Teacher and administrator perceptions of a balanced school calendar and its effects on students in poverty.

摘要

The creation of this study came out of a need to increase student achievement and support services for students living in poverty in the selected school district in Missouri. Due to the large amount of academic regression over the long summer break and the lack of consistent support services for students in poverty, a Balanced School Calendar (BSC) was investigated. The researchers conducted surveys and interviews to assess the level of support from parents, teachers, and administrators to see if a BSC school choice program would be a viable option for implementation at a K-5 elementary school in the selected school district in Missouri. The findings of this study show that that there is a significant difference in the perceptions of administrators and teachers in the concept of a BSC especially in the areas of regression, discipline, support services, teacher stress, relationship building, and willingness to teach in a BSC school.