To what extent is formal education effective?

Do longer school days really have an impact on a child's education? To what extent?

• Countries in Europe and Asia both have longer school days than those in the US, and countries in both continents exceed American students in Math and Reading skills. How effective is a full year of school as well as longer school days have on a child's education?

• Answer:

  There is some strong evidence that more days and more minutes in school increases student achievement. The negative evidence-- that less time in school means worse educational outcomes-- seems even stronger. Studies of the "Summer Learning Loss" and the effect of snow/emergency days on test scores indicate that the more time students spend away from school, the lower performance drops. This phenomenon is especially true among lower-income students who may not have access to education opportunities, such as museums or day camps, away from the classroom. It is important to know that extended day/extended year policies are not panacea for ending the achievement gap. Having more time in school is good, but having more time with high quality instructors who use the extra time wisely is much better. The success of extended day/extended year and the overall improvement in students performance will vary widely from school-to-school, from district-to-district, and from state-to-state. It can be, in my opinion, a smart policy, but only if it's coupled with high quality instruction and the resources to effectively leverage the opportunity. For an overview of research done on extended day and extended year programs, read Patall, et al's, comprehensive review: http://rer.sagepub.com/content/80/3/401.short.