Consideration of a 4 Day Week

1. Consideration of a 4 Day Week Renick R-V School District 2019

2. Is this the right path for our school district? • https://www.today.com/video/is-a-4-day-school-week-the-next-trend-in-education-1429370435885

3. Survey 1 Would you support a 4 Day Week Calendar? • 67 responses • 82.09% (55) yes • 17.91% (12) no

4. Survey 2 • Total of 44 participants • 90.91% (40) Yes • 9.09% (4) No

5. Would you like more information? • 65.67% (44) Yes • 34.33% (23) No

6. Concerns • Why are we having this discussion? The single greatest effect on student achievement is not race, it is not poverty - it is the effectiveness of the teacher. -Harry Wong Teacher retention and competitiveness with larger area schools. Base Salary Master’s 10 years Exp. Contracted Days Renick $30,800 $38,250 145 Moberly $35,532 $43,651 180 Columbia $36,000 $47,332 185 Westran $34,000 $42,580 180 Hallsville $32,000 $41,900 180

7. Would it save money? How much? It is difficult to predict the savings of a 4 day week. You typically can predict a 20% savings in Food Service cost. In 2017-2018, the district spent $40,219, 20% savings would be $8044. For our transportation, we would predict a 10% cost savings due to running one bus for high schoolers on Mondays. In 2017-2018, the district spent $14,970.61 on transportation costs. Therefore, the district could save approximately $1,497 in transportation costs. There would also be some savings on electricity and water, but this is difficult to estimate. There would be some savings on substitute teachers because faculty and staff could make appointments on Mondays. In 2017-2018, the district spent $9893 on substitute teachers. We could predict a 10% savings on substitute teachers for another $989. Therefore, the district would save approximately $10,000-$12,000 annually.

8. Teacher/staff salaries? No one in the district will receive a reduction in hours or in salaries. Custodian/Bus Drivers will continue to work 5 – Eight hour shifts. Cook – 4 ten hour shifts Paraprofessionals – either 4 ten hour shifts or 5 eight hour shifts depending on duties. Nurse – 4 ten hour shifts Secretary & Bookkeeper – 4 ten hour shifts. Teachers will be required to come in a minimum of one professional development day a month.

9. How does it effect students’ education? Will the education levels still be the same as a 5 day week school? How would the combined classes be handled? How does it effect busing to Moberly High School? The curriculum will stay the same. Teachers will adjust the instruction to the division of days. Regardless of the number of days in a week, the school is required to provide 1044 hours of instruction a year. Combined classes will be handled the same as they are this year. Teachers, paraprofessionals and the nurse will continue to help ensure the education levels in combined classes cover all Missouri Learning Standards. This will actually help the high school students in Moberly. Moberly has a late start which requires our students to sit and wait for school to start. With a 4 Day Week, the high school students will be picked up and arrive at school on time on Mondays. The high school bus will leave the school at 6:45 am.

10. Educational EffectPaul M. Hewitt, George S. Denny study • “Although the four-day school week originated in 1936, it was not widely implemented until 1973 when there was a need to conserve energy and reduce operating costs. This study investigated how achievement tests scores of schools with a four-day school week compared with schools with a traditional five-day school week. The study focused on student performance in Colorado where 62 school districts operated a four-day school week. The results of the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) were utilized to examine student performance in reading, writing, and mathematics in grades 3 through 10. While the mean test scores for five-day week schools exceeded those of four-day week schools in 11 of the 12 test comparisons, the differences were slight, with only one area revealing a statistically significant difference. This study concludes that decisions to change to the four-day week should be for reasons other than student academic performance.”

11. How will this effect end of the year test scores? The school will continue with progress monitoring and with benchmark testing with either calendar to ensure students are making adequate progress. We use DIBELS, STAR and EARLY LITERACY SKILLS.

12. Is there a plan to feed low income students on Mondays? • No, there is not a plan. Anyone concerned about their amount of food should contact the school if the 4 day week is adopted. • What about child care? Child care is the same for parents that work on Saturday, Sunday or evenings. We are a fortunate community to have Country Kids Clubhouse now in town and there are some very responsible 8th grade students parents might like to contact. Currently we release every Friday early which requires child care also.

13. What about lunch times? There will be no change in lunch periods. • How will teacher work days be handled since students are released early one day a week? There will not be any release days for professional development. All teacher in-service times will be held on Mondays. • How are weather make-up days be completed? Weather make-up days would be completed on Mondays. As with the five day week, the calendar would provide built in up to 36 hours.

14. What are the benefits of a 4 day week over a 5 day week has for students? • It may reduce the number of discipline referrals for students.* • Improved attendance* • It can improve learning. ***“Recent studies show that learning capabilities of students who are enrolled in 4-day-week schools seemed to improve, which means that they seem to be focusing more on their studies and increasing their knowledge. As for the teachers, they also seemed to be focusing their lesson plans more on ensuring that most important subjects are being taught in the shorter classroom time and keeping students more on track, doing away with any subject or topic that are not essential. Even though only a slight improvement in performance was seen, the important thing is that a shortened school week does not negatively affect the learning abilities of students, which matters most.” • It offers more free timeand family time.** “The change can provide students and teachers more time with their families. Family time is an important part of American culture. Many parents and teachers are using the extra day off as a family day for activities such as exploring a museum, hiking, shopping, or traveling. The extra day has given families the chance to bond and do things that would not have been able to otherwise.” **https://www.thoughtco.com/pros-cons-four-day-school-week-4046198 *https://vittana.org/12-pros-and-cons-of-a-4-day-school-week ***https://greengarageblog.org/10-main-pros-and-cons-of-4-day-school-weeks

15. What are the disadvantages to a 4 day week? • Thirty more minutes a day. • Less meals provided for low income students. Higbee sent out an anonymous survey to ask parents if their children would have enough food for the extra day off. • Some studies show it is harder for some students to focus on longer days however, we are only adding 30 minutes to the day.

16. Will it cause burnout in teachers and students? • Actually the research shows the opposite. Students and teachers are more rested and ready to stay on task. Discipline rates go down. Attendance by teachers and students goes up. • What do teachers think? On Survey 1, 16 out of 17 voted yes.

17. What will be the preschool year and hours? The preschool year and hours will be the same as the rest of the school. Northeast Randolph County (Cairo) and Moberly Early Learning Center already do a 4 day week preschool program. Preschool tuition is reviewed annually and will be decided by the school board during budget meeting sessions. • How will this effect after school activities? They will begin at 3:30 instead of 3:15.

18. What about bus routes? The only change to bus routes is they will arrive 15 minutes earlier and 15 minutes later. The first pick up would be approximately 6:00 am. Now the first pick up is about 6:18 am. • How will this effect the high school busing on Mondays? The high school will continue to be bused on Mondays but will not arrive early as they do now. There will be one bus route run for all high school students on Monday.

19. How will special classes be handled? Art, PE, Music and Counseling will remain as they are in the 5 day week. Computer literacy/Library will be throughout the week. We have found it is difficult to teach computer literacy in one block anyway.

20. How does this effect the length of the school year and school day? School start and end times? Handout of DRAFT calendars.

21. Studies on Four Day Week Calendar http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/school-calendar-four-day-school-week-overview.aspx http://aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=14858 https://greengarageblog.org/10-main-pros-and-cons-of-4-day-school-weeks https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1164595.pdf https://sites.google.com/view/four-day-school-week/home (several articles have been compiled here by Dr. Jonathon Turner, MSU

22. 4 Day Week Schools • Currently 50 school districts in Missouri going to a 4 Day Week Calendar in 2019-2020. • List of Missouri Schools with APR, contact information and percent of Proficient and Advance for MAP and graduation rates. • https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zfoLZhi2vQzgQzxpFho7NEdvOeiWbWtdrF1A0CjeWN4/edit#gid=1635909390

23. MO School Districts on a 4 Day Week LATHROP R-II ALBANY R-III HARRISBURG R-VIII MONTGOMERY CO. R-II EAST LYNNE 40* OREARVILLE R-IV* EVERTON R-III MARIES CO. R-II MIAMI R-I COMMUNITY R-VI LACLEDE CO. C-5* MILLER R-II PIERCE CITY R-VI STOCKTON R-I WELLSVILLE MIDDLETOWN R-I HOLLIDAY C-2* JASPER CO. R-V NIANGUA R-V BRADLEYVILLE R-I CRANE R-III DREXEL R-IV EAST NEWTON CO.R-VI NORTH CALLAWAY CO. R-I ROSCOE C-1* WALNUT GROVE R-V Higbee (new 2018) Halfway (new 2018) Galena (new 2018) Warsaw R-IX (new 2018) Clinton County R-III (new 2018) Schuyler County R-I (New 2018) Pike County R-III (Clopton) (New 2018) Bakersfield R-IV (New 2018)

24. LATHROP R-II ALBANY R-III HARRISBURG R-VIII MONTGOMERY CO. R-II EAST LYNNE 40* OREARVILLE R-IV* EVERTON R-III MARIES CO. R-II MIAMI R-I COMMUNITY R-VI LACLEDE CO. C-5* MILLER R-II PIERCE CITY R-VI STOCKTON R-I WELLSVILLE MIDDLETOWN R-I HOLLIDAY C-2* JASPER CO. R-V NIANGUA R-V BRADLEYVILLE R-I CRANE R-III DREXEL R-IV EAST NEWTON CO.R-VI NORTH CALLAWAY CO. R-I ROSCOE C-1* Walnut Grove R-V 97.10 91.20 93.60 96.20 99.50 99.00 99.80 88.30 92.10 99.50 99.50 94.10 100.00 97.90 100.00 100.00 95.20 94.10 83.30 88.80 94.20 89.80 92.50 96.20 100.00 2018 APR

25. Provisionally Accredited • Six schools in Missouri are provisionally accredited. • NONE are 4 day school week districts.

26. DESE Attendance Requirements • Missouri Statute says Per Section 171.031.1, RSMo -The school term in school year 2019-20 and subsequent years shall consist of one thousand forty-four hours of actual pupil attendance shall be required with no minimum number of school days required, and "school day" shall mean any day in which, for any amount of time, pupils are under the guidance and direction of teachers in the teaching process. • A school district must adopt a calendar that meets minimum standards that provide at least 1,044 hours of instruction and such plan must include a minimum of 36 weather make-up hours for possible loss of attendance due to inclement weather. Beginning in school year 2019-20 and subsequent years, no minimum number of school days shall be required, and “school day” shall mean any day in which, for any amount of time, pupils are under the guidance and direction of teachers in the teaching process per Section 160.041, RSMo.