Year round school how does it work

Do they ever get time off? Why in the world would you want to do that? Our area is a wonderful place to live, and towns in our county are consistently ranked among the top 10 places to live in the United States.

Consequently, the population is booming around here. With more residents comes more kids, so some odd years ago, our school district started offering a year round school calendar option in some elementary and middle schools, to alleviate overcrowding. All high school are on a traditional calendar, with summers off. How does a year round school calendar work? At any given point in time on the year-round school calendar, only three of the four tracks are in session at the school while the other track is out on a break.

The schedule for year round school is designed so that children are in class for 9 weeks, then they get a three week break. For example, the school year starts just after the 4th of July for all year-round schools, but only tracks 1, 2, and 3 will start school that day. Three weeks later, track 3 will leave for a break, and track 4 will start school.

Track 1 is in red, track 2 is in blue, track 3 is in yellow, and track 4 is in green. Orange is a day off for all students, and gray signifies weekends. White are break days for the track in that row. With the year round school calendar, our school system can take a building just big enough for students, and use it to educate 1, students.

This really eases the overcrowding that plagues lots of school systems. I remember this looking insane to me the first time I looked at it, but once I figured out how to read this calendar, it became pretty clear.

Once assigned a track, a student will remain on that schedule from year to year, for their entire education in that particular school, unless parents request a change. All siblings are also assigned to the same track. Tracks can consist of anywhere from 1 to 3 classrooms per grade, depending on how many kids are assigned to that track.

We are on track 2, and in our elementary school, this was a single class track. That means there is only one teacher for each grade. There is variation among balanced or year-round schools in this calendar, but it generally follows that pattern.

The whole point is limiting the length of any single break, so in Michigan, for instance, schools are not considered year-round if they have any breaks lasting more than six weeks. Year-round schools and districts aim to reduce the summer slide and help combat learning loss. One tool for doing this is eliminating the summer vacation gap in learning. Another way is by affording regular chances for students who are behind to catch up. Can you imagine if someone's starting to fall behind in October, November, December, and we say, 'Well, guess what, you have to struggle another five months before we can help you.

He adds intersession can also be a tool for helping students who have fallen behind due to COVID catch-up. Less instructional time is spent on review in year-round schools. Teaching at a year-round school means receiving a year-round salary. This is a pro that any teacher can get behind. Cons Summer vacation provides a much-needed break for teachers and students who need time to refresh rejuvenate after working hard for nine straight months.

Disclaimer: T he views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of American College of Education. Brooke McGuire, Ed. She's currently the director of teaching and learning at her district. Related Posts Tips From the Classroom. Last Name. Phone Number. Zip Code. Substantial Enrollment Requirement SER certification is granted when one of the following conditions are met:.

Substantial Enrollment waivers may be granted according to the policy of the State Allocation Board, 4 when:. If an applicant school district is unable to meet the "substantial enrollment" threshold but has students in multitrack year-round education, it qualifies for a reduced "substantial enrollment" augmentation to the school district's existing student capacity.

This lesser increase in existing student capacity is available under the following conditions:. California Department of Education. Back to Top Students with learning disadvantages may receive academic benefits. Questions: Bryan Boyd bboyd cde. Last Reviewed: Friday, November 5, Share this Page. Trending in School Facilities.