Should High School Start Later Essay

Staying up until 1am to finish math homework and studying for that huge history test next class is pretty routine for some teens. Juggling school, sports, a social life, and other extracurriculars is tough, and teens are already in a critical period in their life. It is the time period in which teens grow and learn the most, and sets them up for a bright future. Staying healthy both mentally and physically is imperative, and sleep is probably the most important. Schools starting as early as 7am limits a teen’s potential. If schools were to start later, the benefits would be endless. Schools starting later improves both physical and mental health of students, keeps the individual and those around them safer, and improves students performance in school and sports.

Also, it will take away the opportunity for students to prepare themselves for early college classes in the future. As one mom states on her blog “If teens are going to school later and later, they won't train their bodies to go to sleep at a reasonable hour.  Training their bodies is something that will be useful to them in adult life,” (Grose). Some principles at school still do not believe that pushing back the school start do would be beneficial. They say it is because students only take into account school starting later and not having to stay in school for the same number of hours a day. Also, that children enjoy getting out at 2 or 3 pm because then they have time for extracurricular activities and do not have to miss school if they participate in a sport (Rasicot). People against later start times feel the problem solved could be solved instead by better teen discipline.

There has always been a controversy as to if the school day should start later on in the morning or not. The University of Minnesota study shows that schools who have already changed the beginning of the school day to later have found that only a third of students actually received eight or more hours of sleep while the students who received less than eight hours reported to have more symptoms of depression, higher counts of caffeine, and substance abuse with alcohol and drugs. In “Should the School Day Start Later?” written by Michael Gonchar, Gonchar writes that, “New evidence suggests that a later start to the school day could have all sorts of benefits…” Some of those benefits could include the decrease of tardiness, increase in attendance, test scores and everyday grades, more positive mental health, and even car crash rates. All in all the research and studies over if the school day should start later has been in discussion for years.

Schools should start later so students can focus better. “A 2012 study by an economist after 146,000 middle school students in North Carolina started school by an hour later showed math and reading scores went up by two to three percentile points.” This evidence proves that later start times mean improved grades. Students aren't as alert in school because they are always too tired to focus. But with a later start time that will change and kids will be able to get better grades.

The Start School Later movement, it refers to a series of efforts by healthcare professionals, sleep scientists, educators, economists, legislators, parents, students, and other concerned citizens to restore a later start to the school day (KYLA L.WAHLSTROM). 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. In the second half of the 20th century, many public schools in the United States began shifting instructional time earlier than the more conventional bell time, thought to be about 9 a.m. Today it is common for American schools to begin the instructional day in the 7 a.m. hour and end about seven hours later, around 2 p.m. In the early 1990s, the University of Minnesota's landmark school start time study tracked high school students from two Minneapolis area districts (KYLA L.WAHLSTROM). Edina, a suburban district that changed its opening hour from 7:20 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and the Minneapolis Public Schools, which changed their opening from 7:20 a.m. to 8:40 a.m. Many positive benefits to students were found, including: Improved attendance and enrollment rates, Less sleeping in class, Less student-reported depression, Fewer student visits to school counselors for behavioral and peer issues, and More even temperament at home. “Everybody learns better when they’re awake.” (startschoollater.net). Researchers analyzed data from more than 9,000 students at eight high schools in Minnesota, Colorado, and Wyoming and found that shifting the school day later in the morning resulted in a boost in attendance, test scores, and grades in math, English, science, and social studies. Schools also saw a decrease in tardiness, substance abuse, and symptoms of depression. Some even had a dramatic drop in teen car

“When schools have delayed the start of the school day, communities have seen reduced tardiness, sleeping in class, and car crash rates, as well as improved attendance, graduation rates, and standardized test scores” (School Start Later). There has been much debate whether start times for school should be kept where they are at or if they should be pushed back later. Research says that the teenage brain does not fully wake up till eight a.m. or later. So why don’t school systems make the decision to push back school start times for high school students? Although there are a few benefits to school starting earlier such as family time or an after school job, but the benefits of starting school later are much greater. Public schools should initiate later start times to increase the level of academic achievement, create a more positive attitude toward learning, and reduce the amount of stress on students.

The more concentrated students are on their work the better grades they get. Starting school later could improve student’s grades in many ways. Based off research, delayed schools show improved academic and athletic performances in students. Another reason would be that a study at Air Force Academy showed 1st-year students starting class at 8 A.M performed better not only in their 1st class but also throughout the day. (Start School Later Healthy Hours) The facts show that starting school late could improve students’ grades over

In conclusion, early school days interfere with a child’s physical and academic strengths, if children do not get enough sleep they will be in cranky moods and fall asleep in class, and later school days will help increase the grade of children and reduce the amount of accidents. If school days start later it will help decrease the amount of sleepy children all over the world. Children go to school to get an education, not

Did you know that approximately 87% of high school students get less than the recommended 9 hours of sleep every night? The majority of high schools students are not getting enough sleep each night because they have to wake up very early each morning for school. Many are sleep deprived, have trouble functioning during the day, and often do poorly on tests and quizzes. This problem could easily be solved if high schools pushed back start times to after 830am.

Have you ever woken up in the morning, gotten ready for school, but you still can’t seem to focus? Well, that happens to many students, which is why many think that schools should have later start time. Starting school later could help students focus better, get better grades, and it can increase their moods and mental state. So, due to the well being and health of students, schools should begin later.

If school would start a hour later there would be more time to sleep or more time to do the homework that they forgot to do the night before. That puts school an hour back, in most cases that fine but for after school activities it will take a big chunk

In conclusion high schools should start later so that adolescents won’t be at health risks and their estate will be positive and well-rounded and ready to work making it easier not only for the student but also the teachers! “well -rested kids learn better,” says Heather Macintosh, of Start School Later. “They're happier, they get better grades, and their bodies are

Many high school students have to wake up early in the morning to go to school, but most of them aren’t early birds. Some high schools start at around seven o’clock in the morning, and most students try to wake up early to get to school before the intended time. Many teenagers arrive at school exhausted and dazed. High schools should start later than the usual time, so that students can pay attention in classes, have better performances and come to school on time.

On average a High School in New Zealand begins at 8:40 and ends at 3:20. The general consensus is that high school starts too early in the day. Ask any teenager waiting for a bus or yawning in ako time; He or she will tell you that it’s just too early in the morning to learn things in class.

Are you tired? So are your kids! Children and teenagers alike go to school five days a week, six and a half hours each day. That is incredibly straining on young minds and bodies. What if your student’s grades could be improved by later start times? Studies are showing that school starts too early for kids, and this is causing negative effects like lower grades, lower attendance levels, and health disorders. The main reason for schools starting early is that administrators want to have extra time for after-school activities such as sports and clubs. Although school and extracurricular activities may have to go later into the day, the bottom line is that starting school later would be better for student’s physical, mental, and educational health.