We expect more from today's public school students than any generation before them, yet the time they have in school is no different than the time allotted to their mothers, their grandmothers, and even their great-grandmothers more than a century ago. We cannot ask our youth to pass rigorous state assessments, be proficient in math and science by 2014, and compete in a  twenty-first century global economy, without first asking ourselves: How can we give students more time to reach higher standards?

Massachusetts 2020 and the Massachusetts Department of Education are leading the Expanded Learning Time Initiative to answer that very question and permanently reform one of the most intractable features of American schools—a school calendar that is a vestige of a nineteenth century agrarian economy. It's a schedule few educators would recommend to stimulate and educate this generation.

Expanded Learning Time began first with research. Massachusetts 2020 took an in-depth look at other schools, such as charters, that had expanded their school day. The researchers talked with parents, students, teachers, and administrators to determine what made their programs successful and how they had made the switch from the time-honored schedule to a new one. With this information, Massachusetts launched a planning year with numerous districts statewide. They took on the task of envisioning an extended school day with more time for academics, new methods of teaching, and additional enrichment programming to replace the arts and physical education that had been stripped from many schools due to the testing requirements in math and English/language arts.

Each district faced challenges. There were many issues to consider, from the logistical to the emotional: How would buses run on a different schedule from other schools in the district? How would teachers be compensated? What outside partners could help supplement the day? What would families do if one child was at an expanded-day school while another child was at a school with a regular schedule? What about teachers who had children at schools that got out before they did? In all of the districts, a team of committed individuals representing the viewpoints of teachers, parents, students, administrators, unions, and local citizens tackled these issues.

In no district was the process a simple one. Success depended on open communication and flexibility. Each district fought hard to determine if an expanded day was the right decision for it at that time. The result? Ten schools in five districts determined that it was the best opportunity to help their students succeed, and at the start of the 2006–2007 school year, 4,700 Massachusetts public school children took a step that generations of students before them had never taken. For the first time, a state funded multiple school districts to expand their day at least 30 percent, breaking these children free of the agrarian-made school calendar. Massachusetts elected officials dedicated $6.5 million to the initiative—an additional $1,300 per student—to improve academic performance and reintroduce enrichment programs with an expanded school day. Seventy-three percent of the students in these schools live in poverty, and all ten schools have not met federal or state educational benchmarks.

The Massachusetts Department of Education provided guidelines for schools that opted to expand their day—they must provide more time for academics, must increase enrichment opportunities for students, and must give teachers additional planning and professional development time. From there, the schools had the freedom to choose how the extra time—up to three hours a day—was allocated.

For example, Math Leagues at Edwards Middle School in Charlestown have made math engaging and social. Students work together to learn and practice math concepts throughout the week, culminating with team competition at the end of the week. Citizens Schools, a national network of apprenticeship programs, has partnered with three schools to connect students with adult volunteers for hands-on learning. Students are developing the academic and leadership skills they need to do well in school, get into college, and become leaders in their careers and communities.

Is Expanded Learning Time right for your school or district?
Implementing Expanded Learning Time in your school or district should not be taken lightly. The planning can be complicated and, at times, contentious. It requires raising additional funds, amending union contracts, reconfiguring teacher and student schedules, and tending to a myriad of logistical issues. You also need buy-in from parents, teachers, and local officials. In Massachusetts, it took almost two years to secure funding and iron out the intricate details to debut the pilot program.

Consider this checklist to help you determine whether Expanding Learning Time might be a worthwhile education reform strategy for you:

• Are many students struggling academically (as measured by state standardized test, formative assessments, etc.)?
• In the last two to three years, has your school been forced to cut time for classes such as arts, physical education, and music?
• Does a large portion of the student body currently lack access to afterschool activities?
• Do you have some basic ideas of what the schools(s) could do with the additional time and why more time would generate improved student learning?
• Have recent reform or improvement efforts in the district that considered expanding the school day or year been successful?
• Is/are the principal(s) commited to and capable of managing the complex process of redesigning the school?
• Are relations between central administration and the teachers' union generally positive and productive?
• Is there a critical mass of teachers who would be supportive of redesigning the school day?
• Does your school/district have access to strong community partners who could enhance the eductional program?
• Would parents generally be supportive of adding time to the school schedule?

If you answered "no" to several of the questions, Expanded Learning Time might not be the right fit for your school at this time.

Expanded Learning Time features three critical components necessary for developing successful students and teachers: increased time for hands-on, experiential learning in core academic subjects, artistic and physical education enrichment offerings, and additional planning and professional development opportunities. The expanded day in Massachusetts is not only about adding hours to the school clock. Instead, it is about redesigning the school day; it's about unlocking teachers and students from the confines of a six-hour schedule to provide a learning environment that is stimulating, engaging, and addresses all levels and styles of learning.