Schools cannot make a much bigger difference in students' future unless they have more time to help students develop and learn. Currently, schools have little influence on students during a summer vacation that lasts nearly three months. During the typical school year, students leave school between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m., in many cases going to an empty home, where they are unsupervised until adult family members return from work. Many high school students attend school only in the morning. No more than half of all seniors participate in sports or other extracurricular activities that would keep them on campus after school. To be sure, there are students who are fully absorbed in their school's educational mission. But for most kids, schools must do what they can do within the confines of a 6-hour school day and a 180-day school year.

The Case for Extended Learning

Time constraints handicap schools in several ways. First, the time available for academic instruction is limited. Unless schools are willing to eliminate art, music, physical education, and other subjects that are key to the development of well-rounded individuals, they are left with about four hours of academic instruction each day. On top of this, American students have one of the shortest school years in the industrialized world.

Another significant problem with the typical school year is the long summer break, which often results in students forgetting much of what they learned the previous year. Each fall, schools must spend considerable time re-teaching. This is an especially serious problem for those students who generally do not get the opportunity for stimulating vacations, summer camps, and other educational programs that help reinforce and retain learning. In this way, long summer vacations are an unintentional source of educational inequality. When a school stands empty for much of the afternoon and evening and all through the summer, it is difficult to sustain that sense of community. The school cannot fulfill its potential for influencing each student's life in profound and positive ways.

The Newton Learning Advantage: Longer is Better

Just as the organization of partnership schools eliminates constraints on principals and teachers and gives them a structure in which they can be more effective, the Newton Learning design of the school year does the same. It gives students additional opportunities to learn, and shortens the traditional three-month summer break, to six weeks, giving students time to relax but not time to forget.

Innovative Summer Sessions

The Newton Learning Summer Adventure program is quite different from most summer school programs. Newton Learning provides students and teachers with exciting theme-based learning experiences that promote remediation, enrichment, and fun. The core academic program includes "hands on" instruction in reading, language arts, and math, using exciting learning games, simulations, and manipulatives.

The design for Newton Learning balances skills-based presentations with applications activities that inspire learning and drive student attendance. Thematic units such as "Sea Cruise" or "Space Adventure" guide the academic core courses of reading, math, social studies, and science. Specific embedded challenges promote interest, engagement, and reward students with fantastic prizes and incentives.

At the middle and high school levels, students are given opportunities for project based learning with an emphasis on technology and cooperative learning. The Newton Learning lesson materials include some of the finest commercially produced materials in the country and make the summer school program one of the most comprehensive, exciting products in the market.

To make the program even more interesting to kids, an extensive incentives program is offered. Each day, Newton Learning students will earn points for their attendance, attitude, and achievement that can be used to "purchase" valuable prizes.

All Newton Learning lessons are easy to follow and are developed in coordination with Newton Learning's high standards. Ample professional development, training, and on-site support provide teachers and staff with the skills they need to implement the broad-based design.

A Demanding Yet Stimulating School Day

What does the longer day entail? The Newton Learning two-hour AfterSchool program combines "event" oriented activities program with engaging, fast paced academic lessons that focus on those skills needed to increase student achievement. Reading and math lessons address mastery of the basics and provide a variety of activities to promote critical thinking skills. Event activities provide students with fun-filled physical and skill-based lessons that promote higher-ordered thinking. From chess to rockets, Newton Learning students explore thoughtful events and earn points that are traded in for stunning prizes.

Every Newton Learning teacher receives a daily plan that describes all student activities. From snack time to recreational activities, the plans are self-explanatory and address expectations that are found in the most common standardized tests. The typical Newton Learning lesson includes a "quick take" activity that is directed toward and state and local objectives and standards. A targeted skill is then presented and practiced through fun, cooperative group activities. The academic hour concludes with an independent and individualized study time. The Newton Learning lesson materials include self-paced components such as fluency tapes, technology-based presentations, and level-appropriate reading and math materials.

A Schedule That's a Boon for Families, Too

The extended school day obviously benefits students most, but they are also a big help to families. Easy schedule relieves family burden of finding high-quality, affordable childcare for AfterSchool and summer terms. Newton Learning's calendar also draws family members to the campus to watch sporting events, hear concerns, and help as volunteers. These activities strengthen the relationship between home and school, and help schools support family members-support that is vital to every school's success.