Barrington schools prepare for start time change

District releases tentative school schedule

Posted 5/10/19

Why did Barrington Public Schools decide to shift start times?

What will it mean for students and their families?

Will the change in school start times impact student achievement?

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Barrington schools prepare for start time change

District releases tentative school schedule

Posted

Why did Barrington Public Schools decide to shift start times?

What will it mean for students and their families?

Will the change in school start times impact student achievement?

Barrington Public School officials recently released a list of frequently asked questions involving the upcoming start time change. Officials also shared the tentative schedule for the upcoming school year, which lists Barrington High School starting at 8:35 a.m. and dismissing at 3:05 p.m.

Following is the complete list of FAQs and other information offered by the district:

Why did the District choose to make the change?

This was a student-centric decision aimed at improving the physical, social-emotional, and educational well-being of the majority of students. It aligns with national guidelines, such as those of the American Academy of Pediatrics which recommends a high school start no earlier than 8:30 am and is in line with the District’s strategic goal of “empowering all students to excel.”

Won’t students just stay up later?

Multiple studies, including the most recent study from Seattle, Washington, demonstrate that students sleep more when the school day starts later. While they may stay up a little later, they don’t stay up so much later as to negate the effect of the schedule shift. [https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/12/eaau6200]

What are the new start and dismissal times for each school in the District?

K-3 Elementary Schools 

Bus arrival — 7:45 a.m.

School starts — 7:50 am.

School ends — 2:20 p.m.

Bus departure — 2:25 p.m.

Hampden Meadows 

Bus arrival — 7:55 a.m.

School starts — 8 a.m.

School ends — 2:30 p.m.

Bus departure — 2:35

BHS

Bus arrival — 8:25 a.m.

School starts — 8:35 a.m.

School ends — 3:05 p.m.

Bus departure — 3:15 p.m.

BMS 

Bus arrival — 8:30 a.m.

School starts — 8:40 a.m.

School ends — 3:10 p.m.

Bus departure — 3:20 p.m.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

RESEARCH

What kinds of research supports the understanding that adolescents require more sleep than they are currently getting?

A well-established and growing body of nationally recognized evidence informed this decision. Please see more on the District’s resource page, Research and Published Articles.

What about sleep education, education about screen time, screen time requirements, and other methods for improving sleep instead of changing the school schedules?

A few studies have looked at the effect of sleep education and screen time education but have found minimal impact on the duration of sleep. A recent model by mathematicians at Harvard University and University of Surrey looked at the value of school schedule change versus changing screen exposure at night and felt it wouldn’t be as helpful in the UK (where schools already start around 9 AM) but did not feel it was equally applicable to schools in the US which start much earlier. Additionally, it’s a mathematical model—and real-world studies have already shown improved sleep duration with schedule change. [https://www.surrey.ac.uk/mediacentre/press/2018/mathematicians-predict- delaying-school-start-times-won’t-help-sleep-deprived]

All of this does not mean, however, that we should not encourage our students and community to be educated about sleep and the effect of screen time on sleep. [https://www.ted.com/speakers/matthew_walker ; sleep hygiene handout]

Why do teenagers stay up later? Can’t they just go to bed earlier?

As Dr. Carskadon explained at the forum on April 25th, initial sleep studies demonstrated that teenagers need as much sleep as elementary students. Additionally, their sleep drive (the buildup of hormones that help push a person’s brain towards sleep) takes longer to build up, moving later in the evening, generally toward about 11 pm. The result is that for a majority of teenagers, the ideal sleep times are between 11 pm and 8 am. Getting most teenagers up before that time results in them being in the middle of sleep at the same time they’re being asked to learn, or the equivalent of an adult getting up at 5 am every day.

How do we know this biological trend for adolescents actually affects Barrington teens?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that adolescents get 9 to 9.5 hours of sleep per night in order to maintain health. Last year in the Challenge Success Survey, our high school students self- reported getting about approximately 6 3⁄4 hours of sleep per night. 42% of students reported going to bed later than 11:00 pm.

Can later school schedules affect grades?

Some studies have shown a significant improvement in educational outcomes, including testing and grades, while others have shown less of a benefit. None have shown a reduction in educational outcomes. One large study in Wake Forest, NC, found that students who were struggling in school actually saw a more significant improvement in test scores after school schedule change compared with their peers who were already performing well.

Studying after a certain hour is not effective. How does getting out of school later help students study better?

As above, multiple studies have found that students do as well if not better educationally after school schedule change. The benefit of a later schedule (allowing for longer sleep at the right time of the circadian rhythm) is that students are better rested, generally more engaged in school, and get their work done more efficiently. A study at St. George’s school in Newport, RI found that students were able to get their work done more quickly, and some even went to bed earlier than they had before the schedule change.

What other benefits are there to a later school schedules change other than more sleep?

The list is long. In addition to reduced absences, reduced tardiness, increased engagement in school, improved school culture, and reduced gaps in educational outcomes, there are many health benefits, including reduced car accidents, reduced substance use (including coffee, tobacco, alcohol, stimulants, and other drugs), reduced anxiety and suicidal thoughts, reduced impulsive or risky behaviors, reduced sports injury, and reduced negative long term medical issues, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and dementia.

What other research sources were used to make this decision? Did the School Committee look at any articles opposing the school schedule change and consider them?

The sleep research spans well over 40 years, but most recently, in 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics made a recommendation that no secondary school start before 8:30 based on many studies over many years. Following that recommendation, many other professional organizations, including the Center for Disease Control, the American Medical Association, and many others agreed with the recommendation in their own statements. The decision is not based on a single study or a single experience. It is based on consensus recommendations by national professional organizations, which are based in their own right on cumulative research and experience. There are no professional medical or educational research sources that recommend against later school schedules. [https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/134/3/642]

What is the research on elementary schedules?

The biological research shows that an elementary child’s natural “clock” causes the release of melatonin (hormone that induces drowsiness) upon nightfall. However, that biological “clock” gets pushed back by a couple of hours during adolescence, delaying the secretion of melatonin a couple of hours, making it harder for adolescents to fall asleep until much later. Because of these biological realities, it makes sense to have elementary students start earlier in order to mirror their biological clocks that encourage them to wake at daybreak and have middle and high school students wake and start school later.

In terms of studies of the impact on elementary students of the implementation of earlier schedules, the data is less robust than data for secondary level students. However, there is promising data. For example, a 1998 study in Minneapolis found positive performance and behavioral responses among students when certain Minneapolis elementary schools went from 8:40 a.m. to 7:40 a.m. A 2015 study, furthermore, found an increase of sleep among 3rd grade elementary students when elementary schools shifted from 8:20 to 7:45 a.m. while seeing a decrease in sleep of between four and nine minutes among fourth and fifth grade students.

How does Barrington High School's new schedule compare to other schools in RI? What other districts have made the switch?

East Greenwich High School is the first to change their schedule to 8:00 am this year. In Providence, Central High School starts at 8:15 am. _____________________________________________________________________________________

TRANSPORTATION

Why does changing the high school and middle school schedules impact the elementary schools?

The District has a bussing system that was built on tiered starts in order to save costs, changing one part of the system naturally affects others. However, every effort was made to minimize the impact on elementary schools while avoiding the taxpayer burden of abandoning a three-tiered school start system.

Has the school committee considered implementing a two-tier bus system that will not affect school schedules?

Although it was one of the options looked at by the transportation consultant, not moving the school schedules at the middle and high schools would be inconsistent with the medical recommendations as outlined above.

With the change, what time will the first bus pickup be for elementary school students? For secondary students?

The District goal is to ensure that no student is picked up or dropped off in the dark or has a ride longer than approximately 40 minutes. The earliest pickup next year will be at approximately 7am at the K-3 level. Secondary runs will be 40 minutes or under due to the distance the busses will travel.

2-Tier schedule will remove an entire tier from the road, reducing the duration of traffic in the morning and the afternoon.

Will Nayatt, Primrose Hill and Sowams students be on the same bus as HMS students? (K-5)

Yes. This is typical, as the majority of schools across Rhode Island are K-5 and all students ride the bus together. Some parents have expressed that they are pleased that siblings will be on the same bus together.

Will there be an option for parents to drop off HMS kids at a K-3 school to be put on the bus for HMS?

The administration will look into that.

How will this affect traffic flow in town?

The District has not yet fully studied the impact to traffic flows in town. Experience in other districts that have implemented delayed starts show that traffic patterns adjust over time to the new time. _____________________________________________________________________________________

ELEMENTARY IMPACTS

How wil you handle the delays?

Delays caused by weather will be handled the same way that they are now. For example, if we have an hour delay, each school will begin an hour later, and the transportation will follow the delayed start.

The District will not be funding childcare for families. However, the District has contracted with YMCA and Springboard for low-cost day-care options at each of the K-5 school buildings.

Younger kids don’t have the phase shift that teenagers have, and in general, younger kids have earlier sleep and wake times. The district will identify markers looking at all students (attendance, social/emotional response), use qualitative and quantitative data (especially the social/emotional piece) to be measured throughout the change.

Anxiety is on the rise in elementary school kids. Will this change increase it? Can we put supports in?

We believe that elementary students will benefit from a schedule that mirrors their own biological clocks and enables them to start and end their days earlier. At the same time, we will be watching closely any challenges that arise and will work to address them. At this time, we do have plans to increase social-emotional supports and programming for students. Early studies from Monomoy Elementary School in Mass. demonstrate that students report feeling better and school data indicates decreased behavioral issues by 40%.

_____________________________________________________________________________________ SECONDARY IMPACTS

How does changing the school schedules now help students prepare for the “real world” of college and work? “Is this really preparing us for the real word? We won’t be able to tell our bosses or college teachers that we can’t come in until a later time.

Many college students start classes later, with some universities making greater efforts to educate their students and faculty regarding sleep. 

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/12/04/baylor-studies-find-students-perform-better-tests- after-eight-hours-sleep ; https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/08/sleep-101-aims-to-counter- college-culture-of-sleeplessness/ ; http://faculty.econ.ucdavis.edu/faculty/scarrell/sleep.pdf

How will teachers’ availability after school be affected? Kids are hearing that teachers won’t be able to stay after school to help with homework?

They’ll have a variety of options for help. Every year, schedules and opportunities for help change due to a variety of factors, including teachers’ other responsibilities or child care needs. However, our faculty are professional educators who value their students’ success and find ways to support them.

What is the impact on younger children? Is the system taking from younger children to benefit the older students?

This is a trade-off districts make but the district is continuing to make changes in the transportation system to minimize the impact on the younger students. Additionally, the educational benefits of having the K-5 teachers on the same tier and better able to collaborate will have significant benefits for all K-5 students, but especially the students at Hampden Meadows. Also, children that have a hard time starting earlier in elementary school are going to have a much harder time with early schedules during adolescence. The circadian shift related to adolescence shifts back in the early to mid-20s, and the sleep duration need is reduced. Just like three-year old children take naps due to a greater sleep need compared to 5-year old children but are still “prepared” for kindergarten because their sleep needs change by the time kindergarten starts, so it is true of adolescents. Ensuring the ability to get more sleep allows the system to protect the adolescent brains for as long as possible, setting it up for better health and success later. Still, there are some people who tend to still stay up later—but thankfully, there are a variety of options in the work force, including overnights and third shifts. And, the most common working hours in the United States are still 8-5. Additionally, with the change in the high school and middle school daily schedules, there will be more opportunities for support during the school day.

As a parent of a middle school or high school student I need to be at work early. I typically drop my child off at school and now need child care. The new schedule creates a problem for my family, doesn’t it?

The school department understands that the schedule will create problems for some students and families. We intend to have a staff member available at BHS starting at around 7:30 am in the library and a staff member available at around BMS starting at 7:30 am.

Could clubs start before school? Band times before school? What about extra help?

In order to avoid mitigating the benefits of this change in schedules, School Committee will most likely strongly recommend that teachers and administrators make every effort to schedule structured activities after school. (Principals will have some discretion for activities particularly targeted for the morning, like morning fitness programs and music.) School Committee understands that one-on-one or small-group extra help may take place in the morning.

What will happen with Common Planning Time at the high school?

The high school teachers will engage in Common Planning Time (CPT) one time per week for 50 minutes. Students will have the option of arriving after CPT on those days. _____________________________________________________________________________________

STAFFING IMPACTS

Will the schedule changes affect staffing at each building level?

Each year, the District considers the level of staff needed in each building related to enrollment and student need. School schedules will not impact this process.

With a later start, will there be a shift to early morning faculty and staff meetings at the middle and high school?

The shift of meetings with teachers will be determined by the principals and their staff. Meetings with parents could also be scheduled based on the availability of staff and parents.

What about teachers?

Like everyone involved in the changed schedules, there will be an adjustment for all of our teachers and staff. For some, the new schedules will be preferable, for others they will be less preferred. Other districts that have implemented schedule delays have worried about potential teacher turnover, but evidence from other districts suggests this does not occur.

What will happen with Common Planning Time at the high school?

The high school teachers will engage in Common Planning Time (CPT) one time per week for 50 minutes. Students will have the option of arriving after CPT on those days.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITIES and ATHLETICS

How will changing school schedules affect athletics and other extracurricular activities?

The timing of meetings/practices will shift based on facility and staff availability, but it is anticipated that nothing will be lost beyond what is currently offered for students.

What will the impact be on the number of sports teams offered at the high school with the time change?

The District anticipates that the same number of sports teams and clubs will still be offered at the high school.

Since students will get out of school later, will my child miss class time if they are in an event that begins late in the afternoon? (e.g. track meets, tennis matches, cross country meets).

Due to certain athletic tournaments, although not often, this does take place with the current dismissal times. Next year, the District will continue to work with RIIL and make every effort to limit the impact on instructional time and schedule events at a later time if possible.

Can we be assured there will be no impact on games?

At the recent educational forum, Mr. Finn reported that the RIIL has been productively working with the district on schedules. Providence schools already get out at 3 pm and their schedules work. Mr. Finn also reported that there will be the same programming and just the times will be different. “Athletic practices may conflict with clubs, and students may not be able to do both?” Although the schedules will be different than now, there will still be opportunities for students to participate in the wide variety of clubs and teams. At other schools that have changed school schedule, some have reported increased participation in sports and clubs. “Is there a plan to increase lighting on the field?” The district is currently looking into the one-time cost of additional lighting.

Will there be a change in time for athletics for schedules for swim and hockey?

The Hockey schedule will remain very similar to the current school year. The swim schedules will have some practice changes; however, the number of practices and lanes will remain the same. Practice hours will allow students to also engage in afterschool activities. No swim practice will end later than 9 PM two times per week and 5PM three times per week.

Won’t the schedule change hurt athletes?

The scientific data around sleep and athletic performance is quite clear, and sleep is beneficial. It reduces injury, speeds recovery, improves performance, etc. So much so that the NCAA has made sleep a top priority in its educational materials. [http://www.ncaa.org/themes-topics/sleep-and-performance]

What about participation in non-BPS activities like rowing, theater programs out of district, and others. How will students be able to take part in these?

Although we do not control out of district activities, many programs adjust to accommodate students from many schools, including the private schools which generally finish after 3 PM. Each student and family will need to weigh the pros/cons of participation and decide what is best for them. For opportunities that could be considered internships or educational experiences, there are options to discuss opportunities through the Pathways programs.

How will fine arts programing at night and during the afternoon be affected? Will there be a gap between afternoon and night?

The Central Office and the Performing Arts Department will have meetings beginning in early December to address the challenge of scheduling performing arts rehearsals and performances. There will likely be a smaller gap between afternoon and evening rehearsals because of the later dismissal time. Rehearsals may also need to be somewhat shorter to ensure that students who participate in arts programs or sports right after school and perform also at night have a chance to get home for dinner.

Could we have flex time at the end of the day?

In order to have a Flex block last period (to hold clubs and let athletes leave early during a non-academic block), we would have to remove one of the eight periods as a landing spot for coursework. This would limit the ability of students to customize their schedules to fit their particular interest, an integral part of the Barrington High School experience. However, we will institute a non-rotating last period to support students involved in internships, etc.

_____________________________________________________________________________________ RETURN ON INVESTMENT

How is this cost-effective?

The return on investment for school schedule change is conservatively estimated at 9:1 by the Brookings Institute. Likewise, a RAND study found that even with the costs associated with transportation changes and child care, the benefit of school start-time change based solely on improved educational outcomes as well as a potential reduction in car accidents. Specifically, the study found “The study suggested that delaying school start times to 8:30 a.m. is a cost-effective, population-level strategy which could have a significant impact on public health and the U.S. economy. The study suggested that the benefits of later start times far out-weigh the immediate costs. Even after just two years, the study projects an economic gain of $8.6 billion to the U.S. economy, which would already outweigh the costs per student from delaying school start times to 8:30 a.m. After a decade, the study showed that delaying schools start times would contribute $83 billion to the U.S. economy, with this increasing to $140 billion after 15 years. During the 15-year period examined by the study, the average annual gain to the U.S. economy would be about $9.3 billion each year.” [https://www.brookings.edu/research/start-high-school-later- for-better-academic-outcomes/ ; https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2109.html]

_________________________________________________________________________________ .

WHY CHANGE?

Why can’t you tell us that everything is going to be the same and there won’t be any problems or challenges?

Because change is challenging and given the number of people and pieces involved in the running of a school district, we cannot guarantee that everything will go off without a hitch in the fall. We are aware that there will be challenges, and just as all of the other districts that have changed report, solutions will be found, and obstacles will be become opportunities.

School schedules have always been like this, and we’re fine. Why change?

School schedules were actually around 8:30 for most schools until the gas crisis of the 1970s. As more schools went to multi-tier systems to save on the number of buses, sleep researchers started noticing the worrying trends toward sleep deprivation and its effects. Today, a majority of high school students do not get the recommended amount of sleep and many consider it a public health epidemic, including the Center for Disease Control. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/go-to-bed- brain-researchers-warn-that-lack-of-sleep-is-a-public-health-crisis/2019/01/24/bbc61562-0a1b-11e9- 85b6-41c0fe0c5b8f_story.html?utm_term=.3fdfd6ca0e11]

We’re doing well already. Why do we need to change anything?

One reason that Barrington continues to do well is our dedication to continuous improvement based on best and innovative practices. Doing something because that’s how it’s always been done does not serve anyone well. And although we perform well on assessments and send many of our students on to successful college experiences and careers, we also have ample documentation that many of our students are also struggling with anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation, and suicidal thoughts. Additionally, multiple high performing school districts in Massachusetts, the benchmark we often prefer to use, have shifted or are shifting school schedules for the same reasons, including Sharon, Duxbury, Weston, Concord-Carlisle, and others.

Was the later school schedule decision motivated by the students?

The initial discussion started in the Health and Wellness Advisory Committee 8 or so years ago due to growing research regarding the benefits of school schedule change as well as the experience of some school districts in New England with positive outcomes (Wilton, CT and Sharon, MA). During continued discussion, data regarding the rates of depression and suicidal ideation, as well as data from the Challenge Success survey demonstrating that a large number of BHS students were sleep deprived and frequently depressed became available, furthering support for the need for a comprehensive initiative. While other changes, including the homework policy as well as other scheduling and support structures were developed, no other initiative was found to have the same research-based potential impact seen with school schedule change. [ Challenge Success Data, RISS 2018 data.]

How will you measure the impact of the change to a two-tier schedule?

Qualitative data from students, families, and faculty will be evaluated along with quantitative data from a number of surveys, including the RISS, Survey Works, and a repeat of the Challenge Success survey. We already track data related to educational outcomes, which we will continue to do. The administration is developing a list of parameters to follow the effects at the K-5 schools.

What opportunities are there to receive the most up to date information regarding school schedules?

The District also has a website that is updated on a regular basis. Visit the School Schedule Webpage for more information. The Superintendent will continue to send out communications to staff, parents and students throughout the school year. As always, the public may contact Michael Messore at messorem@barringtonschools.org and members of the School Committee at BPS-School- Committee@barringtonschools.org

What if the data doesn’t support the change?

We’ll need to see the data and make the tweaks necessary to help accommodate the change. The data will help make changes but not reverse the decision.

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