Data shows students, parents and staff favor four-day school week

Nicole Bolton, assistant superintendent, presented a slide show of information regarding the alternative schedule (4-day school week) during the SCSD1 Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, April 8.

The following are the goals for a four-day school week:

• To provide professional development opportunities, while limiting teacher time out of the classroom.
• To provide blocks of uninterrupted collaboration time for all participants to attend, analyze data and plan. In turn, increasing planning time in the classroom.
• To recruit and retain quality teachers.

Bolton said, "Effective teachers and high-quality staff are key components to increasing student achievement."

She discussed the benefits of the four-day school week:

• Provides a schedule conducive to the demands of teaching to provide the time necessary collaborate, analyze data, plan and execute quality lesson plans.
• Provides a schedule providing professional development opportunities and limit taking the teacher out of the classroom.
• Provides a schedule that entices teachers to apply and want to stay.
• Better family, work, life balance.

1,120 parents were survey participants:

• (526) K-6 Parents
• (594) 7-12 Parents

411 staff members were survey participants:

• (95) 7-12 Certified Staff
• (169) K-6 Certified Staff
• (23) Administrators
• (124) Classified Staff

The following is break-down of the 341 students who participated in the survey:

• (180) 9-12 grade
• (133) 7-8 grade
• (28) 4-6

According to the SCSD1's website, their enrollment is over 5,100 students and they employ a staff of nearly 1,000. There are a total of 14 schools located in the towns of Rock Springs, Farson, and Wamsutter. Rock Springs has grown to a community of nearly 25,000 over the last three years.

The survey participants were asked whether the 4-day school week shows a positive attendance pattern:

• K-6 Parents – 78.4%, yes and 20.6%, no
• 7-12 Parents – 72.7% yes and 27.3%, no
• Students – 89.1%, yes and 10.9%, no
• Staff – 61.6%, yes, and 38.4%, no.

The survey participants were asked if the 4-day school week supports student achievement:

• K-6 Parents – 70.4%, yes and 29.6%, no
• 7-12 Parents – 66.3%, yes and 33.7%, no
• 87.1%, yes and 12.9%, no.
• Staff – 63.5%, yes and 38.4%, no.

The survey participants were asked if the four-day school week supports school/home life balance:

• K-6 Parents, 78.2%, yes and 21.8%, no
• 7-12 Parents – 73.4%, yes and 26.6%, no
• Students - 88.3%, yes, and 11.7%, no
• Staff – 84. 9%, and 15.1%, no.

The staff was asked if they agree or disagree on the following three regarding the four-day school week:

- Supports more planning and collaboration time:

• 82.7% (yes)
• 17.3% (no)

- Provides more professional development opportunities to staff on Fridays:

• 78.1% (yes)
• 21.9% (no)

- Assists in keeping teachers in the classroom:

• 70.3% (yes)
• 29.7% (no)

Staff members were also asked if the 4-day school week is a reason they came to SCSD1 and/or plan to stay with the district: 43.8% said yes and 56.2% said no.

78.6% agree that the 4-day school week has helped improve their morale, while 21.4% disagreed that it helped improve their morale.

The following indicates whether the survey participants support the four-day school week:

• K-6 Parents: 74.6%, yes; 25.4%, no
• 7-12 Parents: 70.0%, yes; 30.0%, no
• Students: 86.2%, yes; 13.8%, no
• Staff: 80.3%, yes; 19.7%, no

Corbin Messer, a junior from Black Butte High School, was the student liaison for the SCSD1 Board of Trustees during the board's meeting. He described the 4-day schedule as being “incredibly better" than a 5-day school week schedule. 

“It allows for better recovery time on deacons and allows for better mental digestion of information and the ability to learn,” said Messer. “Having an extra day to relax and to take in information, but also to study and understand the information in your own way outside of school has helped immensely and allows for students to better work during days where they are in class, with teachers and with professional help.

“It has allowed for better attentiveness, better attendance and overall morale increases.”