10/14/98
The Auburn Bulletin10/14/98
Article: Stop YRS - Parents say there are better ways to improve academic achievement
By WILLIAM WHITE Auburn Bulletin
Questioning how a re arranged school calendar could help at-risk children, a history professor told a packed meeting room at the Auburn City Library that there were several initiatives which have been proven to improve academic achievement.
Dr. Alice Pace told those pre sent at the Stop Year-Round Schooling Citizen's Committee press conference Monday that those initiatives include:
increased per-pupil expenditures,
small classes and small schools,
qualified teachers,
and tailored teaching techniques.
She asked the question, "Has re-arranging the calendar helped?
"No, not by itself." She answered, "Year-round school alone has not been shown to improve academic achievement for at-risk children. In the literature, whenever year-round school appeared to help, it was due to remediation, tutoring and other reforms introduced at the same time."
The citizen's committee held a press conference Monday after noon because only one of its members would be allowed to speak at the only Town Meeting on the topic set up by the Auburn City Schools' Alternative Calendar/ Extended Year Exploration Committee, which was Monday night. Their one member faced seven city school committee members on the panel which answered written questions submitted by those present at the Town Meeting.
"I have a child in one of the best schools in the state - Auburn High School." Pate said. "Other excellent schools are Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Homewood and Huntsville. None of these schools are on a year round calendar."
She went on to explain that year-round school will increase costs.
"According to the Fact Sheet, year-round school will cost an average of an additional 5 percent," she said. "The Auburn City Schools spends $80,000 per day to run the schools."
With a third of the student population considered possibly at risk, this means intersession cost could total nearly three quarters of a million dollars.
"There are many uncertainties about these calculations. If the 5 percent refers to the total Auburn City Schools' bud get, which is $27 million, this means year-round school could cost as much as $1.35 million," she said.
"Where will these extra funds come from? And, if we can get these funds, is year-round education the best way to spend them?," she asks.
She said year-round school also disrupts family decision making.
Pate said that some think that conversion to year-round school is just a simple re-arrangement of the calendar involving a few days.
"Let's not be misled," she said.
What is really being considered and decided here by Auburn Board of Education in December is a concept.
"Acceptance of the concept -- year-round education-- could involve minor changes now, but will probably involve major changes later," she said
Article: YRS pros, cons heard
With a majority of the Auburn School Board members sitting on the back row, hundreds of concerned individuals spent several hours listening to an eight-member panel answer questions about year round school.
"The primary reasons for investigating year-round school or alternative calendars had to do largely with at-risk data produced by Auburn City Schools," said Dr. Terry Ley, an Auburn University education professor who served as moderator at the called Town Meeting. He started the meeting with a presentation prepared by the school system.
"At-risk data in Auburn City Schools indicates 21 percent of students are in academic alert or caution on the SAT.
"Simply put that means that about one quarter of the Auburn City School students are below the 40th percentile in those tests."
From the prepared script, he shared the school system's pros and cons on year-round school or alternative calendars. They offered four of each:
Advantages Opportunities to provide review and enhancement during intersessions.
Learning and relaxation periods could be more evenly distributed throughout the year.
The need to review could be less following a shorter summer vacation.
Vacation periods in each of the four seasons could provide a wider variety of family vacation experiences.
Disadvantages Summer job opportunities for students could be lost.
Childcare could become inconsistent for working parents.
Church and community activities could be difficult to plan.
Vacations spread throughout the year could disrupt extra curricular programs.