Although overall teacher turnover has increased in districts that have switched to a four-day workweek, morale and retention rates have improved as a result of the shortened workweek, according to a new report from the Keystone Policy Center.

Van Schoales“Achieving less with less: How a four-day school week affects student learning and teaching staff needs” examines the impact and outcomes of the increasingly popular shortened week in various school districts in Colorado, where there are 119 four-day school districts representing 14% of the state’s student population.

The report provides a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the benefits and challenges of a shortened calendar – especially given that many districts are struggling with budget constraints and teacher shortages and need more flexibility in instructional design.

On the other hand, the report noted that school districts are grappling with the mixed impacts of schedule changes on families in terms of child care and access to school services.

“This report not only shows why many districts are choosing this model in hopes of saving costs and increasing teacher retention, but it also shows the real impacts in the form of lower student achievement, child care challenges and higher teacher turnover in four-day school districts,” said Van Schoales, senior policy director at the Keystone Policy Center. “Our goal is to provide policymakers with the tools and information they need to address this complex issue.”