A Comparison Study of the Modified Year-Round Schedule Model with that of the

A Comparison Study of the Modified Year-Round Schedule Model with that of the
Traditional Year Schedule
Model on Graduation Exam Scores in Alabama Schools.





















A Proposal

Presented to the

Graduate Faculty of

Troy University

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for

EDU 6691

By
Kimberly R. Sewell

Chapter I

Introduction
Statement of the Problem

In an era of change, many school systems are adjusting their normal routines, strategies, and curriculum in an effort to improve education. The new emphasis on the Graduation Exam and its effects on graduation rates in Alabama have led many school systems to debate whether a change from the traditional year schedule to the modified year-round schedule would increase achievement on graduation scores. Students must attend school for a certain amount of days in order to receive credit for each class that they take. Both the traditional and modified year school schedules meet the requirements for school days. The difference between the two schedules has to do with the breaks that students have during the year. Those in favor of the traditional school year feel that a full three month break for summer is a necessary break for students and teachers. Those against this schedule believe that it is “out dated” and “encourages students to forget knowledge that they learned the previous year”. (123help) Those in favor of the modified year schedule believe that those breaks are necessary, but that they should be spaced out so that no student is away from the classroom too long. Even though there seem to be pros and cons for both schedules, the real question should be whether or not a change in school year schedules would increase test scores on the graduation exam.

Limitations

High schools used in the study will be limited to public schools in Alabama. The researcher will randomly select one 1A school, one 2A school, one 3A school, one 4A school, one 5A school, and one 6A school that are on traditional schedules. The Researcher will randomly select one 1A school, one 2A school, one 3A school, one 4A school, one 5A school, and one 6A school that is on the modified year-round schedule. From these schools, the researcher will sample all 10th Grade scores for the math, reading, science, social studies, and language graduation exams taken in the spring. The Researcher will make sure that each school in the study is using the Block Schedule during the day so that each school is similar enough to be compared.
Assumptions
The researcher assumes that there is at least one school in each classification that is using the traditional schedule and at least five one school in each classification that is using a modified schedule. The researcher can also assume that the Graduation exam will continue to be given in the spring.
Purpose of the study:
The purpose of the study is to determine whether a change in schedule to either traditional year or modified year could increase achievement on the graduation exams for Alabama high schools. State, District, and School System Administrators need to understand which schedule could increase achievement for the graduation exam so that they can decide how to set up their schedules for the upcoming year. Knowledge of how other school systems have implemented such schedules could be very beneficial in planning the new school year. Parents and students can become more aware of the positive aspects of a change in schedule so that they will be more willing to accept it.
Significance of the Study
The terms traditional schedule and modified year-round schedule have been used many times in the past several years. In education, we are always trying to find better ways of doing things in order to be more effective, and help our students achieve more. The study can help to answer the questions that administrators, teachers, parents, and students have about the different schedules. There are a few studies that discuss the difference between the two schedules, but there has not been a study conducted in Alabama public schools on the subject or a study dealing with achievement on Graduation exams. The results from this study could be very helpful to Alabama public schools for the very reason that it has not been studied before.
Definition of Terms
1A – 6A Schools – The Alabama High School Athletic Association has categorized schools into one of six classifications due to their enrollment of students. 1A schools have from 0-147 students. 2A schools have from 148-212 students. 3A schools have from 213-287 students. 4A schools have from 288-398 students. 5A schools have from 399-699 students. 6A schools have from 700-1751 students.
Graduation Exam – A series of 5 standardized assessments that cover Reading, Language, Math, Social Studies, and Biology. These assessments are state-mandated and produced. They are 100% multiple-choice tests. Students take these tests in very strict environments to ensure validity of the test scores. In order to receive a regular diploma from an Alabama High School, students must pass all five assessments.
Modified Schedule – A school schedule where the summer vacation is distributed throughout the school year. Students attend school for eight weeks and are off for two weeks. The summer vacation is about nine weeks long. Schedules may vary from school district to school district.
Traditional Schedule –Students go to school for 9 months and then have a 3-month summer Vacation. It was originally developed to meet the needs of farming, which normally took place during the three months of summer.
Block Schedule – Students take four classes a semester. These four classes last for 96 minutes a piece. At the end of the semester, the students take four more classes that are 96 minutes each. The block schedule allows students to take eight classes a year.
Semester – A semester lasts for eighteen weeks. There are two semesters in one school year.

Hypothesis
There will not be a significant difference in achievement on graduation exam scores for Alabama high schools in regard to traditional schedules versus those on modified schedules. Schools will prove that the schedule has nothing to do with student achievement.




Chapter II

Literature Review

Articles that discuss Year Round School
“School Calendars”
At one time, the normal school calendar consisted of nine months of class that were followed by three months of summer vacation. These three months were set aside so that children could help harvest crops with their parents. In today’s society, most parents both work jobs away from home. Farming is no longer the main career for most families; therefore, there is no longer a need for the children to help harvest. In order to meet new state standards, many schools have altered their “instructional strategies”. Many different strategies have been used, but they all center on the same idea that the students need more time in the classroom. The article suggests that changing the school calendar can be a useful strategy, as long as it is not entered into lightly
(Metzker, 2002).
“Quality Schools and the Myth of the Nine-Month School Year”
Time seems to be the driving force behind education. State administrators determine the number of days that students should be in public schools. Local administrators determine how time will be arranged during the school day. Teachers match the amount of time they are given with the standards that they must meet. After research on extended sessions and year round school surfaced, many superintendents began adopting such strategies. “In 1991, Midwestern community schools proposed custom calendar that would modify the traditional school year” (Duglosh, 1994). These schools spent a great amount of time communicating the changes that would take place with the people in the community. It was discovered that a great deal of communication is a great way to begin designing and implementing new strategies (Duglosh, 1994).
“A Modified School Year: Perspectives from the Early Years”
Over the past several years, there has been a “growing interest” in wanting to modify the school calendar. One approach suggests a “balanced calendar”. This plan involves spending 45 days in school with 10 days off. These days would be followed by a four to five week summer vacation. There are many versions of this “balanced calendar”. Those in favor of such changes suggest that a modified schedule will improve student attendance, student’s attitudes about school, and teacher attitudes. Research has shown that there may be a significant change in achievement due to a change in schedule. However, research also shows that a change in instruction and curriculum could also lead to a change in achievement (Winter, 2005).
“Professional Development Increasing Student Achievement Year-Round Education K-12: Why Can’t We Get It Right?”
The traditional calendar is set up so that the first and second grading periods occur before the Winter Break. In January, the third grading period begins. The students have Spring Break in between the third and fourth grading periods. At the end of the fourth grading period, the students have Summer Vacation. An alternate schedule is known as the “45-15/Single Track” schedule. This schedule consists of a fifteen day break between the first, second, third, and fourth grading periods. The summer vacation that occurs after the fourth grading period has a longer amount of time off. The article discusses the importance of professional development in school systems that are making the switch from traditional schedule to the 45-15/single track. Research proves that in order for the change to be most effective, teachers should participate in professional development throughout the entire first year so that they can discuss any problems they are having and learn how to deal with them. One example of an effective professional development strategy is known as “POTENT”. This strategy encourages teachers and administrators to fully grasp the concepts of “purpose, outcomes, tools, evaluations, numbers, and timelines associated with the new schedule change. Hopefully, such strategies will prove to be effective in the transition from traditional to year round schedules (Speck, 2002).
Articles that show increases in achievement due to Year Round School
“Making the Most of Time”
In Toronto, Ontario, public school systems are utilizing the “balanced calendar” schedule. The students continue to have school holidays and vacations. The difference is the fact that the holidays are spread evenly throughout the year. During the breaks, intercessions are provided for those students that need remediation in the subject. The change in schedules has “minimized summer learning loss and offers remediation to struggling students while shattering the boredom of summer. It puts time on the side of students” (Hamilton, et al 2006).
“Instructional Review Time in Year Round and Traditional Calendar Schools”
The average of public school students found in year round classrooms has grown drastically over the past twenty years. Research has proven that there are many benefits to changing from the traditional calendar to the year round calendar. One benefit is that there is less of a learning loss over the summer vacation. “The customary long summer vacation disrupts the continuity of instruction” (Varner, 2003). Another benefit shows that teachers are able to pace themselves better during year-round schedules. The material that is covered is more consistent and meets more of the demands set forth by the state standards. A third benefit to year round schedules is that less times has to be spend on reviewing material from the previous year because the gap between classes is smaller. Therefore, more time can be placed on the learning the material at hand rather than working on material that should have already been mastered (Varner, 2003).
“Student Segregation and Achievement Tracking in Year-Round Schools”
In California, approximately twenty-five percent of students are enrolled in schools that have non-traditional schedules. Many of the schools participate in the 60/20 year round model. The students go to school for sixty days and then are off for twenty days. Also, these schools are scheduled on a multitrack system which allows for four different track schedules for students. This allows one-fourth of the students are on vacation during any given month. Families may prefer to have all of their children on the same track. Administrators look into the students placed into each track so that the students and their families will be happy with their tracks. This article did not prove that achievement increased, but showed that the students and families were much happier under this multitrack system (Mitchell & Mitchell, 2005).
“Making Year-Round Education Work in Your District: A Nationally Recognized Single Track High School Model.”
The traditional school schedule of starting school in September and ending it in June is no longer the normal schedule for most public schools. Year round schedules have been proven to provide extra time to meet the standards set forth by state education departments. Many schools in Virginia have adopted year round schedules. These new schedules have proven to “increase attendance, decrease drop-out rates, and increase achievement scores. Also, these year round schedules are keeping students focused on their education rather than working industrial jobs during the long summer vacation. In these Virginia schools, the year round schedule was first starting on a voluntary manner so that students, teachers, and parents could get used to the idea and the new schedule. After doing this, the schools mandated the new schedule. All involved appreciated the chance to get used to the change first. This also helped to make the transition easier (Bradford, J. 1993).
Articles that show no significant difference in achievement due to Year Round School
“Year Round Schools May Not Be the Answer”
There are many different types of year round schedules available. The most important question to ask is simply “Do year-round schools improve education” (Raspberry, 1994)? A majority of the research on year round schools shows that there is no significant difference in achievement of student in year round schools versus those in traditional schedules. Many feel that changing the days of the year that students attend school does not address the real problems that are hindering education today. These problems include a lack of parental involvement and a need for new instruction methods. Many of those in favor of year round schedules believe that frequent breaks allow the students to retain more. “Psychologists believe this is an unproven and illogical claim” (Raspberry, 1994). The truth is that there is no significant amount of evidence that proves year round school to increase achievement (Raspberry, 1994).
“The Effect of Year Round School on Teacher Attendance.”
Teacher attendance has been found to have a direct correlation with student achievement. The more days that a teacher is present, the more work can be accomplished. Questions have begun to surface as to whether or not year round school would have an effect on teacher attendance. Research was conducted on three year round schools in order to determine whether year round school would have an effect on teacher attendance. After the experiment was conducted, the research showed that there was no significant difference in the amount of days that teachers are absent. Therefore, year round school has no affect on teacher attendance and achievement (Kocek, 1996).



Chapter III
Methodology
The focus of this study will be to determine whether the type of school schedule, traditional or modified year round, can directly affect scores on the Alabama High School Graduation Exam. Public high schools in Alabama will be randomly chosen from the different AHSAA categories. AHSGE scores from the 1A-6A high schools on the traditional scheduled will be compared with the AHSGE scores from the 1A-6A high schools on the modified year round schedule. The scores will come from 10th Grade students taking the Spring Semester 2009 AHSGE. Scores from all five sections of the exam will be used in the study.
Research Questions
1. Is there a significant difference between the AHSGE scores of 10th Grade students that are on traditional schedules versus those on modified year round schedules?
2. Is there a significant difference between the AHSGE scores of 10th Grade students by gender that are on traditional schedules versus those on modified year round schedules?
3. Is there a significant difference between the AHSGE scores of 10th Grade students by race that are on traditional schedules versus those on modified year round schedules?
4. Is there a significant difference between the AHSGE scores of 10th Grade students by socioeconomic status that are on traditional schedules versus those on modified year round schedules?
Population
The study will include 50 tenth grade students from each school involved in the study. They will be randomly selected. The students will take a pre-test at the beginning of the year. The researcher will check for outliers and omit them to keep the data from skewing.
Instrumentation
For this study, a paired-sample t-test will be used in order to compare the AHSGE scores for students on traditional schedules versus those on modified year round schedules. For data analysis, the study will use SPSS, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, in order to compare the mean scores for the two groups of 10th Grade students.
Data Collection
The data collected will be AHSGE scores for 10th Graders at the involved public schools in Alabama. A pre-test will be given at the beginning of the year to increase the validity of the study by showing the intelligence levels of all the students so that students of equal intelligence can be chosen for the study. The Spring Semester 2009 AHSGE will be the post-test for the study. The means for this exam will be collected.
Data Analysis
A paired-sample t-test will be used to determine whether a significant difference exists between the AHSGE scores of 10th grade students on traditional schedules versus those on modified year round schedules.
Ethical Treatment of Human Subjects
All human subjects involved will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and respect. All aspects of the study will be explained to all students, parents, and administrators involved. Parents will participate in an open forum at the beginning of the study in order to explain the goals of the study, as well as to answer any questions they may have. A parent release form will be mandatory for any student that is chosen to participate. If any aspect of the study presents a problem for a student or parent, they will be allowed to stop participation in the study without any repercussions.