IPS Considering Year Round Schedule

Indianapolis Public School system is our state's largest school district, and is also one of the poorest performing districts when it comes to state test scores.  IPS has many struggles: declining enrollment, poor student attendance, a high drop out rate, graduation rates under 50%, a severe lack of parental involvement, disruptive student behavior, decaying infrastructure, and of course, money.  Most IPS schools consistently fail in reaching their AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) growth under the No Child Left Behind Act.  As poverty and crime rates rise in Indianapolis, IPS is working to combat it's many struggles.

To address some of these needs, IPS is considering a year round school schedule that would add 20 days to the current traditional calendar of 180 days.  Students would likely attend school in 9 week blocks, with 2-3 week breaks in between, and summer vacation would be cut from it's current 9 weeks,  to just 5 weeks.  Many parents support the idea of year round school, and I foresee this new schedule being put into place within the next year or so.

Would I want my children to go to a year round school? Honestly, I don't think so.  I value having my children home all summer.  With my husband and I having conflicting schedules, those long summer days afford us more time to spend together as a family.  I know that my kids enjoy the break as well-summer is just long enough for them to relax and recharge.  Just before they get bored, school starts again, and they are ready to go.  We are fortunate to live in a suburban area, that is somewhat affluent.  Our local schools consistently perform well on state tests, and parent/community involvement and support is high.  For these reasons, I don't think year round school is vital for our particular community.

However, I do think this is a great plan for IPS.  Students would have less time over the summer to forget what they had learned, which would cut down on the extensive amount of reteaching that must take place at the beginning of school.  IPS struggles every year to get students to show up on the first day of school.  Often, a large percentage of students don't arrive until school has already been in session for days or even weeks-a problem that I think would be less likely with this schedule.  Students would be in school more, and on the streets less.  Also, those students who depend on the free breakfast and free or reduced lunches served at school for their only meals, would be fed on a more regular basis.  Will year round school solve all of IPS's issues? No.  But it's a start.

What do you think of year round school calendars?