Later school starting times could help R.I. children

A recent Providence Business News article (“Rewarding students with a jump-start on life,” Jan. 5, 2015) pointed out that local businesses can play an important part in the educational process.
Businessman Norman Kelly, CEO of Software Quality Associates, and his business partners set up the Metta Students Foundation. This foundation provides 25 yearly $1,000 grants to high school students who show compassion and kindness to others.
Kelly noticed that the winners of these grants tended to come from all walks of life, were academically talented and had exceptional leadership qualities. He said that “you’ve got kids doing something loving and compassionate … wanting to make something of their lives. Their unselfishness leads to the character of being successful in life.” These character traits could lead to success in the workplace as well.
What would happen if more high school and middle school students were given the opportunity to reach their full academic potential? When they reached adulthood, would these students show compassion for others and have good leadership qualities? Would these students have success in the workplace?
One way to help students achieve their full potential is being piloted in a number of school systems. Many of them are implementing or considering implementing later school start times. Some studies have shown that teenagers are not getting enough sleep and that this lack of sleep is preventing these high school and middle school children from reaching their full academic potential. The few school systems that have instituted later start times have reported that test scores rise and discipline problems fall. Mary A. Carskadon, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, started her pioneering research on teenage sleep problems at the school in 1985. She has published many articles and books on teenage sleep problems and has received many awards based on this research. She is currently director of chronobiology and sleep research at Bradley Hospital.
Ms. Carskadon’s research has shown that lack of sleep affects teenagers’ moods and their ability to perform in an appropriate manner. Many students fall asleep in class. Their reaction times are compromised, which leads to problems when these teenagers are driving to school, taking tests and engaging in competitive sports.
These children also have frequent mood changes, which in turn affect their relationships with teachers and classmates. Ms. Carskadon points out that teenagers’ “biological clocks” are telling them that they should be home in bed at 7:30 a.m. and not beginning a rigorous school day of social and academic pressures.
High school and middle school students would fare better if they started their school day at 9.00 a.m. and finished at 3:30 p.m. These students would be getting home between 4:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Students who drive to school would avoid morning rush-hour traffic. And it is likely that the students would be spending more time under competent adult supervision at the end of the day.
Making this time change would give these students the opportunity to become more successful in school, more compassionate and eventually more successful in the workplace. •


Kenneth Berwick is a retired school teacher in the Lincoln school system.

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