The Four-Day School Week

Impact on Student Academic Performance

  • Paul M. Hewitt University of Arkansas
  • George S. Denny University of Arkansas

Abstract

Although the four-day school week originated in 1936, it was not widely implemented until 1973 when there was a need to conserve energy and reduce operating costs. This study investigated how achievement tests scores of schools with a four-day school week compared with schools with a traditional five-day school week. The study focused on student performance in Colorado where 62 school districts operated a four-day school week. The results of the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) were utilized to examine student performance in reading, writing, and mathematics in grades 3 through 10. While the mean test scores for five-day week schools exceeded those of four-day week schools in 11 of the 12 test comparisons, the differences were slight, with only one area revealing a statistically significant difference. This study concludes that decisions to change to the four-day week should be for reasons other than student academic performance.  

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Author Biographies

Paul M. Hewitt, University of Arkansas
Paul M. Hewitt, Ed.D. is an Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership at the University of Arkansas. Prior to joining the University of Arkansas, he spent 35 years in public education with 17 years experience as a superintendent in California.
George S. Denny, University of Arkansas
George S. Denny, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Educational Statistics and Research Methods program at the University of Arkansas. He specializes in educational measurement and program evaluation, and in survey instrument development.  
Published
2011-03-15
How to Cite
Hewitt, P. M., & Denny, G. S. (2011). The Four-Day School Week. The Rural Educator, 32(2). https://doi.org/10.35608/ruraled.v32i2.431
Section
Research Articles