Study: American students spend as much time in school as most other nations | Eastern North Carolina Now

Study: American students spend as much time in school as most other nations

    A new report published this week by the National School Boards Association says that American students spend as much or more time in school as their counterparts in other developed nations. That is contrary to what many have heard or believe, including the Secretary of Education.

    The NSBA release said:

    Most U.S. schools require at least as much or more instructional time as other countries, even high-performing countries like Finland, Japan, and Korea; according to a new report on instructional time released by the National School Boards Association's Center for Public Education.

    The report, "Time in School," measured the minimum number of hours of instruction per year (also known as compulsory hours) countries require their public schools to provide in a formal classroom setting. In the U.S., most states require between 175 and 180 days of school and/or between 900 and 1,000 hours of instructional time per year, depending on the grade level.

    "There is a perception among policymakers and the public that U.S. students spend less time in school than students in other countries," said Jim Hull, the Center's Senior Policy Analyst and author of the report. "The data clearly shows that most U.S. schools require at least as much or more instructional time as other countries, however these comparisons are based on required minimums. It's possible that certain schools in these countries and states do provide more time for instruction. Furthermore, students in countries like China, India, Japan, and Korea have a tradition of receiving additional instruction through non-formal schooling such as tutoring and night schools, especially at the high school level, which could also have an impact."

    Hull stressed that the relationship between time and student learning is not about the amount of time spent in school. Rather, it is how effectively that time is used. The report also showed that there is no relationship between simply requiring more time and increased achievement. The data showed that a number of countries that require fewer hours of instruction outperform the U.S., while the U.S. performs as well as or better than some other countries that require more hours of instruction.

    "Providing additional time can be an effective tool for improving student outcomes, but how that time is used is most important," Hull said.

    Click here to read more.

    The report is timely in that North Carolina recently added five additional school days to the calendar and a number of school system in the state are strongly contesting that move because of the expense. Now this report will add fuel to the argument that adding more days or more time to each day is not necessarily an effective use of money.

    Delma Blinson writes the "Teacher's Desk" column for our friend in the local publishing business: The Beaufort Observer. His concentration is in the area of his expertise - the education of our youth. He is a former teacher, principal, superintendent and university professor.