Lengthening the school day is not included in the budget proposal for the state schools superintendent's plan to raise the academic bar.
Utah Superintendent of Public Instruction Scott Bean said Friday that students can achieve additional graduation requirements by revising school calendars into trimesters and class periods into block schedules, which allow for one more class in the same amount of time.For elementary schools, $40 million in state funds would be needed to hire, on average, three new specialty teachers per school to help children improve computer literacy, reading and math skills.
"I think the Legislature will find that more palatable" than the longer school day, Bean said. "It can be done and certainly can improve achievement levels of students exiting high school."
The Utah Board of Education approved the item as part of its $2.2 billion budget proposal for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999. The budget does not include the weighted pupil unit, the state's basic per-student funding formula, as enrollment tallies are under way. The WPU is expected to add $60 million to $70 million to the proposal. The budget will be forwarded to the Legislature next January.
Bean said that in talking to local school leaders he learned extra time would not be needed to prepare students for a competitive global marketplace.
Bean's academic proposal, which has been fine-tuned over the past several months, had sought $98 million to lengthen the school day by 30 minutes in elementary school and 45 minutes in secondary school to allow enough time to meet four additional graduation requirements in language arts, math, science, arts, applied technology and foreign language combined.
The state now requires 24 credits to graduate from high school, including three credits in English, two in math, two in science, three in social studies and 1.5 in arts. Districts, however, can set higher standards; many have added computer-education requirements.
Bean proposes requiring 28 credits to graduate, a number already implemented in Kane, San Juan and South Summit school districts; Morgan requires 30 credits.
But Bean would rather require more core subjects than electives in attempts to prevent students from spending their senior year without rigorous coursework. Electives tend to increase as requirements do: Salt Lake City School District requires 24 credits, including 8.5 electives; Morgan requires 13.5 credits in electives.
In elementary school, the specialty teachers would be interspersed throughout the day, aimed at better preparing children for secondary school coursework and ensuring all students can read by the third grade.
"I can give a credible `amen' to help in those areas," state school board member Lynn Haslem said.
Middle-school students would learn study skills and could start earning high school graduation credit on a preapproved basis.
Bean's proposal also calls for $6 million full summer school sessions in 15 high schools to offer acceleration or remediation and $500,000 for 10 highly specialized summer institutes for high school students. Both figures are included in the Utah Board of Education's budget proposal.
The proposal to increase academic standards could be implemented next fall.
- In other news, the state board's budget proposal also calls for $1 million to purchase reading materials for the "Read to Me" campaign under the Utah Reads Initiative. The program includes helping families understand the importance of a literacy-supportive environment and reading aloud to children.
The budget proposal also seeks $12 million in supplemental funds for textbooks, which would help school districts stem textbook fees and would go into coffers early next spring, if the Legislature so decides.