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| • | Overview |
| • | Related Research |
| • | Surveys |
| • | Related Resources |
| • | Contact Information |
On February 10, 2005, the School Start Time Working Group was disbanded, and the work it had been conducting toward a possible change in secondary school start times discontinued. These changes resulted from discussion at the January 18, 2005 Board of Education meeting where Board members indicated they did not wish to continue exploring the possibility of a single late start time for high schools. As an alternative, they did request an investigation of innovative options for high school students, including split schedules, the establishment of an eight-period day, and additional academic support classes. As a result of the Working Group's disbanding, no surveys of parents will be conducted at this time.
Overview
Historically, school start times, also known as "bell times", have been rotated every five years in San Diego City Schools at the elementary and middle school level. This was done to ensure some equity in the system since all schools could not begin at the same time for the same grade levels due to transportation constraints. Start times rotated on a regular basis in order to provide some degree of stabilization to the system, and Transportation Services has worked directly with school sites to accommodate desires for specific start times but occasionally at a cost to the school sites.
The district froze the current school start time in order to evaluate the practical and financial impacts of continuing the rotational schedule. Efforts are underway now to put into place an appropriate schedule for the 2005-06 school year that better supports teaching and learning, with a minimal impact to existing resources.
In order to thoroughly review the bell times issue, a School Start Times Working Group, comprised of district, employee group, parent and school staff representatives, will examine the extensive research that highlights the relationship between sleep patterns, school start times, and student achievement. Additionally, they will study a lengthy list of issues related to changing school start times, such as potential impacts to athletics, Food Services and after-school programs. This information will be used to form recommendations for possible implementation in the fall of 2005. These recommendations may include changes to the bell start and end times at schools across the district. The recommendations will also be provided to the Staff Working Group on Transportation which is undertaking a complete review of the district's transportation systems.
In April 2005, the Board of Education will consider the possibility of changing the start time for schools in the 2005-06 school year to better match the start times suggested by research on adolescent learning.
Related Research
National research conducted over the last decade has evaluated how the lack of sleep can impact high school student learning. These studies typically indicate adolescents require at least as much asleep as pre-adolescents (in general, 8 1/2 to 9 1/4 hours each night), and that high school students are generally not getting enough sleep. Research indicates this may make learning during certain times of the day more difficult, and that a change in start times may improve student learning. While such a change may improve student learning at the secondary level, all school levels would be impacted, since by changing start times, adjustments would need to be made to existing transportation schedules.
Sleep studies and research
| Adolescent Sleep Needs and Patterns: Research Report and Research Guide The National Sleep Foundation Sleep and Teen Task Force (2002) Report summarizes existing research about sleep-related issues affecting adolescents. |
| Do You Need More Sleep? Fox Lane High School (October 2002) Online newspaper forum addresses effects of sleep deprivation on adolescent learning and safety. |
| How Much Sleep Do I Need? kidshealth.org (August 2004) Health information website article talks about effects of sleep deprivation on teenagers and reasons for it. |
| Perpetually tired teens: Breaking the cycle of late nights and drowsy days Mayo Clinic (October 2003) Website article reports that sleep deprivation in teens can have serious effects, impacting academic performance, emotions, coordination and risk of substance abuse. |
School start time changes
| Alternative School Calendars: Smart Idea or Senseless Experiment? Education World (November 2004) Article addresses various options for school calendars, such as four-day school week, trimester schedules, year-round school, extending learning time, or delaying starting times for secondary schools. |
| Giving our Students the Time of Day Educational Leadership magazine (September 1999) Ongoing research indicates that time of day does play a significant role in student learning. |
| School vs. Sleep Herald-Leader, Lexington, Kentucky (March 2002) Article updates efforts of Jessamine County Schools study on changing school start times. |
| Sleep Starved Students TimesRecorder, Zanesville, Ohio (October 2004) Article addresses latest research on the connection between sleep and student learning, and profiles three school districts in three different states which have moved to later school start times. |
| Student Research Paper - Sleep Deprivation and Circadian Rhythms Christina Rowe Towson University, Towson, Maryland (Fall 2002) Student research paper presents findings on sleep deprivation among students in current society, and addresses traditional school year calendars based on pioneer times. |
Studies on start time changes conducted by other school districts or schools
| School Start Time Task Force Report to the Board Norfolk Public Schools (March 2003) |
School Starting Time Report and Recommendation  Needham Public Schools (January 2003) |
Surveys
Prior to the Board making a decision, three confidential, anonymous online surveys will be conducted between December 6-17, 2004, with the results directed to the School Start Times Working Group for review.
If your child attends a middle, junior high or high school campus in San Diego City Schools, please encourage your child to fill out the online survey, as this input will be invaluable in helping guide recommendations on changing or retaining existing school start times. A poster, available in English and Spanish, is available for staff to download and post at school sites to encourage participation.
Once these surveys are completed, a parent survey will be conducted in January 2005 to gather additional opinions and comments. All results will then be shared with the Board as they consider the possibility of changing start times for the 2005-06 school year.
Surveys
| Secondary Students Solicits student feedback regarding potential issues, start time preferences and sleeping habits. |
| Secondary Teachers Solicits teachers' perspectives on student learning in relation to start time. |
| District Staff Solicits employee feedback to help determine potential effects of changing school start times on staff. |
Related Resources
| School Start Times Review and Workgroup Fact Sheet: English | Spanish | ||||||
1/18/05 School Start Times Work Group Information Report to the Board of Education. The School Start Times Work Group has been charged to analyze how current school start times might be restructured in order to enhance learning for secondary students. This information report describes the scope of the school start times study, the preliminary work that has been accomplished, and the steps to be taken before presentation of a first reading report to the Board of Education in April, 2005.
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| 1/12/05 Parent Congress Presentation: English | Spanish |
Contact Information
Barbara Asaro
Administrator, Instructional Operations
(619) 725-7220
basaro@sandi.net
Michael Price
Principal
Office of School Support, Financial Operations Division
(619) 725-7560
mprice1@sandi.net
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