Do school activities help, hurt?

An extended school year and longer school day could improve student learning, but only if the time teachers have now is maximized, state schools Superintendent Sandy Garrett told lawmakers Tuesday.

Garrett proposed in July to extend the school year by at least five days, which would bring the number of instructional school days up to 180, or 185 days total with existing professional development days for teachers. She also recommended lengthening the school day by one hour, giving teachers at least seven hours, in most cases, to teach.

The proposal could cost $80 million to $100 million to add the five days, not including making each day longer. State House Education Committee members listened to Garrett and other education officials as part of a study looking at the feasibility of keeping Oklahoma children in school longer.

Chinese children who graduate from high school have gone to school four years longer than most Oklahoma graduates when the extra time they spend in the classroom is factored in, Garrett said. To compete in a global market, Oklahoma students are going to need more classroom time coupled with ensuring the time spent there is dedicated to learning.

"Interruptions detract from letting that teacher teach. Let's let our teachers teach,” she said.

Oklahoma has one of the shortest school years in the region, Garrett said, noting that only 175 school days are now protected for instruction time under law. Five days are spent on teacher development, and many districts use some of the 175 instructional days for parent/teacher conferences, which is also allowed by law.

Another concern raised in the committee was the prevalence of extracurricular activities in schools and how much classroom time students are missing for pep rallies or sports tournaments.

Robert Marshall, a history teacher in Sentinel in western Oklahoma, told the committee that all he wants as a teacher is fewer interruptions in his classroom. Because of various school activities, Marshall said he rarely has a full class together and ready to learn.

Announcements made over the intercom system at his school — which range from telling students when the junior girls are leaving for their 4-H show or the score of a softball game — become distractions for students, he said.

"Extracurriculars are starting to consume education,” he said. "Our whole focus is not where I believe it should be.”