For just a few more days, the halls will be quiet at Graham Road Elementary School in Fairfax County, Virginia. But on August 1, the hustle and bustle of school days will resume. That’s because Fairfax County educators and parents decided almost five years ago that a modified calendar system—also known as year-round schooling—would best serve Graham Road’s pupils.

To date, thousands of principals, teachers, parents and students nationwide have adjusted to modified calendar systems. According to the National Association for Year-Round Education, since 1980, more than 3,000 schools have transitioned from a traditional calendar (September-June) to a year-round format. (There are nearly 100,000 public schools nationwide.)

Graham Road’s schedule exemplifies a typical modified calendar system: Students begin classes in early August and continue through late June with short vacations spaced throughout the year. In addition to the typical holiday breaks around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, students get to take extended time off during the months of October, January and March.

Many school officials, like those at Graham Road, call these periods "optional intersessions" because students can choose to continue schooling during the breaks to receive extra help with learning. The intersessions often include academic, cultural, athletic, artistic and remedial activities for students that aren't available the rest of the year. Recently, for instance, Graham Road educators brought in a folk dance instructor during one intersession.

Research indicates that modified calendars are especially beneficial for certain students, such as those who live in non-English-speaking families, because there is less opportunity for them to forget some of what they’ve learned. Teachers at Graham Road who have previously taught in traditional calendar systems note that dramatic setbacks often occur when a child from an immigrant family is submerged in his or her parents’ native language for the traditional 3-month-long summer break. They say it can take several weeks of review to get the students back up to speed.

Recent findings from Shelly Gismondi Haser, a professor in the School of Education and Human Services at Marymount University, show another benefit of modified calendar systems: educators tend to be increasingly motivated and less likely to suffer "burn out" than those operating within a traditional calendar system. That's why teachers, somewhat surprisingly, are playing a key role in promoting the concept.

Fairfax County Case Study

In her new book, "Year-Round Education" (ScarecrowEducation: 2005), co-authored with Ilham Nasser, Haser explored the experiences of several teachers at modified calendar schools in Fairfax County, Virginia.

At Timber Lane Elementary, the county’s first school to adopt a modified school calendar (in 1998), Haser reports that the schedule reduced teacher absenteeism and staff turnover. Educators say they value the freedom they have to choose whether or not to teach during intersession breaks. Those who choose to work earn extra money and, in some cases, have an opportunity to teach different subjects or grade levels.

Among those who choose not to teach during intersessions, Haser says that many enjoy the ability to step away from the classroom for planning or other professional development purposes. Others choose to use breaks to relax and rejuvenate.

Though year-round scheduling often results in more time in the classroom overall, Haser indicates that the shorter, more frequent intersession breaks at Timber Lane seem to reduce stress for both students and teachers. Students are less likely to have discipline problems, and teachers therefore don’t have to devote as much time and energy to these disruptions. According to Haser, "The fact that both teachers and children have breaks from each other may be one reason for the more relaxed and productive school environment."

Inside Graham Road

An educator for thirty-plus years, Graham Road’s principal, Molly Bensigner-Lacy, has experience with both traditional and modified calendar school systems. She became principal of Graham Road last year after a five-year stint at another Fairfax County school that operated under a traditional school year calendar.

She notes that her current workload on a summer day is much different than in years past. "Today, we're working on class lists, managing the budget, ordering new textbooks and supplies, and the custodians are really working overtime," she explains. "They've got to strip and wax the gym floors in just four weeks—it's hectic."

Although she’s eligible to take a July vacation (it’s the one month during the year that classes aren't in session), she chose not to this year. "If a principal wants to make the most [of a modified school-year calendar], the job is much more time-consuming," she explains. “For me, it’s been difficult to get into the rhythm because I don’t have the longer periods to get ready. I've really had to learn how to pace my administrative duties around the year."

She also notes that the schedule can create challenges for teachers with children of their own who attend traditional calendar schools in the area.

But Bensigner-Lacy is confident that the system makes the most sense for children in her area. She says the majority of her students come from low-income working families, with parents that hold down one, two or three low-paying jobs.

While the six weeks of Graham Road intersessions are optional, she estimates that 200 of the 350 enrolled students took part over the past year. "The extra time we provide for these kids makes a huge difference in terms of their learning and attitudes toward school," she says.

Facilities & Funding

Dan Domenech, former superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools and current president of McGraw-Hill Education, is a strong supporter of modified calendar systems. But he cautions that students benefit most from year-round schooling when educators utilize it as an educational tool, rather than as a way to alleviate overcrowding.

Many school districts, especially in the West, incorporate year-round calendar systems for budgetary and overcrowding reasons. In these cases, students and teachers are typically divided into three or four groups with their respective breaks scattered throughout the year. While this may be an efficient use of school buildings, Domenech notes that students often do not receive the extra learning opportunities provided through intersession breaks like those in Fairfax County. But research indicates that even in those cases, year-round schooling benefits kids by preventing the learning loss that occurs over long summer breaks.

Domenech says that costs—especially to pay teachers to work extra time during intersessions—can hamper a district's effort to accomplish a true modified calendar. He calls the process of switching to such a system "involved," but says that the expenses in Fairfax County were less than he expected. He estimates that the original costs came out to approximately $100,000 more per school per year.

The extra money, he says, is well worth the results: "For kids who are behind, contact time is what it’s all about," says Domenech. "But any opportunity where you can get kids on task for additional periods of time means that they have an opportunity to do some real catch up." Haser's research backs up those claims: The Fairfax County schools with modified calendars that she has studied have all seen improved student achievement.

Convincing Parents

Bensigner-Lucy says that parents at Graham Road Elementary come from two distinct camps. The majority are low-income immigrant families who don’t have many problems with the modified calendar. She indicates that these families often appreciate the extra educational benefits being offered to their children, while also having to worry less about child care.

The other camp, composed of younger middle class families, is more likely to complain about the calendar, according to Bensigner-Lucy. "It's a huge paradigm shift for them—I’ve heard more than once, 'Oh, but we won’t be able to take our annual trip to Disney World in August.’"

Domenech is familiar with such concerns. "Any time you bring up change, you bring about a level of discomfort," he says. "What happens to child care, what happens when siblings are on a traditional calendar? These can be major inconveniences."

Fairfax County initially gave parents of children in school making the switch the option to have their children transferred to a school with a traditional calendar. "Yes, a handful did it," recalls Domenech. "But after a while, we found out that there were actually waiting lists to get into these schools."

Currently, seven out of Fairfax County’s 136 elementary schools have switched to a modified calendar. One middle school and two high schools have switched to modified calendars that differ slightly from those of the elementary calendars, so that students can take advantage of summer employment opportunities. "Modified calendars can be flexible, based on the needs of students, parents and teachers," says Domenech. "In Fairfax County, we found ways to make it work."

Old-School Traditions

Some kids, like Trish Marx, a sophomore at Oakland High School in Oregon, have a problem with the concept of year-round schooling. "School all year round? I hope not," she commented in a recent letter to the News Review Online. "For a majority of students, summer is a time for relaxation and leading lives that have nothing to do with school."

Domenech says it's important to realize that old-school traditions aren't good enough reasons for holding kids back who may benefit from modified calendars.

"In my experience, kids appreciate frequent vacations," he says. "By the middle of summer, most kids I know are bored and ready to go back to school."

"I think the concept is going to keep growing," he adds. "From a pedagogical point of view, there's no doubt that a modified calendar makes all the sense in the world. But you’ll always be fighting tradition."

Resources:

• The National Association of Year-Round Education
• YRE Schools on the Web

Rob Capriccioso is a staff writer for Connect for Kids.