As more high schools make these start time changes, it’s exciting to imagine the … In 2017, about seven months after school start times had shifted later, the researchers had a second group of 88 students — again drawn from both schools — wear the wrist activity monitors. While few question the scientific evidence supporting later start times, many parents and administrators argue that starting school later isn’t the best solution to kids’ sleep-deprivation problems, citing practical concerns. Researchers used both the light and motion data in the wrist monitors to determine when the students were awake and asleep. Why start school later for adolescents? The median middle school start time is 8 … "Myths and Misconceptions." Pro: It’s been proven in many studies that teenagers do better with a later start to the day. California's governor signed the nation’s first state law mandating later school start times. Schools encouraged to start at 8:30 or later. Yet, according to federal data from the 2015-16 school year, over 85 percent of public high schools still start before 8:30 a.m. Starting school later – possible solution to kid’s sleep deprivation crisis? Dr. Owens first became interested in later school arrival times after she was involved in a study at her own daughter’s school. Elementary schools will start 10 minutes later – a move made not for the benefit of small children, who usually wake earlier than older kids, but to accommodate school bus schedules. Class starting times at the boarding school were shifted from 8 to 8:30 and 5 to 10 minutes were dropped from each class to ensure the school day would finish on … The solution to this problem would be to simply either fix the type of light in the settings of the electronic device or to turn it off completely. With this in mind, why do we still start school at 8:30 in the morning? However, starting school later in the day isn’t just a hack to improve grades. When districts have considered moving high school start times later, one frequent solution is to “flip” the schedules and have elementary schools start earlier. The Impact of School Start Times on Adolescent Health and Academic Performance. Start School Later Inc, … And it showed kids slept more, got better grades and missed fewer days of class when their school day started somewhat later. So, if a teen goes to bed at 11 pm on average, they should wake up at 8 am, when most high school students are well into their first period. Teenagers need around 9 hours of sleep. This of course may serve to answer the educational curriculum aspects of … As reported by AthleticBusiness.com “... 8:30 a.m. or later school start times leads to more sleep for students, which in turn reduces depression, improves academics and even enhances sports performances.” It is important for students to not only to get good grades but to succeed in sports and stay active and healthy. The Solution Restoring traditional school start times, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, and the Centers for Disease Control, is a practical and necessary solution with broad and immediate benefits for children of all ages. It is vital to safekeeping the health and development of today’s students, and the generations to come. An estimated 40 percent of high schools in the U.S. currently have a start time before 8 a.m.; only 15 percent start at 8:30 a.m. or later. But in the 70 school districts involving more than 1,000 schools that have adopted later start times for high school students, teachers, parents … Con: Starting later in the day at school interferes with parents’ working days, encourages students to stay up late, and would cause problems with after-school practices for sports. In one 2008 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, crash rates fell by 16.5% in the two years after a school district shifted its start times an hour later, compared to the two years before. A new study used activity trackers worn on the wrist to see how such a delay affected kids in a real school. Although parents oppose to some aspects, there will always be an uncomplicated solution. Experts have long argued for later start times in middle and high school. A group of students studying solutions for later school start times have come up with solutions that are being used in other districts across the nation, making it possible for their district to come up with a workable plan. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine supports middle and high school start times of 8:30 a.m. or later to promote teen health, safety and academic performance. Yet, according to federal data from the 2015-16 school year, over 85 percent of public high schools still start before 8:30 a.m. Until, that is, researchers at the University of Washington conducted a study tracking data from high school sophomores from two different high schools over the course of two different spring semesters (2016 and 2017)—one with an early start time, and one with a later start time. Another study found that for each half-hour the start of school was delayed, students would get 11 more minutes of sleep, so starting an hour later would add up to … In a recent Australian article a University of New England researcher found that any advantage of holding children back from starting school was negated in English and Mathematics by the time they got to years 3 to 5. Introduction examples. N.p., n.d. Later school start times is no solution for teenagers ... Dan Walters opines that Senate Bill 328 furthers that goal by mandating later start times for middle and high school classes. As an example, she said the Fairfax County, Va., school … MacMillan, Amanda. Owens acknowledged the logistical challenges, and said parents and school staff sometimes oppose later start times. In the long run, having school start later would benefit many students who are in need of a healthy sleep pattern. Later school start times may help improve school performance We can all relate to the dreaded early morning alarm, and the oh-so tempting snooze button. Greenwich High School started the school day at 7:30 a.m. in past years, but the Board of Education voted to move the school’s start time one hour later beginning this year. Later start times have long been a pet cause for the board member Susan Lamontagne, a health advocate and Sag Harbor parent. Sufficient sleep is critical for health, cognitive function, and overall quality of life. ASA Issues Position Statement on School Start Times In order to offer a more economical solution to school bus scheduling, and easier after-school activity planning, many schools across the country have changed middle school and high school start times to earlier hours in the morning. Circadian rhythms influence our sleep patterns, and the degree of light … It allows teens to sleep later, which has been associated with a slew of health benefits. Explainer: The teenage body clock Why school should start later. "The Impact of School Start Times on Adolescent Health and Academic Performance." In the United States, the start school later movement aims for a later start time to the school day based on a growing body of evidence that starting middle and high schools too early in the morning is unhealthy, counterproductive, and incompatible with adolescent sleep needs and patterns. “Teens May Do Better When School Starts Later… Web. Later start times are something every high school should consider. Works Cited. Merideth Bucher Many schools now start at 07:00 - some even earlier. Start School Later. 11 May 2014. California has more than three million public middle and high school students, and about three in four start school before 8:30 a.m., according to a 2011-12 estimate. The answer rests in our biology.