4Day School Week Were really not crazy

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4-Day School Week Were really not crazy
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MACCRAY District Information

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Location of MACCRAY
X
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Populations
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Sites
MACCRAY East Elementary
MACCRAY West Elementary
MACCRAY Jr./Sr. High School
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Seasonal Comparison

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Staffing

• 105 total staff bus drivers are not MACCRAYs
  employees
• Slightly more than half of MACCRAYs certified
  staff members are 50 years of age or more and
  have served the district for 20 or more years
• Several other staff members are over 50, but
  havent served in the district for 20 years

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Budget

• Total budget (all funds) is slightly more than
  8,000,000
• General fund reduced by 800,000 from 2006-07 to
  2007-08 11
• General fund reduced by another 300,000 from
  2007-08 to 2008-09

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Budget ReductionPlanning Process

• Step 1 - Explored options
• Reduce certified staff by 4.0 FTEs
• Close an elementary building
• Transition to 4-day school week
• Offer an early retirement/leave of absence
  incentive for our
• most experienced teachers
• Offer taxpayers the opportunity to further
  support education (operating levy)
• Step 2 Researched 4-Day Week districts
• - Early February-March

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4-Day Week Research Suggested Other Benefits

• More environmentally friendly
• Increase enrollment
• Improve attendance of students and staff
• Improve student morale
• Decrease discipline referrals

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Effects on the School Day

• Allow students more elective courses
• Improved attendance for students and staff
• Anticipate a decrease in discipline referrals
• Student achievement stable
• More instructional time

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Effects on Students

• Students reported having a better attitude toward
  school.
• Academic achievement and standardized test scores
  reported to be the same or higher.
• Improved student attendance.
• Longer class periods allow for more material to
  be covered.
• Greater likelihood of student appointments being
  scheduled for days off.
• More family time available.

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Students (continued)

• Mondays could be used to
• Complete homework
• Work on projects
• Work at a part-time job
• Complete 20 hour/year service learning requirement

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Effects on Teachers

• Fewer absences teachers can schedule
  appointments on days off
• Less need for substitute teachers
• Longer class periods offer more time to focus on
  specific projects, especially those of a hands-on
  nature
• Increased staff development time

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States with 4-day districts

• Minnesota
• Montana
• New Mexico
• Oregon
• South Dakota
• Texas
• Utah
• Wyoming

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Idaho
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana

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Budget ReductionProcess (continued)

• Step 3 Contacted MDE for guidance
• Early March
• Step 4 Held Community Meetings
• Late March to early April
• Step 5 Waiting period to hear from community
  and transportation providers
• Early April to mid-May
• Step 6 Board approval
• May 12, 2008

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Reasons for the Change

• Reduce expenses
• Maintain elective offerings
• Minimize staff reductions

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Estimated Savings

• Substitute Teacher Costs 9,023
• Transportation Costs 65,201
• Energy Savings 16,374
• Maintenance Costs 3,611
• Faculty Mileage Reimbursement 994
• Total 95,203

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Budget ReductionProcess (continued)

• Step 7 Approval from MDE
• Request for flexible school year submitted on
  May 20, 2008
• Additional information was submitted on June 5,
  2008
• 3-year approval communicated on July 1, 2008

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Snapshot of the 4-Day Week
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4-Day Schedule

• Monday is the off day.
• Staff in-service days were moved from Fridays to
  Mondays.
• School IS scheduled on nine (9) Mondays.
• Four (4) five-day weeks throughout the year.

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Student Day

• 2007-08
• 1st bell 812 a.m.
• Period 1 815 902
• Period 2 905 952
• Period 3 955 1042
• Period 4 1045 1132
• 1st Lunch 1132 1157
• Period 5A 1135 1222
• Period 5B 1157 1244
• 2nd Lunch 1222 1247
• Period 6 1247 134
• Period 7 137 224
• Period 8 227 314
• 47 minute class periods

• 2008-09
• 1st Bell 757 a.m.
• Period 1 800 855
• Period 2 858 953
• Period 3 956 1051
• Period 4 1054 1149
• 1st Lunch 1149 1214
• Period 5A 1152 1247
• Period 5B 1214 109
• 2nd Lunch 1247 112
• Period 6 112 207
• Period 7 210 305
• Period 8 309 - 404
• 55 minute class periods

Additional 65 minutes per day
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Instructional Time
2007-08 419 min/day x 172 days 72,068
minutes Excluding lunch (25 min.) passing
time (18 min.) 376 min/day x 172 days 64,672
minutes 2008-09 484 min/day x 149 days
72,116 minutes Excluding lunch (25 min.)
passing time (18 min.) 441 min/day x 149 days
65,709 minutes Actual
Gain in Instructional Time
1,037minutes (17.28 hours) annually
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Teacher Day

• 2008-09
• 730 a.m. 434 p.m.
• 149 student days
• 8.5 in-service days
• 2 conference days
• 159.4 contract days

• 2007-08
• 745 a.m.344 p.m.
• 172 student days
• 7 in-service days
• 2 conference days
• 181 contract days

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Extracurricular Activities

• Practices will end later (615), except on
  Wednesdays - Community Night (545).
• Events and activities will occur on Monday
  evenings as usual. Will reschedule events when
  possible.
• Thermostats will not be turned up for Monday
  practices, games, activities
• No junior high practices on days off

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Our Communities

• With the extended school day, many students
  schedules better align with parents work
  schedules
• Child care Families needed to make adjustments
  to meet change in schedule
• Some daycare providers charge a flat fee
• MACCRAY Community education (in partnership with
  4-H) trained students as babysitters
• Fun Day Mondays _at_ Willmar YMCA

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Evaluation
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What Weve Learned.So Far

• Long days for students that ride the bus
• A few students are picked up as early as 640
  a.m. compared to 650 a.m. last year
• Elementary-age students get home as late as 510
  p.m.
• Some high school students dont get home from
  practice until between 630 and 700 p.m.
• Extra-curricular practice times
• Coaches in many cases have been more efficient
  less down time during practice
• Practices go later into the evening than in the
  past

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What Weve Learned (continued)

• Practices are shorter on Wednesday afternoons
  (415-545)
• Evenings are noticeably shorter for students and
  staff members
• Students seem to enjoy having Monday off
• Staff members seem to enjoy having Mondays off
• Surprised and amazed at the level of media
  attention that MACCRAY has received

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Statewide/NationalInternational Media Attention

• Fox News - Americas Newsroom New York
• MN 20/20 St. Paul, MN
• Associated Press Raleigh, North Carolina
• Associated Press Washington, DC
• ABC - Good Morning America (WCCO studios)
• Kyodo News New York City
• Kansas City Star Kansas City, MO
• Albuquerque, NM Public Schools
• City of Las Vegas, NV
• Star Tribune Minneapolis, MN
• Paul Harvey

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Media Attention (continued)

• Voice of America Washington, DC
• Education Week Richmond, VA
• NSBA Newsletter Alexandria, VA
• AASA Newsletter Alexandria, VA
• KRQE Radio Albuquerque, NM
• The Telegram Jackson, OH
• MSBA St. Peter, MN
• Reuters Newswire New York City
• WIZM La Crosse, WI
• CNN New York City (sent crew to district)
• Forbes Magazine
• LRP Publications Palm Beach Gardens, FL

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Media Attention (continued)

• ABC Evening News with Charles Gibson (sent crew
  to district)
• CBS News with Katie Couric
• Flat Rock-Hawcreek Schools Hope, IN
• Education Minnesota
• Duluth News Tribune Duluth, MN
• BBC London, UK
• West Central Tribune Willmar, MN
• KSAX Television Alexandria, MN
• WCCO Radio Jack Rice Show
• WCCO Radio Bruce Hagevik
• e-School News

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Media Attention (continued)

• Education Week Bethesda, MD
• New York Times
• Newsweek Boston, MA
• Minnesota Public Radio
• National Public Radio Boston, MA
• Time Magazine
• KARE 11 (sent crew to district)
• Minnesota News Network
• Numerous Minnesota school districts
• Other Minnesota media outlets
• Many sales reps promising to boost fuel
  efficiency

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Evaluation

• MACCRAY evaluation plan
• Parents, students, staff surveys
• Community members surveys
• Outside evaluations
• Assess test scores, failure rates, behavior data,
  and absentee rates for students and staff
• Compare 2008-09 expenses with 2007-08 expenses

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Estimated Savings

• Substitute Teacher Costs 9,023
• Transportation Costs 65,201
• Energy Savings 16,374
• Maintenance Costs 3,611
• Faculty Mileage Reimbursement 994
• Total 95,203

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Transportation Savings
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Electricity Usage
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Water/Sewage Usage
Football field watering-summer 2008 was dry.
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MACCRAY 7-12 students report

• having a better attitude toward school the
• weeks go so fast!
• longer class periods allow for more student
• work to be completed.
• improved student attendance.
• more time for the family.
• Monday is a day to de-stress

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MACCRAY elementary student comments

• Homework needs to be completed before Monday
• since parents work Mondays.
• Not enough recess time.
• I am hungrier during the day
• I like having two snack times

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MACCRAY parents report

• Nights are very short for elementary aged
• students
• Ive been surprised how easy the transition
• has been (elementary parent)
• Im enjoying the extra day for appointments
• and family time (high school parent)
• Disadvantage for those that have to leave
• early for sports (high school parent)

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Teachers report

• K-6 staff
• Day goes just as fast as before
• Were on track with language arts
• Honestly surprised how well it is going

• 7-12 staff
• Love the longer class periods for labs
• I am a little ahead of where I was last year

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Adjustments Made for Elementary Students

• SMART program
• Later breakfast
• Later lunch times

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For more information
Four day week
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QUESTIONS?
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The four day school week has probably been one
of those few decisions made in education in the
name of money that actually ended up having
educational benefits in terms of academic
performance of kids. Joyce Ley, director of
Rural Education Program at the Northwest Regional
Laboratory in Portland, OR
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Contact Information
Gregory A. (Greg) Schmidt Superintendent MACCRAY
Public Schools 711 Wolverine Drive P.O. Box
690 Clara City, MN 56222 320-847-2154
(phone) schmidtg_at_maccray.k12.mn.us Website
address www.maccray.k12.mn.us