CONTACT:  Wendy V. Long, Public Relations

                        (413) 685-1003

Gateway receives grant to study expanding the school day

Huntington- The Gateway Regional School District was awarded a $15,000 planning grant from the Massachusetts Department of Education to investigate increasing the amount of learning time provided to students at all seven district schools.  Gateway was one of 29 districts in Massachusetts to receive a planning grant.

“We are extremely pleased to receive this DOE planning grant,” said Gateway Superintendent David Hopson. “We will be bringing together teachers, students, parents, staff and administrators to look at research and consider ways that we might improve and expand the school day. The outcome of this planning process will be a decision on whether or not to increase our school day or school year, starting in the fall of 2008.”

Excitement was tempered by the award level of $15,000, when the district had designed a planning process with broad stakeholder support budgeted at $39,915. “The award will constrain the district with regard to the planning process we use,” admitted Hopson.  “But given student performance, reductions in enrichment activities funded through other state grants, and indications that the state is interested in looking at a longer school day, it is essential for us to seriously look at doing this planning now.”

Gateway will convene a committee of stakeholders to explore ways to increase student learning time by at least 25%. The redesign of the school schedule will include additional time for core academics and enrichment programs, and will also include more planning and professional development time for teachers.

“It is important that people understand this is a planning grant,” said grantwriter and district spokesperson Wendy Long. “A decision on whether or not to expand our school day will not be made until we complete the planning process, which will include a review of educational research and input from all of the students, teachers, parents, and community members who will be impacted.  It is an exciting opportunity to see if we can design something that works better for everybody.”

A public meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 29, 2006 at the Gateway Performing Arts Center (MS/HS) from 7 – 9, for those interested in learning more.

Anyone who wishes to serve on a district-wide or school-based committee working on this grant is invited to contact Stacy Stewart at 685-1011, or by email sstewart@grsd.org.

This is the second year that DOE has funded planning grants to districts that want to look at expanding their school day or year.  Last year’s grants resulted in $6.5 million in state funding to enable 10 Massachusetts schools to increase their day.  This is the largest commitment by any state to increase academic and enrichment time for students and professional development for teachers.

If the planning stage is successful, Gateway will submit a preliminary plan for a new school day to the Department of Education by August 2007, with a final implementation plan due in December 2007. If the plan is approved by the DOE and the district is able to arrive at an agreement with its unions, Gateway schools would begin the new schedule in the 2008-2009 school year. Implementation will also be dependent on the availability of state funding to cover the costs of expanding.

“Providing our students with additional learning time is one of the greatest commitments we can make to their academic success.  When students have more opportunities to develop critical academic skills, they have a greater likelihood of mastering their studies and succeeding in today’s complex economy and global society,” said Jennifer Davis, president of Massachusetts 2020—a nonprofit education organization that is working with the department of education on the Expanding Learning Time initiative.

Davis added, “The 10 schools participating in the initiative this year have not just added more time, but they have redesigned the school day to best meet the needs of their students and engage these youth in learning.  We anticipate that this year’s group of planning grant districts will build on this work, and I look forward to seeing the innovations they develop for the students of Massachusetts.”

A sampling of successful ideas from current expanded learning time schools include increasing the class time for math and English Language Arts classes so that students can participate in hands-on projects that allow them to learn and master skills in an engaging format. One school created competitive math leagues to help students with their math skills. Other schools have combined academics and enrichment in classes such as Mandarin Chinese, filmmaking, Latin dance, girls’ health issues, nutrition, apprenticeships and musical theatre.

The need to expand the time students have for learning is the result of several factors. In the last 10 years, United States schools have raised educational expectations for students without giving them more time to achieve them. The school schedule currently followed was designed for agrarian families in the early 20th century, not for the complex and global economy of the 21st century.  In addition, mandatory testing in math and English has aggressively eaten away at the time once dedicated to arts, enrichment, physical education, even science and social studies. An expanded school day is about bringing all these opportunities back to our youth. It is not just about adding hours to the school day clock, it is about exposing today’s youth to the academic, social and cultural skills they will need to thrive in the 21st century.

35 districts applied for this year’s planning grants, up from 21 applicants last year.