Five states are testing out a plan in which students partake in a longer school day and a longer academic year, starting in 2013, in order to improve education in the United States.
Connecticut, Massachusetts, Colorado, New York, and Tennessee will partake in the measure to “add significantly more time to the school year for tens of thousands of students in select public schools,” according to the U.S. Department of Education (DOE).
Some 300 extra hours will be added to the school year in the pilot program, reported the Boston Globe.
“In tight budget times, these states and philanthropic leaders have demonstrated creativity and commitment to giving students greater academic opportunities,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said, according to Reuters.
More than 19,500 students in the schools will benefit from the longer school calendar, Reuters reported.
Schools will also be encouraged to develop better curricula that include more help for individual students.
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