CIRP Freshman Survey (TFS)
Category: Pathways to and Through Postsecondary
We examine the fundamental and complex role that time plays in the learning process. We begin by developing a conceptual framework to elucidate the multiple obstacles schools face in converting total time in school into active learning time. We then synthesize the causal research and document a clear positive effect of additional time on student achievement typically of small to medium magnitude depending on dosage, use, and context. Further descriptive analyses reveal how large differences in the length of the school day and year across public schools are an underappreciated dimension of educational inequality in the United States. Finally, our case study of time loss in one urban district demonstrates the potential to substantially increase instructional time within existing constraints.
Keywords
Instructional Time, Learning Time, School Calendar, Student Achievement, Lost Time
Education level
Document Object Identifier (DOI)
10.26300/1xxp-9c79
