Feb 4, 2015
Grappling with achievement gaps between their rich and poor students, a growing number of schools and districts are resolving to add more minutes or days to the academic calendar, and Boston has emerged as a leader in this trend.
The extra time is billed as one solution to pack more instruction and professional development into the day but an enterprising story by James Vaznis of The Boston Globe shows more time in school by itself doesn’t always yield positive academic gains.
Still, the Boston school board last month approved adding 40 minutes a day to the calendar for grades 1-8, agreeing to a $12 million raise for teachers, too. We talk with Vaznis about his reporting and the promise of expanded learning time in this edition of EWA Radio.