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Research

Possible 4-Day Student Contact Week Research

RAND – 6 States (including Idaho) 2021:  

  • Qualitative Data: 
    • All stakeholders (staff, students, parents) had high levels of satisfaction. 
    • Believed to be advantages for recruiting and retaining staff.  
  • Quantitative Data: 
    • No statistical difference for student attendance. 
    • Achievement improved, but at a pace behind like peers in a 5-day model.  This showed an accumulative effect over time to be meaningful. 

https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RBA373-1.html 

“Only A Matter Of Time”: Paul N. Thompson Oregon State University and IZA;  Jason Ward RAND Corporation - 12 states, using data from 2009-2018.  

  • Low Time in school had significant negative impact. 
  • Middle to High Time in school no significant impacts. 

Summary: hours of instruction of 4 day model matter in regard to impact on achievement.  

https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/236492/1/dp14461.pdf 

A Multi-State, Student-Level Analysis of the Effects of the Four-Day School Week on  Student Achievement and Growth (2023) : Emily Morton, NWEA;  Paul Thompson, Oregon State Univ;  Megan Kuhfeld, NWEA.  

  • Used student data from NWEA/MAP assessment from 2009-2019 from 6 states. 
  • Measured yearly growth (fall to spring) 
  • Appears to have an increased negative impact on non-rural schools compared to rural schools.  
  • Over time the negative impact appears to be slightly greater than the negative impact of teacher turnover and new to profession staff.   

https://edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai22-630.pdf 

Idaho: A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education With a Major in Educational Leadership in the Department of Graduate Education; Northwest Nazarene University 

by Spencer Barzee;  April 2020 

  • Looked at overall Idaho achievement data of rural schools, as well as subset of economically disadvantaged for IRI, ISAT ELA and ISAT Math for years 2015 – 2019.  
  • Compared 5-day model vs 4-day model districts/schools.   
  • Found no “no statistically significant difference”  
Qualitative Data and Perceptions of Other Districts on 4DSCW 
    • 4-Day student contacts weeks are becoming a trend driven by various stakeholder groups. Initial survey on High School Schedule Change showed 73% of the respondents in our community wanted to explore further.
  • Middleton School District—4DSCW, 1 Friday/month for teachers
    • Overall benefit to staff
    • Recruiting and retaining staff has been a success
    • Anecdotal evidence is that community and families support and would resist returning to 5-Day Student Contact week
  • Blackfoot School District - 4DSCW, 1 Friday/month for teachers
    • Overall benefit to staff
    • All staff/leadership spoken with advocated for 4DSCW
    • Recruiting and retaining staff has been a success
    • Data quoted—Initial 67% in favor; after implementation 97% of community in favor; all schools in county on 4DSCW
  • Post Falls School District
    • Overall benefit to staff
    • Superintendent and High School Vice Principal expressed overall positive
    • Recruiting and retaining staff has been a success
    • Survey of community being re-done as this year was a pilot phase