Gordon Wang AC2 2-11-09

Longer School Hours

It was Wednesday noontime at Rosa International Middle School. My friends and me

were facing a serious dilemma during our physical education class. We were

working on an important step-a-robics routine. We could not figure

out what steps we should do in our routine. We did not have enough time! Our teacher,

Ms Housman, had given us that Wednesday and Friday and then

we would have to perform on Tuesday! We ended up with a routine

that we were not familiar with and were forgetful. If Gym were

longer we could of done much better in our performance. If only school was longer. The

school district needs to do a lot of tinkering with

the standard length of student’s school hours. School needs to become

longer; it is becoming a widely acknowledged fact in the academic circle. Longer school

hours will benefit students by improving their grades, test scores and academic skills, and

providing time for enjoyable activities and providing more time to

learn and grasp concepts.

Some students would strongly object to longer school hours,

preferring to go home to play their favorite video games, or text their friends via a cell

phone; they would be glad once they notice straight A+’s on their report card, or a 100 on

every one of their tests. Longer school hours have been like kind of a gift to people who

increase their grades, test scores and academic abilities. At Washington Jesuit Academy,

middle school students spend nearly 12 hours a day there, from 7:30 A.M to 7:15 P.M.

These middle school students have shown so much improvement on their test scores that

Washington D.C officials are using the school as an example for the city’s public schools.

In 6th grade fewer than half of the Washington Jesuit students were reading at grade level,

but by eighth grade 90% of them were. That is the advantage of longer school hours,

being able to improve your grades, test scores, academic abilities dramatically, an

achievements every kid would be proud of.

Many kids think school is dull and boring, and are always impatiently dying to go home.

They sleep and daydream during class; chewing gum and talking to friends rather then

paying attention to the teacher. With the possible question of longer school hours, they

are even less excited. But you could win those kids over, because with longer school

hours, you have more time to incorporate fun activities that you normally would not have

time for into the school day. Kids would not feel as bored if they were watching movies

about history in Humanities or making a rocket in Science. In a recent fifth-grade math

class at Salemwood School, Maiden, Massachusetts, students were outside flying paper

airplanes, charting their airplane’s distances, analyzing design elements, and remaking

the planes to outfly the class record. They were also able to play math games in some of

their other math classes. It’s only possible because the school is pioneering an initiative

to extend daily school hours. With longer school hours you would be able to do a lot of

things that you were not able to do without extending the school day. You would be able

to include recess, as well as talented and gifted programs, and we could go to band five

days a week like Ms. Mark really wanted us to be able to do. We would also be able to

add new subjects like geography which is hardly done anymore in schools today. Imagine

the possibilities with longer school hours. By having longer school hours, you would be

able incorporate fun activities that are and not hard-core learning and therefore make

school a little more exciting and enjoyable and not just all learning for kids who are not

avid fans of school.

In my Enriched Math Class I am getting bad grades, because of extremely low test and

quiz scores, and which is completely due to the fact I am learning new concepts and I

did not really grasp the concepts, which is because there is really no time. But with

longer school hours, there would be more time for learning how to multiply and divide

fractions and to completely grasp the concept. Then I would be more prepared for

upcoming tests and quizzes and I would get back better test scores which would lead to

an A in math. The time we have in school now is too short and it hinders the students’

possible academic and learning improvements those extended school hours would most

likely provide. I know I can get an A in math, but like I just said, without the advantage

of longer school hours, it might take a longer time for me to reach that level. The normal

amount of core area instructional class time in the USA is the shortest of all developed

countries compared countries like France who have more then two times the amount of

the USA’s instructional time and even attend school on Saturday! So it should not

surprise you that in a report compiled by the National Commission on Time and Learning

entitled Prisoners of Time, saying the amount of time in a uniform six-hour school day

is a major unacknowledged design flaw in the U.S. educational system and there is not

enough academic time in schools. There is a fact that people need to acknowledge, every

student is different, they learn at different rates and different ways with each subject. For

example I am doing well in Language Arts, but doing badly in Math. A major point the

report stressed was learning new things was what was important, and time was

obstructing it. By extending school hours, we have more time to learn more and

completely grasp new concepts.

The school day is major problem in our educational system that sets us at odds with

many other developed countries in the world. It has to be changed, it must, but not a four-

day school week or shortened school hours, but longer school hours. School deserves this

big change, they need it. I rest my case. Longer school hours would not only provide

more time for learning and grasping new concepts, but also improve your grades, test

scores and academic abilities and also provide time for incorporate more exciting

activities into the school day, both educational and non-educational.