Enormous variation in school instructional time for Oregon students, according to new data tool
A new data tool from Stand For Children reveals significant variation in school instructional time across Oregon school districts, with some students having as many as 177 days of school and others only 137. The state's lack of a mandatory minimum number of school days contributes to this disparity.
Oregon students experience significant variation in school instructional time, according to a new data tool from Stand For Children. The analysis shows that some districts have as many as 177 days of school, while others have only 137, a difference of 40 days or eight weeks. Oregon doesn't have a mandatory minimum number of school days; instead, the state rule is based on the number of instructional hours. As a result, school districts with different calendars can have similar total hours. For example, the Mapleton School District, which operates four days a week, has similar elementary school hours to the Parkrose School District, which operates five days a week. In contrast, Lincoln County students have more school days and almost 150 more hours of contact time annually than Mapleton or Parkrose. The variation in instructional time can result in students in the lowest-time districts receiving up to three fewer years of school than those in the highest-time districts. Oregon also struggles with low school attendance, and a recent analysis found that improving attendance and increasing the average school year to 180 days could significantly improve academic outcomes.
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