Northbrook District 28 could lengthen school day for language program

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Updated: March 17, 2012 10:15AM

Northbrook School District 28 is seeking to lengthen the school day at three schools in order to offer its world language program to younger students.

Officials at the Committee of the Whole board meeting Thursday are expected to review and discuss a proposal to add Spanish instruction in grades one through four.

“The biggest piece of puzzle is lengthening elementary school day by 40 minutes,” said Superintendent Larry Hewitt. “By doing that it would allow us the opportunity to introduce (foreign languages) in first grade.”

Thirty minutes of the additional time would be used for Spanish instruction, Hewitt said. The proposal also lengthens lunch and recess periods by five minutes, and allows an extra five minutes for passing between classes.

An extended school day would affect all students at Greenbriar, Meadowbrook and Westmoor School by changing school hours to 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The language program and school hours at Northbrook Junior High School would not be affected.

Hewitt said that, compared to other nearby school districts, District 28 has a shorter school day.

“We clock in at six hours and 20 minutes,” he said. “Most (other district school days) are six hours and 40 minutes or 45 minutes.”

He added that the extension of school hours would extend instruction time but not lengthen teacher workdays.

The estimated cost to hire additional language teachers would be between $275,000 and $300,000, about 1 percent of the district’s overall budget.

“It’s something that is affordable,” he said.

If officials accept the world language proposal as is only Spanish would be offered to first- through fourth-graders.

Hewitt cited scheduling issues and increased costs for the one-language recommendation.

District 28 currently conducts Spanish and French class instruction in grades five through eight.

Fifth graders now spend 20 minutes a day, five days a week, learning a foreign language and, consequently spend less time on math, language arts, science and social studies, Hewitt said.

A longer school day would result in longer language instruction for students as well as increased time spent on those core subjects, Hewitt said.

Hewitt said every five years the district does a thorough study of its academics.

After examining its world language program in 2006 and choosing not to change it, the district revived its discussions a year and a half ago by forming a task force.

It then created a special commission of parents, teachers, administrators, and board members to explore the challenges and opportunities for adding a world language program and extending the school day, Hewitt said.

This group, called the Commission on the Study of Learning Time, has provided the board with monthly reports of its progress since its formation in October 2011.

“The board has been aware for sometime that we are exploring this option,” Hewitt said.

Hewitt said the district has also surveyed parents and former students during the program review progress and found that they thought it best to begin language instruction in first grade. They also overwhelmingly preferred Spanish classes.

A second survey for parents and staff about what they think about lengthening the day is still ongoing, he said.

Hewitt said there is “a ton of research-based reasons” for teaching foreign languages at a young age.

“The most obvious is the earlier a child starts to learn a language, the easier it is to pick it up,” he said. “The brain (of children) is more malleable.”

According to a December 2000 report from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, second language learning increases creativity, problem-solving, and communication skills, in addition to improving memory and verbal and spatial ability.

Hewitt said the earliest the board could take action and vote on the measure is at its Feb. 28 meeting.