Trustees Vote to Boost Time Spent on Math, Reading

More than 15,000 kindergarten through third-grade students in the Garden Grove Unified School District will spend dramatically more time learning math and reading beginning next month.

The school board on Tuesday voted to support a district plan that will increase classroom time spent on basic subjects by as much as 200%.

“The district has always had a commitment to the basic skills,” Supt. Ron Walter said. “Now the commitment is stronger, more effective and allocates time greater than that recommended by the state.”

The new guidelines are expected to be implemented in the district’s 44 elementary schools in early February. New guidelines for grades four through six will be considered this spring and are expected to be implemented next fall.

Under the plan, kindergartners will spend 450 minutes weekly on reading and language arts and 300 minutes on math. Currently, students spend 300 minutes on reading and 100 on math.

Students in first through third grades will spend 850 minutes weekly on reading and language arts and 395 on math. Currently, they spend 600 on reading and 200 on math.

Annelle Arthur, director of K-6 instruction, told board members that the challenge is to “increase instructional time while maintaining a balanced curriculum in all subject areas.”

To meet that goal, teachers will begin integrating history, social science and science studies into the language arts program. Technology also will be integrated.

“This captures the spirit of school reform that we have in the state,” said board President Terry Cantrell. “We are in a leading position in the state.”

The guidelines received the support of the Garden Grove Education Assn., which represents about 2,000 teachers.