[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 55 (Thursday, April 14, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2529-S2530]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. HARKIN (for himself, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Bennet, Mr. 
        Franken, Mr. Brown of Ohio, and Mrs. Gillibrand):
  S. 851. A bill to establish expanded learning time initiatives, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, as we seek to ensure that our students 
have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college and 
careers, we must revisit how learning time is structured to help them 
meet the ever-rising expectations and ever-growing demands of the 21st 
century global economy. The Time for Innovation Matters in Education 
Act, or TIME Act, would provide high-need schools with the resources 
they need to expand the school day, week, or year so students have more 
time to learn. By providing additional time for more in-depth and 
rigorous learning opportunities in core and other academic subjects, as 
well as enrichment activities that contribute to a well-rounded 
education, we can increase students' academic engagement and outcomes 
to help close our nation's achievement gap. That is why I am pleased to 
introduce this legislation, which my colleague Rep. Donald Payne will 
introduce in the House, today.
  Under our present school calendar, most American students spend 6 
hours a day for 180 days in school each year. This outdated calendar 
was designed to meet the needs of a farm- and factory-based economy in 
the early 20th century, and fails to provide students with the learning 
time needed to complete a rigorous curriculum and meet high standards. 
In fact, American students spend about 30 percent less time in school 
than students in other leading nations, leaving American students at a 
competitive disadvantage. For example, students in China, Japan, and 
South Korea attend school 40 days more on average than American 
students and significantly outperform American students on average in 
math and science. To strengthen our competitiveness and remain a global 
leader, we must increase how much learning time we provide our 
students, especially our at-risk students.
  The TIME Act would give schools the flexibility to comprehensively 
redesign and expand their schedules and increase learning time by at 
least 30 percent to meet students' diverse academic needs and 
interests. The TIME Act's goal is not merely to encourage schools to 
add more time at the end of the day, but to take a close look at how 
they use their time and to redesign the entire school schedule to 
create a program or curriculum with teaching and learning opportunities 
to better meet students' needs. This legislation encourages strong 
partnerships between schools and community partners such as community-
based organizations, institutions of higher education, and cultural 
organizations to help provide students with a broader and richer 
learning experience, which should include music, fine arts, and 
physical education--important pursuits that all too often lose ground 
in our schools due to a focus on reading and math.
  Many schools around the country have expanded learning time in their 
calendars with promising results, such as Boston's Clarence Edwards 
Middle School, which was one of the lowest-performing schools just a 
few years ago. But in only three years of expanded learning time, 
dedicated school leaders and teachers were able to redesign and 
transform the school into one of the city's and state's highest-
performing schools. Students, particularly those who are furthest 
behind, benefit from more time for learning, and programs that 
significantly increase the total number of hours in a regular school 
schedule lead to gains in student academic achievement. In 2006, 
minority students and students with disabilities in Clarence Edwards 
scored far below the state averages in English and math, and while 
English language learners met state averages in math, none were 
proficient in English. By 2009, every subgroup met or outperformed 
state averages, in most cases by wide margins.
  According to research, expanded learning time is especially important 
for our high-need students. Students in disadvantaged families show a 
drop-off in learning over long summer recesses compared to their 
higher-income classmates, and they fall farther behind each year. These 
students are also less likely to have parents with the time and 
resources to help them with their school work. Expanded learning time 
can help these students accelerate gains and catch up on their learning 
gaps by expanding the school year and shortening summer recess. In 
addition to those at risk of falling behind, more time for learning 
helps students who are on grade level get ahead by providing additional 
time for enrichment and a broader curriculum. Additional time also 
enables more students to participate in experiential and interactive 
learning, internships, and other work-

[[Page S2530]]

based and service learning opportunities in their schools and 
communities, all of which help keep students engaged in school and make 
school more relevant.
  Equally important, expanded learning time initiatives provide 
teachers with increased opportunities to work collaboratively and to 
participate in common planning, within and across grades and subjects, 
to improve instruction, and, in turn, increase student achievement. 
This extra time in the school schedule empowers teachers to complete 
the curriculum, meet the needs of all students, and collaborate with 
colleagues. The TIME Act requires grantees to design comprehensive 
plans, in collaboration with teachers, to encompass professional 
development that focuses on changes in teaching practices and 
curriculum delivery that will result in improved student academic 
achievement as well as student engagement and success.
  To accurately assess the difference these programs make, the TIME Act 
calls for a rigorous evaluation that will measure several critical 
performance indicators. We need to know which models and practices 
produce the best outcomes for students and this evaluation will ensure 
that we identify and disseminate them nationwide. As we reauthorize the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act, I am committed to helping 
communities offer expanded learning time so that more students can 
succeed.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
                                 ______