Does Shortening the School Week Impact Student Performance? Evidence from the Four-Day School Week

D. Mark Anderson (dwight.anderson@montana.edu) and MaryBeth Walker
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D. Mark Anderson: Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics Montana State University

Education Finance and Policy, 2015, vol. 10, issue 3, 314-349

Abstract: School districts use a variety of policies to close budget gaps and stave off teacher layoffs and furloughs. More schools are implementing four-day school weeks to reduce overhead and transportation costs. The four-day week requires substantial schedule changes as schools must increase the length of their school day to meet minimum instructional hour requirements. Although some schools have indicated this policy eases financial pressures, it is unknown whether there is an impact on student outcomes. We use school-level data from Colorado to investigate the relationship between the four-day week and academic performance among elementary school students. Our results generally indicate a positive relationship between the four-day week and performance in reading and mathematics. These findings suggest there is little evidence that moving to a four-day week compromises student academic achievement. This research has policy relevance to the current U.S. education system, where many school districts must cut costs.

Keywords: U.S. education system; United States; elementary school; four-day week; student academic achievement; economic hardship; cost cuts; education policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I20 I22 I29 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (30)

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