Year-Round Education in Pennsylvania. A Status Report on State-Funded Programs.

The Pennsylvania Legislature funded a two-year program to enable interested local schools to conduct exploratory programs on all-year scheduling. Funds were allocated by contract on the basis of the local school's need and readiness to conduct some type of all-year school program or to study the feasibility of such a program. Findings indicate that year-round operation can produce major economic savings if there is a need to construct a new school or an addition to a school. The potential savings in the year-to-year operational budget is less clear. A remedial program that helps prevent students from failing a grade can produce an economic as well as a social savings. An accelerated program can cost more in the short run, but, because a student spends fewer years in school, may not cost more in the long run. An enrichment program will probably cost more than a regular program because of the extra services provided. Year-round programs tend to offer a greater variety of courses and to serve as a vehicle for the implementation of mini-courses and individualized instruction. A flexible year-round program can provide equal opportunity for a quality education in terms of a more humane learning environment, a more relevant curriculum, a more appropriate instructional process, a more flexible use of time and learning facilities, and a more rational pupil evaluation system. (Author/DN)