Middle School Could Grow by Six Weeks

Gov. Gray Davis is proposing that the state’s more than 1 million middle school students spend an extra six weeks in class each year in an attempt to bolster lackluster test scores, administration officials said Saturday.

The $1.45-billion plan would be phased in over three years and extend the school year from 180 days to 210 days. It will be included in Davis’ 2001-02 budget, set for release Wednesday.

The proposal, greeted with skepticism by some educators and a lukewarm response by legislative leaders, represents the second education-related proposal that Davis aides have released in recent days to build support for the governor’s budget, a spending plan that is sure to top $100 billion and must be approved by the Legislature.

Last week, officials outlined education initiatives totaling $380 million to attract and retain algebra teachers and establish a new teacher training program, among other proposals.

Administration officials, speaking on condition they not be identified, said the governor’s latest idea was born out of concern that middle school students in grades six through nine have been passed over by key reforms such as class size reduction, which has been implemented in lower and upper grades.

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Classes of 35 to 42 students are not uncommon in middle schools, which is where officials say test scores begin to falter. The theory floated by officials Saturday is that giving teachers more time to teach the middle school curriculum will help students meet tough academic standards approved by the state in 1998.

Officials said extending the school year could improve students’ test scores 50% above their performance expectations. The state would give districts $770 per student--a 17% funding increase to cover teacher salaries, utilities and other expenses--as an incentive to participate in the optional program.

While districts might have a difficult time hiring the extra teachers such a program would require, one Orange County educator said the proposal might be exactly what students need to meet the state’s new standards, including an algebra-loaded exam that all high school students must pass.

“If you’re going to require that the kids meet the standards, you have to give them the instruction,” said Linda MacDonell, assistant superintendent for the Orange County Department of Education. “It’s an admirable thing for him to do.”

The proposal could mean tens of millions of dollars for Orange County schools, but it may not be greeted warmly by all of the county’s educators.

“I’m a little caught off guard on that one,” said Carolyn Millikin, principal of Ladera Vista Junior High in Fullerton. “If this was required for all students, that would be a major thing. You’d have to negotiate with the teachers unions. I don’t know how you could hire that many teachers.”

She also questioned whether it’s equitable to single out middle school students, especially those already succeeding in the classroom.

“If the younger kids and the high school kids don’t have to do it, it would almost be like you’re punishing people who are doing well.”

She predicted that working an extra 1 1/2 months would be a hard sell to her staff.

“Some of my veteran teachers have families and they’ve got plans for the summer,” Millikin said. “Some of my younger teachers would probably be thrilled at the thought of making some extra money.”

Wayne Johnson, president of the California Teachers Assn., said that although his members might feel good that Davis wants to spend more money on schools, it remained unclear how the governor’s latest proposal would be implemented. Johnson predicted a serious problem in squeezing the additional days in at year-round schools, for example, including those in Los Angeles.

“I don’t know where you’re going to find six extra weeks because schools are in session almost every day now,” Johnson said.

Johnson also questioned whether extending the school year would contribute to teacher burnout and intensify existing attendance problems for low-performing students. He added that another new Davis plan, which would tack on as many as three weeks of training for teachers, could result in nine extra workweeks for some when combined with the extended school year proposal.

Advocates of improved teacher training such as Irvin Howard, a professor of education at Cal State San Bernardino and president of the California League of Middle Schools, was critical of Davis’ latest proposal.

“What [Davis] wants to do is keep kids in school 30 more days in situations that are pretty unbearable,” Howard said. “It only frustrates kids and teachers even more.”

State Senate leader John L. Burton (D-San Francisco) said that although he suspects that more factors contribute to poor test scores than the number of days spent in class, he is willing to consider the governor’s proposal.

“It’s something that’s worth looking at,” Burton said. “Whether it’s the end-all is something that the [legislative] committees will have to determine.”

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The state last lengthened the school year in 1983, when the number of instructional days was increased from 175 to 180. According to data released by Davis aides, California already has one of the longest school years in the nation.

Davis proposes phasing in the new program over three years by spending $100 million in the first year for 130,000 students, $450 million in the second year for 600,000 students and $900 million or more for all 1.1 million students.

Districts would apply to participate in the program and be selected based on geography and test scores, among other factors, in an effort to reach a broad cross-section of students.

Davis aides said the proposal is a way to improve student achievement without incurring the need for new teachers and facilities required by class size reduction.