Idea of the Day: Extend Learning Time Through Federal Grants

May 21, 2008

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To make more and better use of learning time, beginning with schools serving educationally disadvantaged students, we should establish a federal competitive grant demonstration program for states that would pay a portion of the cost of extending learning time in a number of their school districts identified as in need of improvement under No Child Left Behind. A small number of states would be funded to initiate one of the three programs below in their selected low-achieving districts:

• Extended learning time (longer days and/or school years) by 30 percent or more in all the schools
• Innovative, high quality, full-day summer learning programs for low-income students and students who are behind in school that are provided by local school districts or other nonprofit and for-profit entities approved by the state education agency
• Reorganization of their school year with three-week intersession breaks during which they offer voluntary tutoring or enrichment programs that are free for low-income students

For more information on this topic, please see:

• 15 New Ideas: Extend Learning Time: Give All Children a Chance to Succeed