At a time when California public
schools have fewer instructional days because of the state's budget
crisis, Catholic elementary schools in the Los Angeles Archdiocese will
be adding four weeks of instruction to their school year.
Kevin Baxter, archdiocesan superintendent of elementary schools, said
the plan, announced at a principals' meeting in mid-January, is for as
many schools as possible to adopt a 200-day academic calendar for the
2011-12 school year, increasing instruction by approximately 20 days.
All of the archdiocese's 210 parish elementary schools, which have a
total enrollment of 52,000 students, will be operating under the 200-day
calendar by the 2012-13 school year. Local Catholic schools will retain
flexibility in setting start and end dates but the academic year must
conclude by June 30 each year.
The increase in the number of days will essentially add four weeks to
the calendar, establishing an 11-month school year instead of the
current 10-month year that fulfills California state requirements.
In 2009, the ongoing recession forced the California Legislature to cut
costs by reducing the minimum number of days of schooling to 175 from
the U.S. standard of a 180-day school year.
"The U.S. is kind of at the bottom with regard to length of the school
year," Baxter pointed out. "A lot of countries -- like Indonesia, Japan,
China and Singapore -- have 220-230 days and they outperform us on
international tests." He said extending the academic calendar has been
heralded for years.
"The relationship between more substantive, effective time in an
academic setting and increased student performance is clear and the
elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are responding to
this critical national issue in order that our students grow up to be
successful leaders in the global workforce," Baxter told The Tidings,
newspaper of the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
Under the extended school year, elementary schools will have 200
academic days, plus three designated teacher development days and one
day for spiritual retreat. The 10 percent increase in instructional time
will result in a 10 percent increase in salaries for staff. An increase
in tuition cost is expected at most schools, although anticipated
enrollment increases may offset the level of increase.
"We think that the increase in tuition will actually be a cost savings
to families who pay additional fees for summer programs to supervise
their children when school is not in session," said Baxter. "The
expectation is that the increase in tuition costs would be lower than
the cost of a comparable summer program for families."
He added that research shows that the two-month summer break can
negatively affect student performance, especially students from
low-income backgrounds.
According to local Catholic school principals who have had a 190-day
school year in place for the last few years, extending the school year
helps to counteract the academic regression that can take place over the
summer.
"We started an extended school year two years ago because we felt too
many children were out and about in the summer not properly supervised,
and when they came back to school they had forgotten a lot
academically," said Karen Kallay, principal of Ascension School in South
Los Angeles, which currently has a 194-day year beginning in early
August and ending in mid-June.
She said Ascension experienced a jump in student test scores and an
increase in student enrollment after implementing the extended school
year.
"It's been so advantageous for us. It has given our children the opportunity they so truly deserve," said Kallay.
Sister Judith Flahavan, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur who is principal
of Nativity School in South Los Angeles, has seen improvement in
students' test scores, especially at the junior high level, since the
school went to an extended year eight years ago.
"It's really amazing because many of our Hispanic students start school without speaking English," said Sister Flahavan.
When Santa Isabel School in East Los Angeles implemented a 190-day year
in the fall of 2010, more than 50 new students joined the school.
According to the school's principal, Anna Marie Silva, parents were
happy to reduce summer baby-sitting expenses and students were pleased
to be reunited sooner with their classmates. Teachers also appreciated
the extended time for academics.
"For everybody, it is a good situation," she said.
SIC: CNS/INT'L