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##  Teaching in Year-Round Schools. ERIC Digest.                                 

The year-round calendar is an increasingly popular alternative to               the traditional nine-month school calendar. According to the                    National Association for Year-Round Education, in 1999 over 2                   million students were enrolled in more than 2,900 U.S. year-round               schools in 43 states, a five-fold increase in the last decade. This             digest examines the benefits and challenges of teaching in                      year-round schools. SINGLE-TRACK VS. MULTI-TRACK                              SCHEDULESYear-round education (YRE) is a concept which                      reorganizes the school year to provide more continuous learning by              spacing the long summer vacation into shorter, more frequent                    vacations throughout the year (Johnson, 2000). Year-round schools               may be on a single-track or multi-track schedule. A single-track                schedule generally calls for an instructional year of 180 days, with            short breaks (or inter sessions) interspersed throughout the school             year. A multi-track schedule staggers the instructional and                     vacation/intersession periods of each track throughout the entire               year, so that some students are receiving instruction while others              are on vacation. 
For example, in a single-track 45/15 design, the             year is divided into four nine-week terms separated by three-week               vacations or intersessions. All students and teachers attend school             for nine weeks (45 days), then are on a three-week vacation (15                 days). This sequence is repeated four times each year.                          Alternatively, in a multi-track 45/15 design, students are normally             divided into four groups. During a 12-week period, all students                 receive nine weeks of instruction and three weeks of vacation, but              only three of the four groups are in school at one time, while the              fourth group is on vacation. When the vacation group returns,                   another group leaves for a three-week vacation. 
Thus, in the                  multi-track configuration, the enrollment in existing schools can be            increased by one-third, or, alternatively, current class size can be            reduced (Minnesota, 1999). Moreover, money which would otherwise                have been spent on construction of new schools may be utilized to               pay additional salary to teachers who elect to extend their contract            on the multi-track year-round schedule. Therefore, the annual income            of these teachers can conceivably be increased by one-third, and the            effective supply of teachers can be increased by one-third (Liebman,            1959). Although each schedule has unique benefits and challenges for            the teaching staff, neither schedule implies that the teacher will              be working the entire year. PERCEIVED BENEFITS FOR                            TEACHERSImproved pay or work schedule. Both single-track and                multi-track year-round schedules can potentially meet the interests             of teachers who want extra days and extra pay and, alternatively,               those who wish to keep their vacation days intact (Stenvall, 2000).             In single-track schedules, teachers may choose to teach intersession            classes for additional pay. In multi-track schedules, however,                  teachers can increase their earnings in several ways: through                   extended contracts, intersession employment, and                                substituting (Glines, 2000). 
In multi-track scheduling some                   teachers may elect to work 12-month contracts for up to a third more            contract days and earn considerably more salary. Some specialty                 teachers and those who do extracurricular activities teach across               the tracks (Shields & Oberg, 2000). These "rainbow" teachers are in             school more days and are paid accordingly. Or, during intersessions             in which they are not teaching, teachers have the opportunity to                substitute on other tracks within the same school or at other                   schools in the district, and at various grade levels (Minnesota,                1999; Brekke, 1992; Ballinger, Kirschenbaum, & Poimbeauf 1987).                 Teachers who are regularly employed by the district and also serve              as substitutes are usually paid at a higher rate than non-staff                 substitutes. Additionally, teachers who participate in professional             development opportunities during the vacation/intersession periods              are normally appropriately compensated (Brekke,                                 1992). 
Alternatively, the year-round calendar can offer teachers              the opportunity to work less than a standard nine-month calendar.               For teachers who prefer more personal time to more money, it is                 possible for two teachers to split one year-round contract. Or, as              evidenced in a new school schedule at Englehard Elementary School in            Louisville, Ky., the week may be shortened to four required                     days (Rasmussen, 2000). 
Facilitating educational improvements.                Teachers in year-round programs generally believe that the quality              of instruction is better than in traditional programs due to the                continuity of instruction (Quinlan, George, & Emmett, 1987).                    Teachers also believe that the YRE schedule has a positive impact on            the way in which they think about and plan for                                  instruction (Shields & Oberg, 2000).  The organization of the                   instructional time allows them to be reflective practitioners                   because they are able to plan at regular intervals during the                   academic year when it is needed the most (Shields & Oberg, 2000).               They find it more efficient and productive to plan curriculum for               shorter blocks of time and feel that the year-round calendar                    provides ample time segments for instruction. 
In schools offering             intersession programs during the vacation periods, teachers credit              the intersession with enhancing and supplementing the regular                   curriculum (Quinlan, George, & Emmett, 1987). In addition,                      intersession courses provide opportunities for teacher                          experimentation with different curriculum and grade levels (Zykowski            et at., 1991). 
Another advantage for teachers is that less review             time is necessary at the beginning of each instructional block, as              research has demonstrated that the shorter vacation periods reduce              summer learning loss (Cooper, et al., 1996). Researchers claim that             this is especially true for the low socio-economic status (SES)                 level and high-risk students (Kneese & Knight, 1995; Gandara & Fish,            1994; Quinlan, George, & Emmett, 1987). This may be due to                      accessibility of immediate re-mediation in YRE (Curry, Washington &             Zyskowski, 1997). 
As noted above, teachers in year-round calendars            may choose to work as substitute teachers during their breaks. When             regular teaching staff who are familiar with the school and the                 curriculum serve as substitutes, the quality, momentum, and                     continuity of instruction can be maintained at a higher level than              with non-staff substitutes (Brekke, 1992). 
Enhancing the climate              of professionalism. Of the studies in which teacher attitudes have              been explicitly examined, the research results clearly indicate that            the majority of teachers in year-round schools favor the year-round             calendar and believe it substantially enhances the professional                 environment (Worthen & Zsiray, 1994; Shields & Oberg, 2000). 
The              year-round calendar can enhance teacher professionalism in several              ways. The opportunity for extended contracts and higher pay can                 reduce the need for teachers to moonlight in other jobs to earn                 extra money (Worthen & Zsiray, 1994). Due to the frequency of breaks            on the year-round calendar, teachers exhibit improved morale and                motivation, and less burnout and stress (North Carolina Insight,                1997; Minnesota, 1999; Quinlan, George, & Emmett, 1987). 
To date,             there have been no studies finding a greater percentage of teacher              absenteeism on YRE schedules (Worthen & Zsiray, 1994; Grotjohn &                Banks, 1993). In fact, it was reported that teachers were absent                considerably less on YRE schedules (Brekke, 1984) and research by               Quinlan, George, & Emmett (1987) substantiated the findings that YRE            decreased teacher absences considerably (Worthen & Zsiray,                      1994). PERCEIVED CHALLENGES FOR TEACHERSIn addition to the                many perceived benefits of YRE, research also indicates there are               some perceived challenges for the teaching staff. They include                  organizational issues, continuing education, and conflicts in                   personal schedules. 
Organizational issues. Teachers in multi-track            YRE deal with a number of organizational challenges over and beyond             that of single-track. For example, in single-track YRE, teachers                retain their own classrooms. In multi-track YRE, however, four                  different teachers might be required to share three classrooms                  throughout the year. Many teachers are required to pack up their                materials and move out of their classrooms for the three-week break             and into a different room on their return. In this scenario, rolling            carts, storage space, and custodial assistance must be available on             moving days (Worthen & Zsiray, 1994). Teachers in multi-track                   schools are nearly unanimous in their concern about moving, and lost            materials have been a concern for some teachers (Quinlan, George, &             Emmett, 1987). Those teachers who move to classrooms vacated by                 those on inter-session break are called "roving" teachers. They may             be awarded certain perks in exchange for doing this, such as no                 playground duty (Rasmussen, 2000). Roving teachers, however, often              report feelings of alienation from the rest of the school. 
Another            issue of concern for teachers in multi-track YRE schools is                     involvement in extracurricular activities. Teachers who coach or                lead an extracurricular activity may find that the activity                     continues while they are on break. Teachers may be able to share the            leadership of the activity with another teacher or rearrange their              schedules. Or, they may find they have to sacrifice some of their               vacation time (Shields & Oberg, 2000). 
Continuing education.                  Another perceived challenge of year-round education is that many                teachers may have a difficult time scheduling professional                      development. The professional development courses needed for                    teachers to acquire additional licensure or certifications are often            offered during the summer when year- round schools may still be in              session (Minnesota, 1999). Furthermore, attending district-wide                 staff development during the school year is also a potential                    challenge when an individual school is on an alternative calendar               and the rest of the district is not (Minnesota, 1999). YRE requires             flexibility and cooperation in scheduling in-service training by the            district and post-graduate courses by the universities (Zykowski,               1991). 
Conflicts in Personal Scheduling. Unfortunately, the                   implementation of the year-round calendar may create personal                   scheduling problems for some teachers (Minnesota, 1999). A teacher's            children might attend a school on a different calendar than the                 teacher. In those cases, the teacher will need to pay for childcare             during times when the children are on break but the teacher is not.             Additionally, the teacher may be unable to schedule concurrent                  family vacation time (Curry, et al., 1997). Teachers with                       non-educational summer jobs might object to the year-round schedule             if they have non-education summer employment opportunities that                 generate significant income (Minnesota, 1999). 
Although the                   majority of teachers report less stress and burnout in year-round               schools, a few teachers report stress as a drawback to the                      year-round calendar. These teachers are generally extended contract             teachers who do not take the same break periods as their students.              Also, a few teachers report the frequent stopping and starting of               instructional sessions to be disruptive (Quinlan, George, & Emmett,             1987). However, no matter which schedule schools adopt, the biggest             resistance to year-round schools comes from the fear of change, say             the experts (Rasmussen, 2000). Teachers, as many others, may simply             resist lifestyle changes until they have had experience with the new            situation and have had time to adapt. CONCLUSIONThe number of             year-round schools in the United States has increased significantly             in the past decade. In general, the more experience teachers have               with year-round education, they more they like it (Minnesota, 1999).            However, the process of changing from a traditional nine-month                  calendar to a year-round calendar can create stress for teachers                until they have had time to adapt. REFERENCESBallinger, C.,               Kirshenbaum, N., & Poimbeauf, R. (1987). The year-round school:                 Where learning never stops. PDK Fastback 259, Bloomington, IN: Phi              Delta Kappa Educational Foundation. 
Brekke, N. (1984). Year-round             education: Cost saving and educationally effective. Spectrum 2 (3),             25-30. 
Brekke, N. (1992).  What YRE can do to enhance academic                achievement and to enrich the lives of students that the traditional            calendar cannot do. Oxnard, CA: Oxnard School District. 
Cooper,               H., Nye, B., Charlton, K., Lindsay, J., & Greathouse, S. (1996). The            effects of summer vacation on achievement test scores: A narrative              and meta-analytic review. Review of Educational Research 66 (3),                227-268. 
Curry, J., Washington, W., & Zyskowski, G. (1997).                   Year-round schools evaluation, executive summary. Austin, TX: Austin            Independent School District Department of Accountability, Student               Services, and Research. 
Gandara, P. & Fish, J. (Spring,1994).                 Year-round schooling as an avenue to major structural reform.                   Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 16, 76-85. 
Glines,                D. (2000). Reflecting year-round education: Traditions and                      innovations. San Diego, CA:  National Association for Year-Round                Education. 
Grotjohn, D. & Banks, K. (1993). An evaluation                     synthesis: Year-round schools. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting            of the American Education Research Association, New York,                       NY. 
Johnson, K. (2000). Frequently asked questions about                      year-round education.  San Diego, CA;  National Association for                 Year-Round Education. 
Kneese, C. & Knight, S. (1995). Evaluating              the achievement of at-risk students in year-round education.                    Planning and Changing, 26, 71-90. 
Liebman, M.B. (October, 1959). A            simple answer to the school problem. Woman's Day, 33-35,                        94-100. 
Minnesota Department of Children, Families &                          Learning (February, 1999). Working Group on Alternative Calendars:              Report to the Legislature. 
National Association for Year-Round                Education (1999). Twenty-sixth reference directory of year-round                education programs for the 1999-2000 school year. San Diego,                    CA. 
North Carolina Insight (May, 1997). North Carolina Center for             Public Policy Research, 17 (1). 
Quinlan, C., George, C., & Emmett,            T. (1987). Year-round education: Year-round opportunities.  A study             of year-round education in California. Los Angeles, CA: California              State Department of Education. 
Rasmussen, K. (2000). Year-round               education: Time to learn, time to grow. Education Update, 42 (2).               Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 
Shields,              C. &  Oberg, S. (2000). Year-Round Schooling: Promises and Pitfalls.            London: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. 
Stenvall, M. (2000). A checklist            for success: A guide to implementing year-round schools. San Diego,             CA: National Association for Year-Round Education. 
Worthen B.R.&              Zsiray, S.W. (March, 1994). What twenty years of educational studies            reveal about year-round education. Chapel Hill, NC: North Carolina              Educational Policy Research Center. 
Zykowski, J.L., Mitchell,                 D.E., Houston, D., & Gavin, S.E. (1991). A review of year-round                 educational research. Riverside, CA: California Educational Research            Cooperative. 
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This project has been funded at least in part            with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of             Educational Research and Improvement, under contract number                     ED-99-CO-0007. The content of this publication does not necessarily             reflect the views of or policies of the U.S. Department of Education            nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or                        organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.                      **Title:** Teaching in Year-Round Schools. ERIC Digest.                                 **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education, American                  Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, 1307 New York Avenue,            N.W., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005-4701. Tel: 202-293-2450; Tel:             800-822-9229 (Toll Free); e-mail: [email protected]. For full text:               http://www.ericsp.org.                                                       **Descriptors:** Educational Improvement, Educational Quality, Elementary Secondary              Education,  School Schedules, Teacher Salaries, Teaching Conditions,            Teaching (Occupation),  Year Round Schools                                   **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests, Professionalism                                                
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