LAHS Student Op Ed: The Benefits Of Shorter School Days (2024)
BY NAILAH QUARTEY English 9/Mr. Davis Los Alamos High School
As of lately, many high school students have been feeling weary and exhausted on a regular day-to-day basis. This could be a byproduct from the lack of proper sleep. Or maybe even too much work and information for a single student to retain in a day. Logically, shorter school days are better for students.
The importance of sleep varies from person to person; however, it is very essential especially for adolescents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 60% of middle schoolers complain they don’t have enough sleep, and an average 70% of high school students report they need more sleep. The standard amount of sleep a teen should get is around 8-10 hours of sleep each night.
A majority of teens and adolescents report having trouble focusing in class due to sleep deficiency. According to Idaho State University (ISU), “A good night’s sleep is crucial to our cognitive abilities, including memory, focus, and attention, all of which are necessary for successful academic careers.” This shows the importance of sufficient sleep for studies and overall focus across all teenagers.
But how should we be able to balance a good sleep schedule and school? Schools have begun to shorten school hours to ensure the best learning ability for students in class. Though, some will argue that even if school hours are shortened, it makes no difference in their sleep schedule, due to their bad sleep habits. Nevertheless, good sleep schedules are set with less stress over work, and setting up efficient bedtime schedules. The National Sleep Foundation claims that, “Getting enough sleep from a regular sleep schedule can make it easier for you to cope with daily stress and less likely to be impacted by minor negative things that can come up.” Shortening school hours will assure a student’s mental health and ability to learn in class by allowing students to have more time out of school to do homework, sports, etc. Leaving more time for after school activities gives students more time to sleep, leaving them energized and ready to learn the next day.
Shorter school days enforce healthier sleep schedules across many adolescents and boosts their ability to focus and learn in classes. Additionally, it gives students the freedom and opportunity to balance work and after school activities while also maintaining a proper sleep schedule. In short, setting up reasonable school hours impacts a student’s well being while also inducing better sleep.
This article is written by Cusack, who is a graduate assistant at the University of Idaho State. She briefly explains the impact of sleep on the studies of a college student. She covers the topics of focus, memory, emotions, creativity, and overall physical health, and how they are all being impacted by the average amount of sleep from a college student. She also notes that receiving a proper amount of sleep each night is crucial to one’s academic success.
This article is published by the National Sleep Foundation. They imply what is suggested to promote better sleep, how to set up good sleep schedules, and the do’s and don’ts in a habitual sleep schedule. Additionally, they recommend what should be done if one doesn’t feel they’re not receiving enough sleep, such as getting an extra 1-2 hours of sleep on weekends to restore lost sleep. All in all, it is important to prioritize sleep, keep consistency each and every night, and use helpful reminders and alarms for good sleep.
“Sleep and Health | Healthy Schools | CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/sleep.htm. Accessed 13 May 2024. This article is published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here, critical information is provided on the basis of proper sleep. As said in the article, children are at risk of several unfavorable health conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, poor mental health, and behavioral problems for nightly insufficient sleep. In this article, fair warnings are being provided, along with reliable facts and statistics on proper amounts of sleep in adolescents.
Shorter school days enforce healthier sleep schedules across many adolescents and boosts their ability to focus and learn in classes. Additionally, it gives students the freedom and opportunity to balance work and after school activities while also maintaining a proper sleep schedule.
The four-day school week could help students and teachers reduce their stress and fatigue from the long workday. Shorter school days could enhance students' well-being by allowing them to have more balance and flexibility in spending time on their academic, personal, and social needs.
Learning time is maximized as teachers work quickly to incorporate the day's necessary instruction. Instruction is fresh and changed on a regular basis. Teachers dive straight into instruction as soon as the class starts, with fewer interruptions for maintenance.
On the positive side, some schools that have implemented the four-day week report improved academic performance. A shorter week can reduce student fatigue and increase engagement during school hours.
On the other hand, there are several drawbacks to shortened days at school, such as: Less guided practice. One of the biggest advantages of offline full-time learning is that kids get more instructional time from teachers whenever they need it.
From sports to music to dance, many children participate in extracurricular activities designed to teach them new skills and enrich their lives. A longer school day could make participating in extracurriculars more difficult. It can also reduce the free time children need.
A day away from schoolwork can reduce fatigue and restore energy levels, which are linked to burnout. If you're wondering how to deal with student absenteeism, consider offering dedicated mental health days so students don't feel burnt out.
Although there are no “ideal” class lengths, there are pros and cons for both short and long-length classes. Short-length classes are often favored because they allow students to focus more in class. Students get less bored in classes and have to focus for shorter amounts of time.
Students in small schools perform better academically, graduate at higher levels, are more likely to attend college, and earn higher salaries later on in life.
Students on a four-day schedule, especially those with the least hours in school, have lower English language arts and math scores than students on a five-day schedule.
Three-day weekends are a breath of fresh air in a packed academic term, a reminder to stop and slow down, remember that you're a person too, not just something that goes from class to class, activity to activity.
“Longer school days could result in attention deficit and fatigue, making the extra class time ineffective.” By shortening the school days, students will have more time to focus on other things. Students will have more time to study for upcoming tests or quizzes, and would still have time to socialize.
Leaving more time for after school activities gives students more time to sleep, leaving them energized and ready to learn the next day. Shorter school days enforce healthier sleep schedules across many adolescents and boosts their ability to focus and learn in classes.
The students feel that they are able to learn better because the environment in the classroom is focused and quiet. Students do not get distracted or bored, but instead, they stay engaged in what is being taught. This is possible because they don't become restless or distracted during the shorter period of class.
Overall, the study found that four-day school weeks significantly hurt students' fall-to-spring test score achievement in math by a 0.05 standard deviation and in reading by a 0.06 standard deviation.
Advocates of year-round calendar systems often cite reduced summer learning loss as a reason to shift away from the traditional calendar. The logic here seems sound – since students have shorter summer breaks, there's less time to forget what they learned during the school year.
By reducing homework, students have proven to get more sleep which leads to better physical and mental health. So instead of benefiting students' learning, it can actually be detrimental to it. Homework doesn't necessarily always equate to higher achievement.
An extra day of the weekend would give students an additional twenty-four hours to study or finish assignments. It would also give teachers more time to plan fun, interactive lessons that students are more engaged and interested in.
Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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