Though the name might suggest otherwise, year round students actually go to school for the same number of days (180) as traditional students. The difference is that year round students have breaks that are smaller in duration, but more frequent. A popular format is the 45-15 schedule, where students go to school for 45 days and then get 15 days off. Other formats include 60-20 and 90-30. In 2008, the number of students at public year round schools was almost 2.5 million, up from only 360,000 in the 1986-87 school year. Here are both sides of the coin on year round schooling.
Pros
The main argument for year round schooling is that traditional students forget a lot of what they learn over a long summer break, so theoretically year round students retain more. Other advantages are that it is a more efficient use of the school building rather than leaving it empty over the summer, and that remedial learning can be taught more effectively during the school year than over the summer.
Cons
Year round schooling can cause scheduling conflicts if families have students in both year round and traditional schools. Some have argued that the schedule is too disjointed, and doesn’t allow students to get into a groove, and interrupts the flow of extracurricular activities.
The Data
Data comparing year round to traditional programs have been ambiguous. A 2000 study comparing 3 year round elementary to 3 traditional elementary schools showed that year round students posted higher test scores at the end of the year. However, a 2001 study of more than 345,000 public school students in North Carolina showed no significant differences in performance between traditional and year round students.
Whether you chose traditional or year round schooling for your child, at Geddes, we have the school supplies that can help you make the summer one giant wonderful learning experience. Novelty school supplies are another great way to create a sense of fun, excitement and to leave your students with a lasting impression. It’s a way to continue the learning that is done in the classroom. Our school supplies are great for summer adventures and learning.
For school store how-tos, visit our school store academy. Also, take a moment and browse our school supplies catalog online and check out our weekly specials. Geddes has the knowledge and the supplies to help you get your school store up and running. We make it our business to have a thorough understanding of the school store market.
No matter what supplies you select, you can bet that Geddes has you covered. It’s been more than 80 years of business and Raymond Geddes and Company, Inc., is still dedicated to providing inventive, affordable and safe writing supplies for school, home, or office. Geddes is a 3rd generation, family-owned school supply company proud to have served many millions of customers over the years.