UM Educational Leadership Department Undertakes Research Projects This Summer
MISSOULA – A new research project led by the Educational Leadership Department at the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ Phyllis J. Washington College of Education is studying the effects of a four-day school week versus a five-day school week.
There is a statistically significant difference between multiple measures of educational quality in MT schools that utilize a five-day school week schedule and those that have adopted the four-day school week schedule. Current data show that 43% of Montana school districts have transitioned to a four-day school week.
As districts continue to implement the four-day school week schedule, policymakers need to understand the educational quality implications between a five-day schedule and a four-day school week schedule.
Dr. Daniel Lee, dean of the UM College of Education, Educational Leadership Faculty, and the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) are taking active roles in this research to analyze a wide variety of data.
The Educational Leadership Department aims to publish and present this report by September 2024.
Dr. Erica Allen, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, is also collaborating with OPI to track key outputs and outcomes of the Montana Aligned to Standards (MAST) through-year assessment.
The MAST assessment is an innovative system utilizing short testlets administered throughout the school year to provide teachers with formative assessment data and insights into student learning.
This allows schools to replace the annual summative test, offering a more flexible and responsive approach to measuring student growth and proficiency.