[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 141 (Friday, October 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S12172]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. TORRICELLI:
  S. 2604. A bill to provide demonstration grants to local educational 
agencies to enable the agencies to extend time for learning and the 
length of the school year; to the Committee on Labor and Human 
Resources.


                      extended school legislation

 Mr. TORRICELLI. Mr. President, today I introduce legislation 
authorizing funding for extended school day and extended school year 
programs across the country. The continuing gap between American 
students and those in other countries, combined with the growing needs 
of working parents and the growing popularity of extending both the 
school day and the school year, have made this educational option a 
valuable one for many school districts.
  Students in the United States currently attend school an average of 
only 180 days per year, compared to 220 days in Japan, and 222 days in 
both Korea and Taiwan. American students also receive fewer hours of 
formal instruction per year compared to their counterparts in Taiwan, 
France, and Germany. We cannot expect our students to remain 
competitive with those in other industrialized countries if they must 
learn the same amount of information in less time.
  Our school calendar is based on a no longer relevant agricultural 
cycle that existed when most American families lived in rural areas and 
depended on their farms for survival. The long summer vacation allowed 
children to help their parents work in the fields. Today, summer is a 
time for vacations, summer camps, and part-time jobs. Young people can 
certainly learn a great deal at summer camp, and a job gives them 
maturity and confidence. However, more time in school would provide the 
same opportunities while helping students remain competitive with those 
in other countries. As we debate the need to bring in skilled workers 
from other countries, the need to improve our system of education has 
become increasingly important.
  In 1994, the Commission on Time and Learning recommended keeping 
schools open longer in order to meet the needs of both children and 
communities, and the growing popularity of extended-day programs is 
significant. Between 1987 and 1993, the availability of extended-day 
programs in public elementary schools has almost doubled. While school 
systems have begun to respond to the demand for lengthening the school 
day, the need for more widespread implementation still exists. 
Extended-day programs are much more common in private schools than 
public schools, and only 18 percent of rural schools have reported an 
extended-day program.
  This bill would authorize $50 million over the next five years for 
the Department of Education to administer a demonstration grant 
program. Local education agencies would then be able to conduct a 
variety of longer school day and school year programs, such as 
extending the school year to 210 days, studying the feasibility of 
extending the school day, and implementing strategies to maximize the 
quality of extended core learning time.
  The constant changes in technology, and greater international 
competition, have increased the pressure on American students to meet 
these challenges. Providing the funding for programs to lengthen the 
school day and school year would leave American students better 
prepared to meet the challenges facing them in the next 
century.
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