Later High School Start Times (3)

          What time should the school day begin? School start times vary significantly, both within individual communities and across the nation, with many schools beginning earlier than 7:30 a.m. and others after 9:00 a.m. Regions often stagger the start times of different schools in order to reduce transportation costs by using fewer buses. Nevertheless, if beginning the school day early in the morning has a negative impact on academic performance, staggering start times may not be worth the cost savings. 
          I acknowledge that later school start times have some consequences. For instance, because most school districts have a delicately balanced bus transportation system designed to run as inexpensively and efficiently as possible, any change in the school schedule can have a severe impact.  In addition, high school athletics are very important to many students who have obvious concerns about the impact of a change in start times on their ability to participate. Any delay in the start of school will most likely result in a later release time, which may reduce time available for practice and meets. However, there are easy solutions to these two issues. One solution that has worked to solve the transportation problem is flipping start times, most commonly elementary with high school. This solution requires no extra buses or drivers, just a change in the order of pickups. This schedule also seems to be more appropriate to elementary school students’ sleep schedules, because young children tend to wake up earlier in the morning.  As for extracurricular activities, most districts that have changed their start time have experienced few problems with regard to athletics. Practice times are rescheduled, and in some cases lights are installed so practice can run slightly later. Meet times are changed so that students do not have to leave class early. Many districts have even seen increased participation in sports and improved performance by their teams. Research has shown that sleep deprivation has a severe negative impact on endurance and coordination, so it makes sense that better rested student athletes would perform better.
             I strongly believe that Wake County school times should extend the start time of high schools to a later time. The consequences of sleep deprivation during the teenage years are particularly serious. Teens spend a great portion of each day in school; however, they are unable to maximize the learning opportunities afforded by the education system, since sleep deprivation impairs their ability to be alert, pay attention, solve problems, cope with stress and retain information. Young people who do not get enough sleep night after night carry a significant risk for fall asleep automobile crashes; emotional and behavioral problems such as irritability, depression, poor impulse control and violence; health complaints; tobacco and alcohol use; impaired cognitive function and decision-making; and lower overall performance in everything from academics to athletics. One statistic showed that, in Fayetteville County, Kentucky, teen driver crash rates reduced by 16.5% in two years after school start time was delayed by one hour while the rest of the state saw an increase in teen crash rates. In addition, The Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement at the University of Minnesota participated in a study of the impact of changing school start times on academic performance, behavior, and safety in urban and suburban schools. Results from three years of data from both Edina and Minneapolis showed improved attendance, increase in continuous enrollment, less tardiness, and students making fewer trips to the school nurse.  
             Adolescent sleep deprivation is largely driven by a conflict between teens’ internal biological clocks and the schedules and demands of society. Therefore, it makes sense to look at school start times, which set the rhythm of the day for students, parents, teachers and members of the community at large. Although there are a few negative side effects of later start times, on the whole, the benefits outweigh the costs of making this change. By simply adjusting school start times, far fewer students will be sleepless in America.



Works Cited

Cline, John. "Do Later School Start Times Really Help High School Students?"Psychology Today. N.p., 27 Feb. 2011. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleepless-in-america/201102/do-later-school-start-times-really-help-high-school-students>.

St. George, Donna. "Education." Washington Post. N.p., 11 Dec. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. <http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-12-11/local/35767223_1_school-day-school-leaders-school-buses>.

Trudeau, Michelle. "High Schools Starting Later to Help Sleepy Teens." NPR. NPR, 18 Jan. 2007. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6896471>.