly in rural areas, where the four-day week is most popular.
Rural communities tend to be spread out, and students and staff can spend hours traveling to and from school each day. A weekday off means less time on the road. For students, that leaves more time for extracurriculars, errands, chores, jobs, and sleep—a key benefit for teenagers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 60 percent of middle schoolers and 70 percent of high schoolers don’t get enough rest each night.
However, the longer school days that often come with four-day schedules can cut into after-school activities. Between homework, dinner, and sleep, there may not be time for much else. That means it could be tough to squeeze in activities like basketball, music lessons, and martial arts on school days.
Less Time in Class
Extracurriculars aside, there are also questions about how a shorter week impacts learning. On average, students on four-day schedules spend 58 fewer hours in class each year than students on five-day schedules, according to the RAND study.
Most research shows students on four-day schedules don’t perform as well on standardized tests, according to Paul Thompson, a professor at Oregon State University, who studies this topic. “Being in front of a teacher in a classroom matters a lot,” he says.
On the other hand, in the RAND study, teachers, principals, and parents all reported that kids learned as much—or more—on a four-day schedule as on a five-day one.
Finding Balance
Of course, a day at school usually involves more than learning how to solve equations and write essays. There may also be physical education, electives like theater and robotics, face-to-face time with peers, and access to free meals. With one fewer day at school, students can miss out on these things—and that can be detrimental.
Take socializing, for example, which is important for mental health. Recent research from the CDC shows that teens who feel less connected to friends and adults at their schools are more likely to feel sad or hopeless. Could being away from school one additional day each week contribute to feelings of disconnection?
There are logistical challenges too. Working parents and guardians may have a tough time finding childcare on the extra day school is closed.
“Making sure that the four-day week is working for all students and all families is important,” says Thompson.
To find the right balance, some schools offer virtual learning or special activities on days off. In the Hull-Daisetta district, for instance, all students come in for a half-day one Friday each month. They use the time for a range of activities—from field trips to classes on cooking or building computers.
After that?
They’re off to enjoy the weekend.
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What Do You Think?
Should the school week be shorter?
Gobacktothearticle to findargumentsthatsupporteachsideofthe debate. Write the information you find on a piece of paper. You can use this information in an argument essay on this topic.
This article was originally published in the April 2023 issue.
Audio ()
Activities (10)
Reference
Skill-Building Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
Audio ()
Activities (10)
Reference
Skill-Building Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building
Download the Lesson Plan
1. PREPARING TO READ
Project theVocabulary and Definitionshandout and preview the vocabulary.
2. READING AND TEXT MARKING
- Read the article once as a class.
- On your whiteboard, model text marking as students mark their magazines: Use a red-colored pencil to underline details that support the “Yes” side of the debate.
- Have students work in groups to underline details that support the “No” side of the debate, this time with a blue-colored pencil.
3. DISCUSSING AUTHOR BIAS
Have students discuss the following in their groups: Does the writer show bias—that is, a preference for one side of the debate or the other? How do you know?
4. DOING THE ACTIVITY
Have students fill in the “Yes/No” chart in their magazines using the strongest details that they underlined in the text.
5. DEBATING
Invite students to debate the topic at hand. Encourage them to use text evidence to support their opinions.
6. WRITING
- Have students complete theGuided Writing: Argument Essayactivity sheet and write their essays.
- Students should revise their essays using theArgument-Essay Checklist.
Text-to-Speech