School Smart Time
February 13, 2020
Thank you to all who woke up early in the morning to discuss later school start times! As always, a special thank you to the students of the Culinary Arts program at SWBOCES for cooking, serving and cleaning up a delicious meal.
Our panel left us with much to think about.
Shelby Harris, a clinical psychologist who specializes in Behavioral Sleep Medicine, provided substantial evidence of the effects on adolescents of inadequate quantity and quality of sleep. Additionally it is almost biologically impossible for the average adolescent to fall asleep much before 11pm on a regular basis. In addition to later school start times, Dr. Harris called for health education to include sleep information – as sleep is as critical to health as nutrition and exercise.
School administrators
Lisa Brady (Superintendent, Dobbs Ferry UFSD),
Andrew Selesnick (Superintendent, Katonah-Lewisboro UFSD), and
Sandra Intrieri (Putnam Valley High School Principal), discussed the process of changing start times in their schools. Key issues included managing resistance to change, communicating with the community, transportation schedules, and athletic and extracurricular schedules. The change process did not always run smoothly, but a focus on the health and well-being of students brought together their communities to effect later start times.
Successful change implementation in these districts required
:
Focusing on the well-being of students: In Dobbs Ferry, the conversations about the changes to school start times were challenging. Students, parents, and faculty were focused on the logistical issues that affected their own daily lives. Bringing in speakers and information focusing on the “why” of change – the well-being of young people – helped bring around the school community to a successful change of starting times at the middle school and high school. More students are walking and biking to school (creating an unexpected, but welcome, need for additional bike racks!), more students and faculty are enjoying breakfast together in the cafeteria, and students report that their mornings are less stressful and they feel more focused and alert.
Considering multiple options for change: In Katonah-Lewisboro, an initial proposal to coordinate HS and MS schedules by moving MS start times significantly later and HS start times somewhat earlier, was met with resistance. After further review and many community conversations, three options were presented (including the status quo), and all stakeholders were given the opportunity to weigh in. Feedback from the community clarified that change was preferred over the current schedule, and the decision was made to delay MS start times and create a coordinated school day for the MS/HS campus.
Coordinating changes within the school or regionally: Putnam Valley High School opted for not only changing start times, but also incorporating a community lunch period into the daily schedule. The community lunch period allowed students to gather for club activities and extra help without adding to the length of the school day. The outgoing juniors and seniors struggled to adapt to all the change, but in the end, no one is interested in going back to earlier start times. Ulster County BOCES is currently working toward a regional approach that could have all public school and BOCES students starting and ending school at the same time.
Change is not easy; however, a focus on the “why” of change – the physical and mental health of students – provides a powerful incentive. Additional information on the movement to later school start times and the presentation slides of our panel are available on the
WPSBA School Start Time webpage
.
