More Iowa schools move to four-day weeks
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A growing number of Iowa school districts are adopting four-day weeks to cut costs and address teacher shortages.
Why it matters: Though there are budgetary and labor advantages, research shows mixed effects on student learning and burdens on families.
State of play: In Iowa, 27 districts have shortened their class schedules to four days this school year, more than twice as many as last year, per Midwest Newsroom, a partnership between NPR and local public radio stations.
- Iowa isn't alone — the trend is growing nationally, with education leaders saying they save thousands on buses, utilities and substitute teachers while offering a schedule that makes it easier to attract educators, per the National Education Association.
Zoom in: The Saydel Community School District switched from a five- to a four-day week last school year and is off Fridays, per WHO-13.
- To comply with Iowa's required instructional hours, the district added around 30 minutes to the other school days.
- The change occurred to help students and staff reduce burnout and retain teachers, superintendent Tom Martin told Midwest Newsroom last year.
What they're saying: Madison Wolfe, a Des Moines mom, told Midwest Newsroom that the change helped her son, Jayce, while he attended second grade last year at Saydel.
- Jayce, who has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, was able to attend therapy and other appointments on Fridays, and the longer break helped him reset.
- His reading skills jumped several levels, Wolfe told Midwest Newsroom.
The big picture: National studies suggest there are academic tradeoffs due to the decreased daily instruction, however.
- A University of Oregon review of 11 empirical studies found that rural and non-rural students experienced decreased math and reading achievements.
- A RAND Corp. study examined four-day school week outcomes in six states (Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and South Dakota) and estimated that after eight years, the damage to student achievement would equal the learning loss caused by the pandemic.
Friction point: Teachers like the flexibility and improved work-life balance offered by a four-day school week, though there isn't evidence showing that it does improve retention like other benefits, such as salary increases, per the National Education Association.
- However, Saydel says the switch has improved academic performance and teacher recruitment.
Between the lines: The goal of switching to four days should not be improving academic achievement, James Craig, superintendent of Cardinal Community School District, told IPR last month.
- "If you're going to be in school fewer days, you're not planning on student achievement being one of the positive things," Craig said.