Review of Year-Round Schools

Review of Year-Round Schools October 15, 2013

Study MandateHJR 646 (2011) JLARC to study year-round schools in Virginia and elsewhere Determine which divisions use year-round schools and describe their experience Evaluate impact on Academic achievement School cost Other factors

In Brief In Virginia’s year-round schools, the shorter breaks throughout the year have typically been used to provide additional instruction. Certain student groups, in particular black students, were more likely to improve their SOL test scores at year-round schools than their peers at traditional calendar schools.

In This Presentation Background Test Scores for Certain Students Better at YRS Financial Impact Related to Intersessions Summary and 2013 Planning Grant Review of Low-Performing Schools YRS = Year-Round Schools

Earlier Start, With Intersessions in Fall, Winter, and Spring Intersession In session Vacation Year-Round Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Traditional

Goal to Improve Academic Achievement or Increase Capacity • Single-track • Increase achievement through reduced summer learning loss and instruction during intersession • Predominantly used in Virginia • Multi-track • Maximize building capacity through “track rotations”

Five Divisions Used YRS at Nine Virginia Elementary Schools (2011-2012) Arlington (1 school) Alexandria (2) Richmond (1) Lynchburg (1 ) Danville (4)

Finding No appreciable difference in SOL test scores of general student population at year-round schools compared to traditional calendar schools.

Finding Black student groups at year-round schools appear to do better on SOL tests. Other student subgroups at year-round schools also appear to do better on SOL tests, but less consistently than black students.

Average Scores of Black Students Improved Faster at Majority of YRS English SOL Math SOL 26%Did notimprove faster 35%Did notimprove faster 65% Improvedfaster 74% Improvedfaster Percentages refer to percentages of year-round schools.

Average Scores of Black Students at Some YRS Higher Than Predicted, Especially in Math 29% 13% 58% English SOL 45% 26% 29% Math SOL

Other Subgroups at Some YRS Scored Higher in English, But Majority Scored As Predicted English SOL 27% 20% 53% Hispanic Economically-disadvantaged 19% 13% 68% 29% 17% 54% LEP

Practitioners Believe Intersessions And Shorter Breaks Contribute to Improvement • Timely and targeted remediation • Avoid accumulated learning loss • Reinforcement of recently-learned concepts • Helps all students • Shorter breaks • Less time for skills to decline

Finding Year-round schools spent 3%, on average, of their total annual expenditures on intersessions (not including transportation and student food services).

Resources Typically Required to Provide YRS Intersessions • Instruction and instructional support • Teachers • Instructional aides • Instructional supplies and support • Non-instructional • Nurses • Transportation • Food services • Intersession coordinator

Funding Sources for YRS • Local funds used most frequently • Some divisions also use fees to offset enrichment costs • Federal Title I funds • State basic aid, remedial education, and summer school funds

Divisions With Higher Percentages of Certain Student Groups May Want to Consider Year-Round Schools • Year-round schools may be a method to improve student performance • Particularly schools with high proportions of black, Hispanic, LEP, and economically disadvantaged students

Year-Round School Planning Grants Provided in the 2013 Session • General Assembly provided $412,500 for year-round school planning grants ($50,000 per grant) • Applications were due August 1st • Seven divisions were awarded planning grants

JLARC Review of Low Performing Schools (CH 806, Item #31, G.1) • (i) options used in other states and cities, including an assessment of Virginia's efforts to date; • (ii) other current successful approaches for high poverty urban schools within Virginia and whether they could be replicated in other areas; • (iii) an estimate of the resources and expertise that would be required at the state level to effectively implement and oversee any such models; • (iv) appropriate criteria for intervention decisions; and • (v) analysis of the primary reasons for low school or district performance.

Study Planned for Completion inJune 2014 • Planning stage • Cataloging policies and standards in Virginia • Researching restructuring efforts in other states • Reviewing academic literature • Assessing potential study issues and methodologies

JLARC Reports are Available On Website http://jlarc.virginia.gov

Review of Year-Round Schools