4-day school week gains popularity for teacher recruitment

May 22, 2023

Shannon Longworth Reporter

By Shannon Longworth (Reporter), Dan Reardon (Editor)

Schools across the country are facing a teacher shortage, and some are turning to a four-day school week as a way to attract and retain qualified staff. However, research shows that it harms student achievement.

The four-day school week is not new, but it has become more popular in recent years. According to the Four-Day School Week Policy Group at Oregon State University, more than 850 school districts in the United States now use the four-day model.

“With issues of teacher shortages, teacher burnout, it seems that, you know, school districts are thinking that this might be an effective mechanism,” said Paul Thompson, associate professor of economics and researcher with the Four-Day Research Policy Group. “In terms of the research, we don’t really know whether that’s an effective strategy, we’re playing catch up.”

One concern about the shorter school week is that it leads to a loss of instructional time, which harms student achievement.

“Those drops in time in school kind of link almost directly to the achievement declines that we’ve seen,” Thompson said.

On the other hand, there are several potential benefits to the four-day school week.

For one, it can help to improve teacher morale and reduce teacher burnout. In a RAND study, administrators, teachers, students and parents in 12 rural school districts said the change to a shorter week improved morale. Teachers also reported feeling less burnt out.

Another potential benefit of the four-day school week is that it can reduce student bullying. One study found that the four-day school week reduced bullying by 39%

Tags: Education

SHANNON LONGWORTH: SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE FACING A TEACHER SHORTAGE. TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN QUALIFIED STAFF, MORE AND MORE SCHOOLS ARE OFFERING A SURPRISING PERK:

A FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK.

RESEARCH SHOWS IT HURTS STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.

PAUL THOMPSON’S BEEN STUDYING THIS FOR SEVEN YEARS, AS PART OF THE FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK POLICY GROUP AT OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY.

PAUL THOMPSON: “THOSE DROPS IN TIME IN SCHOOL KIND OF LINK ALMOST DIRECTLY TO THE ACHIEVEMENT DECLINES THAT WE’VE SEEN.”

LONGWORTH: MANY OF THE SCHOOLS MAKING THIS SWITCH WILL EXTEND THE DAYS THEY *ARE* IN CLASS…BUT IT’S OFTEN NOT ENOUGH TO COMPENSATE FOR DROPPING THAT FIFTH DAY.

850 SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY USE THE 4-DAY MODEL, ACCORDING TO THE FOUR DAY SCHOOL WEEK POLICY GROUP. WHILE THERE’S MOUNTING RESEARCH ON THE DRAWBACKS…THERE ARE POTENTIAL BENEFITS TOO.

IN A RAND STUDY OF 12 RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS, STUDENTS AND PARENTS SAID THE CHANGE IMPROVED MORALE. TEACHERS REPORTED FEELING LESS BURNT OUT.

ONE STUDY SHOWS IT COULD REDUCE STUDENT BULLYING.

THESE DISTRICTS TEND TO BE IN RURAL AREAS, WHICH HAVE A PARTICULARLY HARD TIME RECRUITING QUALITY TEACHERS, AND THEY HOPE THE PROMISE OF A THREE-DAY WEEKEND COULD HELP.

THOMPSON: “WITH ISSUES OF TEACHER SHORTAGES, TEACHER BURNOUT, IT SEEMS THAT, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE THINKING THAT THIS MIGHT BE AN EFFECTIVE MECHANISM. IN TERMS OF THE RESEARCH, WE DON’T REALLY KNOW WHETHER THAT’S AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY, WE’RE PLAYING CATCH UP.”

LONGWORTH: THOMPSON POINTS OUT THAT THIS RECRUITMENT TACTIC CAN BE CONTAGIOUS. IF ONE RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICT SWITCHES TO THE 4-DAY MODEL, THEN OTHERS NEARBY ARE LIKELY TO DO THE SAME TO STAY COMPETITIVE.

THOMPSON: “I THINK MANY STATES ARE SAYING, WELL, IF THIS GOES TO URBAN AREAS, WE’RE GOING TO SEE ALMOST ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAKE THIS SWITCH TO THE 4-DAY MODEL. AND THEN NONE OF THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS GET THOSE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF KEEPING TEACHERS, RIGHT, IT JUST GOES BACK TO KIND OF THE WAY IT WAS RIGHT, WHERE SCHOOLS THAT ARE OFFERING THE BEST MONETARY BENEFITS ARE WHERE, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS ARE GONNA GO.”

LONGWORTH: THOMPSON SAYS DISTRICTS STRUGGLING TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN TEACHERS ONLY HAVE A FEW ALTERNATIVES: LOWER HIRING STANDARDS OR INCREASE CLASS SIZE.

THE FOUR DAY SCHOOL WEEK IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE POPULAR AMID A DIRE TEACHER SHORTAGE IN THE U.S.