The test scores are in and, yet again, they expose major flaws in the logic of proponents of alternative school calendars.The latest example of the calendar experiments' failure is in South Carolina, where 26 percent of public schools on a traditional calendar were recognized for high academic achievement based largely on student passing rates on the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test, or PACT. Compare that to the 13 percent of South Carolina schools following a year-round calendar receiving the Palmetto Gold and Silver Awards.
Only two of the state's 16 campuses working on a year-round schedule received the awards. What's more, none of the three campuses that have been following the year-round calendar for more than seven years, longer than any other schools in the state, were among those recognized. According to supporters of alternative calendars, those schools should certainly be outpacing their traditional calendar counterparts by now.
Proponents of year-round education believe that their calendars help students achieve because shorter summer breaks give students little or no so-called "summer learning loss." But the results in South Carolina buck that argument; otherwise the year-round schools would be achieving at rates higher than, or at least equal to, traditional calendar campuses.
The outcome in South Carolina supports the findings of Dr. Gene V. Glass, associate dean for research in the College of Education at Arizona State University. Citing two decades of scholarly review, Dr. Glass' research shows that there is no difference academically between traditional and year-round schooling. Adding a handful of days to the school calendar would cost billions and, according to several credible studies, would have little impact on student performance.
Year-round proponents have sold educators, teachers and parents on the notion that their schedule will improve academic achievement. As a result, schools that have tried the experiment curtailed the professional development of teachers who attend college in the summer, shortchanged students seeking summer jobs and disrupted family lives, all with no real benefit for the children.