Year-Round School Benefits

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Lauren Benzing Ms. Nielsen English 9 6 November 2009 Year-Round Schooling: A Beneficial Opportunity Students, do you often feel bored at the end of summer? Do you hate forgetting material you have previously learned? Teachers, isn't it frustrating to have to waste precious class time re-teaching and reviewing things that students have already learned, but forgot? Year-round school would be a simple, yet beneficial solution to these problems. For many reasons, a year-round school schedule would be a great leap forward for the education systems of America, which are lacking compared to European and Asian ones (Holland). Year-round school should be mandatory for all students in grades K-12. Year-round education would improve student retention,…show more content…
The recurring intervals between school sessions are perfect for either educational remediation or enrichment, depending on the student. Thousands of students sit in classes each day that do not fit their needs. The classes are either extremely difficult, and their grades suffer, or they are a breeze, an A requiring minimum effort. Whichever the case, school isn’t doing anything for them. Many times, unfortunately, this situation lasts for the entire 180-day school year. What good is an "A" if the student isn't further developing their mind? What good is going to school and not learning anything because it is all so difficult? The answer is "no good." Students who need extra intellectual attention, whether it addresses their difficulties or their talents, shouldn't have to wait for summer to receive it; that would be "no good." YRS allows students' special needs to be addressed throughout the entire year, rather than after it. The chance for acceleration, extended learning, or enrichment shouldn't have to wait nine months; giving talented students the chance to stretch their minds year-round is a wonderful opportunity. On the other end of the spectrum, students who are lacking in subjects, need academic tutoring, or need to "catch up" can receive assistance as a supplement to their regular education during year-round school. Many year-round schools provide enrichment or…show more content…
There isn’t a viable reason not to implement it, and the few cons are outweighed by the pros. By using year-round school, both students and teachers would have access to school that is both rewarding and relaxing. A recent study compared sixty-four school variables, such as attendance, grades, discipline, and test scores, among year-round schools and traditional schools. The results showed that fifty-four of the sixty-four tested variables were more prominent in year-round schools (Chaika). If schools just gave the year-round calendar a chance, they are almost guaranteed to love it. For example, in two short years Kentucky grew from having just two experiential year-round schools to having 186 elementary schools, fifty-eight middle schools, fifty-five high schools, and an additional thirty schools with altered structures (Chaika). If the experimental schools had not been successful, this wouldn't have happened. All schools in the United States should adopt the year-round schedule. Students might not be comfortable with the idea of YRS at first. Many students' first reaction is the "horrible" thought of "losing" their summer vacations. Really, no one is "losing" the time they get away from school; it is just being spread out over a longer period of time, which is in the students' own best interests. Although it might take some time many students prefer YRS to the standard calendar."I thought it would be a bit boring, because

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