Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/120877
Kristy Blackburn says resetting the start time a half hour ahead helped to address the stress issue at Gunn High in Palo Alto. H STAGGERED STARTS Students arrive at different times at Agoura High School. It���s too early to tell if the school���s already stellar test scores will rise. But Blackburn notices students seem more alert, and she is issuing fewer tardy slips. Students are enthusiastic about the switch. ���It reduces stress because I just have the psychological satisfaction of getting a half hour more sleep,��� says Shireen Ahsan. ���When I sleep well, I remember lessons more accurately. I don���t constantly yawn in class, and I don���t get lost during lectures.��� A little sleep goes a long way, muses Shawna Chen. ���I get more small doses of sleep. I think it improves student achievement. With more sleep, students are more focused on what they���re doing and can do more. A later start time is extremely effective in providing more sleep, less anxiety and an overall more positive school experience.��� A.M. Marcia Yang arrives. AGOURA HILLS STUDENTS CHOOSE ARRIVAL TIMES Marcia Yang trudges across campus for her precalculus class at zero period, beginning at 7 a.m. She awoke at 6 and was thrilled to find a primo spot in the parking lot. Sophie Fried arrives at 7:45 a.m. for ���support period,��� where teachers offer extra help with homework before the school day begins. She also finds parking. Greg Balke rides in on his bicycle as the bell rings for first period at 8:40 a.m. All three attend Agoura High School, where students and teachers are given the choice of three different arrival times. ���It���s an option most schools don���t offer,��� says early bird Yang. ���The school accommodates those who want to come to school early as well as those who prefer to sleep later.��� ���It���s definitely more relaxed,��� says Balke. ���I have more time to procrastinate. I stay up really late. My bedtime is between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. depending on what���s due the next day. I will never go to zero period unless it���s mandated. I like having extra time to sleep.��� The school changed to a flexible schedule years ago when research linked more sleep to improved achievement, says Craig Hochhaus, math teacher and copresident of the Los Virgenes Education Association. He estimates that a third of the students show up at 7 a.m.; most arrive at 8:40. ���Test scores have gone up, but who knows why? I still see tired kids. But I can say with conviction that it works really well when kids have a choice about when they start. School can be such a regimented thing. When offered a choice, it improves morale for students and staff.��� A.M. Sophie Fried arrives. A.M. Greg Balke arrives. April 2013 www.cta.org 13