Dive Brief:
- Going beyond requiring a 180-day school year, a new Texas law mandates 75,600 minutes of instruction per academic year, and some schools have responded with earlier start times to meet the minimum.
- The Houston ABC affiliate reports some districts are starting 15 minutes earlier than last year, an amount that sleep disorder Dr. Richard Castriotta said could bring down students’ grades by a full letter if they lose the full 15 minutes of sleep per night.
- Other districts have decided to extend the end of the school day in response to the new law, avoiding the warnings that less sleep could cause students to develop ADHD or sleep disorders.
Dive Insight:
Researchers have said for years that teens, especially, should not start school as early as standard bell schedules demand. During the teenage years, students’ natural body clocks have them on a later sleep schedule, which leaves them mid-rest when their alarms go off in the morning.
First-period teachers fully understand the consequences. In the Piedmont City School District in Alabama, high-performing students in grades 10-12 can choose to take their first-period classes virtually and asynchronously, meaning they can sleep in and complete the work at night instead if that’s what fits best into their schedules.
As schools begin to welcome back students for the 2016-17 academic year, administrators might reiterate the importance of sleep to students and families. The advice may sound trite, but it is important — especially as students are readjusting from their summer sleep schedules.