4-Day Instructional Week
Advantage Academy will be moving to a 4-Day Instructional Week for the 2023-2024 Academic School Year
Experience a balanced and innovative approach to education with Advantage Academy's 4-Day Instructional Week. Our unique schedule promotes student well-being, family time, and academic success while maintaining the highest standards of learning.
Understanding the needs of busy families, Advantage Academy will offer a program on Fridays for parents unable to make arrangements for their students. By offering a safe and engaging environment on Fridays, we help families who require additional care and supervision for their children outside the regular 4-day school week.
Benefits of the 4-Day week
More Family Time: By condensing the traditional 5-day school week, our 4-day schedule allows families to enjoy more quality time together, strengthening bonds and creating lifelong memories.
Reduced Stress: A shorter week means less daily pressure for students, giving them more time to relax, recharge, and engage in extracurricular activities.
Enhanced Learning Experience: Our focused and efficient approach to instruction ensures that students receive a comprehensive education, covering all essential subjects and skills within the 4-day timeframe.
Attendance Improvement: Extended weekends often lead to better attendance rates, as families can schedule appointments and travel plans without disrupting school days.
FAQs
Why is Advantage Academy switching to a 4-day instructional week with flexible Fridays?
Advantage Academy is launching a 3-year pilot program to switch to a 4-day instructional week with flexible Fridays in the 2023/24 school year to attract and retain high-quality educators to positively impact instruction and learning outcomes. Studies have shown that this schedule positively affects student learning outcomes, school culture, and staff morale and wellness.
What are the benefits of a 4-day instructional week with flexible Fridays?
The new schedule offers many benefits to students, families, and educators alike, including more time for teacher planning and training, as well as intensive instructional practices for students who need it most. Students who need intensive instruction will get more focused attention, while families will have more flexibility to plan appointments and activities. Educators will have more time for teacher planning and training, as well as improved morale and wellness.
What will the schedule look like for a 4-day instructional week with flexible Fridays?
The exact schedule will be determined closer to the start of the 2023/24 school year, but the week will consist of four instructional days (Monday through Thursday) and one flexible day (Friday). The flexible day may include opportunities for individualized instruction, small-group instruction, teacher planning, and professional development.
What happens if the pilot program is not successful?
The pilot program will be evaluated annually, tracking results in all areas. If the results do not show improvements in student achievement, the district will consider going back to a 5-day instructional week.
How will this affect students' academic progress?
Studies have shown that a 4-day instructional week with flexible Fridays positively affects student learning outcomes and school culture. With more focused instruction and more opportunities for intensive instructional practices, students' academic progress is expected to improve.
Will this affect extracurricular activities and sports schedules?
The exact impact on extracurricular activities and sports schedules will be determined closer to the start of the 2023/24 school year. However, we will work to minimize the impact on extracurricular activities and sports schedules.
What is the timeline for the switch to a 4-day instructional week with flexible Fridays?
The switch to a 4-day instructional week with flexible Fridays will begin in the 2023/24 school year and will be a 3-year pilot program.
Why is the district moving to a 4-day instructional week?
The primary purpose is to hire and retain the most qualified teachers and staff to improve student learning. This will also provide time on Fridays for additional planning and training for teachers and increased motivation and attendance for students. Other schools already using this model have heard from families that they are able to spend more time learning together.
Will the start and end times change for students?
For specific start and end times, view our 2023-2024 district calendar.
How will this affect the beginning and end time for school?
Although we are still working on finalizing the calendar, in most schools, the school day (Monday through Thursday) has had to be extended no more than one hour.
What is available for Friday?
For parents who do not have other childcare options for Fridays, parents will be able to sign up for our Afterschool program, which will be available from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm on Fridays for the 2023/24 school year.