The summer weather has finally arrived in Oregon and summer vacation is in full swing. Some kids are camping, some are at summer camp. Many teachers are taking a much-needed break, while others are enrolled in summer courses.
Summer vacation has been a tradition in the United States since the mid-19th century, but as the students of the United States fall behind in reading, math and science, the trend towards year-round education is gaining momentum. Is it possible that summer vacation is a tradition that is doing more harm than good for our children? Could year-round school be the key to improving our struggling public education system?
Public schools in the United States haven’t always had a long summer vacation; in fact, in the 1800s different areas of our country had different school schedules. In the city schools were open as many as 48 weeks a year while rural areas had a summer and winter term for school and a fall and spring break allowing children to help with planting and harvesting on the family farm. In the 1840s, popular educational reformers like Horace Mann proposed a blending of the two schedules citing the belief that year-round school was over-stimulating to children’s minds, but that 2 semesters wasn’t enough. And so it was. The “traditional” calendar was born: a 9 month school year with a long summer break. (Source)
There is no doubt that summer vacation is a tradition we are fond of, and families have built their lives around it. Fans of summer vacation say it is a time for family trips, summer camps, summer jobs and relaxation. Parents who oppose year-round education (YRE) ask, “When will our kids get a chance to be kids and learn through personal discovery?”; “When will high school students have summer jobs or internships?”; and “How will we pay for all of this?” Educators who love their summer breaks may ask, “What about summer trainings and courses required to maintain my license?”; “How will we stay cool in classrooms with no air conditioning?”; “When will important building maintenance occur?”; and “How will my pay be affected?”
These are all valid points, worthy of consideration. Those who prefer our current school calendar feel that YRE would eliminate opportunities and create funding and logistical problems.
Proponents of a YRE calendar, on the other hand, maintain that summer vacation leads to learning loss. Each September, teachers spend weeks reviewing the previous year’s curriculum to compensate for this loss. Studies have shown that learning loss is a real problem, and that students lose skills over the summer, especially in math, spelling, and sometimes reading. Other problems with the current “traditional” calendar include the inability of some parents to provide positive experiences such as summer camps, vacations, or childcare for their kids. For English Language Learners the summer break limits their exposure to English and stunts their developing language skills. Proponents argue that a year-round, or “balanced,” calendar would curb summer learning loss while providing the students who need it most a safe and positive place to learn on a more constant basis.
Year-round education is actually a growing trend in the United States—by 2004, over 3,000 schools had made the switch, according to Education Week. How do these schools make it work? Some schools spread out the 180 days more evenly with longer than usual winter and spring vacations and a shorter summer vacation. Some schools add school days to their calendar using additional funding. Other schools use a “multi-track” system in which students are divided into several groups each with their own calendar, so while some are on break, some are still in school. This system is favored for schools that struggle with space and funding as they can accommodate larger numbers by staggering their schedules.
The United States is not the only country with a summer vacation; in fact, most countries have one. However, in the United States, our summer vacation is generally longer, and our students attend school less total days than most countries regardless of how their calendar is structured. (Source) For instance, students in Singapore have a one-month summer break and attend school up to as many as 280 days per year. (Source) Our students attend school 180 total days, with a two- or three-month summer vacation. (Source: Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study [TIMSS] 2003) In 2009, Singapore ranked within the top five worldwide for reading, science and math skills, while the United States ranked 17th in reading, 23rd in sciences and 30th in mathematics. (Source: Programme for International Student Assessment PISA, 2009)
These results remind us that our kids are falling behind. Education reform is a hot topic among politicians, and on this particular topic, even President Obama has suggested modifying the traditional calendar to shorten summer vacation. Research has shown that students lose learning during their much-loved summer vacation. However, no study has been able to prove that a balanced calendar will lead to better test scores. So, if moving to a year-round schedule would improve learning, maybe we should consider it. But we cannot assume it will solve all of our problems.
