As summer comes to an end for most teachers and students this week, many will argue that the break didn’t feel long enough.

But some experts think the opposite. Some think that summer break is far too long, and that eliminating the singular break will significantly increase student achievement.

Schools should be operating under a year-round calendar, the experts say, something that over 4 percent of U.S. schools already do according to CNBC.

Instead of summer vacation, students and teachers operating under a year-round calendar break for two to three week intersessions.

"These breaks (usually two to three weeks long) are called intersessions, and schools can use that time for remediation and enrichment programs for students. The method is popular in other countries, but U.S. research has been deemed too inconclusive to draw any long-term conclusions,” said CNBC.

But experts argue that evidence does conclusively suggest that students who do not partake in a year-long calendar are years behind those that do in learning.

"David Hornak, executive director of the National Association for Year-Round Education, an organization that advocates for shorter summers to help improve student achievement explained... that a year-round calendar helps stem summer learning loss often seen in children when they break for the extended holiday,” said CNBC.

Opponents to the year-round calendar believe it to be too costly to be a reality for most districts, as well as argue that there are plenty of other ways schools can improve student achievement without making such a drastic change.

Read the full story.

Nicole Gorman, Senior Education World Contributor

8/29/2016