There’s been a lot of press recently on the call to lengthen the school year as one way to raise student achievement — an idea being promoted most visibly by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. We talked about the research on school time with Parade magazine. You can see the article here and participate in their readers’ poll. Last count, two-thirds for a longer school year, one-third against.

Key points to keep in mind: whether or not more time will help student learning depends on how that time is used; teachers themselves will need more time for opportunities to plan and collaborate; and community engagement at the outset will help ensure buy-in.

If you want the whole story on how school time relates to learning, check out the Center’s report, Making Time. – Patte Barth