Earlier this year, Cleveland Metropolitan School District leaders proposed moving all students to the same school calendar to save money.
CMSD schools operate on five different calendars — some have longer school days, some have longer school years, and others have both. Parents and some educators raised questions about changes, originally aimed at this current school year.
The district decided to hold off and do some more homework to see how changing up school calendars might affect student performance, school culture and the district’s budget. The district is also asking parents for their preferences and their experiences with their current school calendars.
Researchers are asking community members to take surveys and give their opinions in focus groups. They’re also analyzing data to compare how students from similar demographic groups perform at schools with different calendars.
Warren Morgan, the CEO of CMSD, said during an October board meeting that he has received a lot of feedback on calendars since the idea of changing them was floated.
“There were a lot of people both in the district and external to the district that said, ‘Hey, you need to look at this,’” he said. “Our board asked us to really make sure that we were looking at this and doing a research study around some areas before making any decisions.”
Researchers aim to present their findings to the CMSD Board of Education in January.
Why does CMSD need to research school calendars?
In February, CMSD estimated that getting all the district’s schools on one calendar could save $13.7 million over the first two years. The district needs to save money because, even with a cash infusion from a new levy, CMSD will be in the red by 2028. Since the research is grant-funded, it won’t cost CMSD anything.
In a presentation during a CMSD Board of Education meeting in March, the district compared schools with different calendars based on state test scores, attendance and graduation rates. Those comparisons didn’t account for things outside of calendars that could affect student performance, Nicholas D’Amico, the executive director of research, evaluation and accountability at CMSD said at a meeting months later. That’s why the district needs this more rigorous study, he said.
In November, CMSD sent out a survey asking for parents’ feedback on school calendars. It asked parents and caregivers to weigh in on the length of school days and years at their children’s schools. One survey question asked if parents and caregivers have trouble finding childcare after school or during school breaks. Researchers are starting focus groups this month, based on the timeline they shared.
What did people say about changes to school calendars?
Putting all schools on a traditional calendar could mean less classroom time for students already at year-round and extended-year schools. It could also affect the number of professional development days for teachers at those schools and the paychecks for staff members who are paid hourly.
Cleveland Teachers Union President Shari Obrenski told board members earlier this year that she had sent the district questions and concerns from staff members at schools with longer years.
“What due diligence has been done on the part of the district to examine the impact of the proposed calendar changes on each of the affected schools’ students and families that they serve?” she asked during the February meeting.
Stacey Steggert, a parent with two children at the extended-year Campus International K-8 School, felt strongly, based on her own research, that longer school years improve academic outcomes for students. She has spoken during public comment at a handful of CMSD board meetings since the topic of school calendars first came up.
Steggert, a former teacher who studied urban education and policy, said longer school days and more days in the classroom add up over the course of a student’s schooling. All that extra classroom time makes a huge difference, she said.
Quenton Davis, the principal of Garrett Morgan School of Engineering and Innovation, a school with longer days, suggested CMSD officials should work with parents, students and staff as they plan out changes to school calendars. He also advocated for including different religious and cultural holidays in CMSD’s calendars.
“All schools must be on the same playing field when educating our students,” he said during a board meeting in March. “By prioritizing equity, inclusion and thoughtful planning in our school calendar, we can create a more cohesive and supporting learning environment for everyone.”
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