Heckscher Foundation Study of Extended Day Schooling In NYC Schools is Completed

Date: 04/28/09

A Heckscher Foundation for Children-sponsored study of New York City public schools that employ extended time models reached important conclusions about the benefits of extended day learning. The study, conducted by experts from the National Center for Children and Families, Teachers College and Columbia University, reviewed extended day schooling programs in which an entire school or cohort of students was required to attend school for an additional 15% of school time (totaling an average of seven and a half hours per school day). The study used interviews with administrators, teachers, parents and students to identify best practices and challenges in implementing effective extended time programs.

Key findings of the study include:

• Extended day schools are currently serving primarily poorer and black students and are located in New York City’s poorest communities.
  
• Extended day schooling is effective because it allows students to receive additional support in needed areas, while still receiving instruction in all subjects, including foreign/dual languages and the arts.
  
• The benefits of increasing school time include increased opportunity and improved performance for at-risk students.
  
• Additional funding is critical to the maintenance of extended day programming, expansion of extended days across grade levels, and the creation of new extended day schools.
  
• Extended day schools will continue to emerge primarily in the form of charter schools. Policymakers and policy-influencers should continue to support the creation of charter schools as well as make inroads in negotiating extended-day contracts with teachers’ unions.