Is an extended school day the right choice for U.S. students?
extend | radical | crucial | attain | initiative
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Do the Math
Do the Math
Option 1:
Option 1:
Senator Ted Kennedy thought it was crucial for Massachusetts schools to improve. He thought it would take radical change to attain that goal. He started an initiative to extend the school day.
Most American students now go to school for 180 six-hour days. How many total hours is this?
A. 1,080
B. 680
C. 6,080
D. 186
Option 2:
Option 2:
Senator Kennedy’s initiative proposed extending the school day by 30%—a radical increase. If each 6-hour school day were extended according to Senator Kennedy’s plan, each day would be how many hours?
There are alternative ways to attain the goal of extending school time by 30%. For example, schools could add days to the school year instead of changing the length of each individual school day. If the 180-day school year were extended according to this plan, each year would be how many days?
Discussion Question:
Discussion Question:
Which would be a more radical change: more hours each school day or more days each school year? Which kind of initiative would win more support from parents? Which one would do a better job of helping students attain academic excellence? Some students think it’s crucial to have a long summer vacation. Others believe long summer vacations are too hard for working parents and that students may forget what they have learned. What do you think?
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