Should School Begin Later in the Day? CA Law Mandates Delayed Start Times
Summary from the AllSides News Team
A new California law makes school start later. Why?
The law, passed in 2019, gave public school districts three years to transition to later start times, citing "research on the impact of sleep deprivation on adolescents and the benefits of a later school start time." The new times are now taking effect, despite initial opposition from the California School Boards Association and continued opposition from some parents and districts.
A 2014 study from the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) suggested that the average teenager needs 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep to boost school performance and reduce the risk of obesity and depression. Multiple studies have also suggested that teens' circadian rhythms naturally encourage later bedtimes. In 2015, the University of Michigan's National Poll on Children's Health found that 51% of parents supported school starting after 8:30 a.m., and 49% opposed. Improved sleep and school performance were the main reasons supporters cited; opponents often cited concerns about transportation and missing after-school activities.
Recent reports from news sources across the political spectrum similarly focused on the AAP research and framed later school start times as a good idea that would benefit kids' long-term health and success. Common ground on education policy is also evident in several recent nationwide polls and surveys.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Why Sleeping In On School Days May Be Good for Teen Health
California teenagers can snooze a little later this year, thanks to a newly implemented law that says most high schools and middle schools cannot start before 8:30 a.m. and 8 a.m., respectively.
That law—the first in the country to set statewide mandates for school start times—isn’t only big for California students, but also for public-health experts fighting against what the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has called an “epidemic” of teen sleep deprivation. Both the AAP and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have long opposed early-morning class times and advocated for middle and high school...
From the Center
New California law: Let teens sleep in on school days
As millions of California students head back to school this month, they’ll get a bit more time before their alarms go off. The most populous state in the country is also the first to mandate start times in public schools – an effort to allow teens much-needed winks. Middle schools can start no earlier than 8 a.m., and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m.
The law is based on studies that show teenagers aren’t getting enough sleep – and that their health and performance improve when they do.
The American Academy...
From the Right
California Middle and High Schools Start the Day Later This Year
Middle school and high school students in California will be able to snooze a little longer before heading to class this year, due to a law delaying school start times that takes effect this year.
Citing research on the impacts of adolescent sleep deprivation and the benefits of a later school start time, the state Legislature passed a law in 2019 requiring public high schools to begin classes no earlier than 8:30 a.m., while middle schools can begin instruction no earlier than 8 a.m.
The average start time for high schools across the state prior to...
AllSides Picks
April 18th, 2024
April 17th, 2024
More News about Education from the Left, Center and Right
From the Left
From the Center
From the Right
