If adapting K-12 school schedules would boost student productivity, it’s a change that deserves attention.
We still follow an agrarian schedule that allots for having the bulk of the summer free. This schedule was once applicable for students who could help harvest crops on the family farm during the summer; that’s no longer the case. As well, students no longer get up in the morning to milk the cow. As such, researchers have looked into the way adolescents sleep and what sleep schedule benefits them best.
Biological sleep schedules seem to flow and ebb throughout childhood maturity. While each child is different, a traditional belief is that children not yet in their teen years should be getting at least 10 hours of sleep each night. Teenagers up through high school need at least eight, but nine is better. But the biggest problem with teenagers getting enough sleep is not actually their activity schedule but their internal clock. Research from the Atlantic suggests that teenagers have a more difficult time going to sleep as early as younger age groups.
Education Next, a journal of opinion and research about education policy, supports starting middle and high school at or later than 9 a.m. This can help students stay more alert, attend classes on time and perform better. More sleep and a later school starting time are particularly helpful for students with below-average test scores. If that’s not enough, even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advocate for such a change. The CDC reports that 75 percent of public schools in 40 states begin earlier than 8:30 a.m.
It’s easy to suggest that an alternative to changing school starting times is to have parents get their children in bed earlier, but busy schedules have a way of interfering. When a Wisconsin elementary school teacher posted a chart addressing the question of what time children should go to bed to get the optimal sleep, the chart received praise and equal flak. Critics of the chart said kids have too much homework to get to bed on time or have too many activities going on. Opponents of such change argue that starting later in the day would cut into extracurricular activities or be too difficult to organize.
Still, a later starting time could give teachers a chance to collaborate or have trainings before students arrive. And if it means happier students with a more alert mind, a change might be worth some trouble at first.
Of course, any changes to something as important as school starting times should remain a district option with input from parents and local education leaders.