Several schools in the region have been discussing later start times. This has spurred a lot of discussion about the sleep schedules and logistics about a later start times for middle and high school students. Regionally, Owen J. Roberts and Phoenixville school districts have been in talks about how a later start day would work.
Here are some facts about later school start times:
It’s good for the student
According to a survey conducted in
Chester County by the Chester County Intermediate Unit’s Student Forum
, 80 percent of those students who replied to their survey believe a later start time would benefit them. Benefits span the categories of academic, physical, emotional and safety, the students said. They include better grades by being alert in class, emotional well-being, fewer illnesses and injuries, and fewer car crashes and fewer incidents of drug or alcohol abuse.
The students cited the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. They also noted a survey by the Centers for Disease Control has shown high schools on average start at 7:59 a.m.
People often say, “Why don’t they just go to bed earlier?” pointed out student forum representative Matt LoPolito of Phoenixville Area High School. But that isn’t the issue, he said. After puberty, adolescents’ circadian rhythms change, and they are typically not able to get to sleep before midnight. Their biological clocks conflict with the demands of high school schedules, he said.
Too-early start times can keep students from getting the sleep they need for health, safety and academic success, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
According to the National Sleep Foundation study, “Young people who do not get enough sleep night after night carry a significant risk for drowsy driving ; emotional and behavioral problems such as irritability, depression, poor impulse control and violence; health complaints; tobacco and alcohol use; impaired cognitive function and decision-making; and lower overall performance in everything from academics to athletics.”
Sleep test results vary
There remains inconclusive evidence proving school start times impact teen academic achievement. However, while some studies find positive effects to a later start time, others find mixed results, which points to the limits of the studies themselves, including their inability to control any influences on students outside of academics.
Study shows students likely not to stay up later
Research suggests that later start times do lead to students getting more sleep. A 2013 study found that high school students do not change bedtimes after a school start time shift. This lead them to get more sleep almost equivalent to the start time delay.
Attendance impact unclear
Although later start times decreases tardiness, its impact on attendance remains uncertain.
Transportation scheduling is a problem
District administrators cite transportation issues as the primary obstacle, yet districts that use a tiered bus schedule can change start times across all schools or develop alternative transportation strategies.
Change isn’t easy
Proposed changes to the start time may generate concerns from stakeholders in the community, but most will buy in if administrators take their concerns into account when making key schedule-related decisions.
“It’s one thing if you sleep deprive yourself as an adult, but as a child you’re at a really sensitive developmental stage, a lot of really important things are acquired during childhood,” said Dr. Mathias Basner, associate professor of sleep and chronobiology in psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. “If you’re not getting sleep during this crucial period of development then that’s really, really bad.”
