Quaker Valley students to get 15 minutes more to sleep
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Researchers have long said that a later school start time for teenagers can help improve their academic performance, physical health and driving abilities. This fall, the Quaker Valley School District will be among the first in Allegheny County to test it out.
The district will push back the school day by 15 minutes for its middle and high school students when classes start Aug. 23.
It’s a relatively minor adjustment, but adolescent sleep experts say it’s a major step in the right direction as they try to convince other school districts to make similar schedule modifications.
“Although it’s a small change, it’s relatively better than what most of the region is doing,” said Peter Franzen, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh.
The Quaker Valley school board in June approved changing the start times to 8 a.m. from 7:45 a.m.
of UPMC. But it’s not thatsimple, she said.
Teenagers experience a surge of hormones later in the day that makes it more difficult for them to go to sleep early, she said. And many of them have large amounts of homework that could keep them up late.
Allowing them to start school later will help them get the recommended eight hours of sleep a night, she said. And studies show that getting adequate sleep benefits their academic performance and decreases the chances that they will engage in substance abuse or get into a car accident. They’re in a better mood and they’re more ready to learn when they are well-rested, she said.
“Sleep is just an amazing intervention,” she said. “That’s so much better than putting a child on anti-depressants, don’t you think?”
Dr. Miller and Dr. Franzen have given presentations on the importance of adolescent sleep to several local school boards and the local school nurses association. It was one such presentation that caught the attention of officials at Quaker Valley, district leaders said.
“As educators, we’re in the brain business,” superintendent Heidi Ondek said. “We have to pay close attention to research that is credible and respond to it.”
One of Bridgett Bates’ daughters is more excited than the other about starting the school day 15 minutes later this year.
Her eldest — who will be going into eighth grade this year — is a “sleeper,” she said. Her youngest, who will be going into sixth grade, is more of a morning person.
Both will get to sleep an extra quarter of an hour this year before they walk or ride their bikes to class at Quaker Valley Middle School. Instead of rising at 6 or 6:15 a.m., they can sleep until 6:30 and leave for school closer to 7:30.
“I think just mentally it makes a difference for them,” Ms. Bates said.
School districts across the countryare making or considering similar changes, but a big challenge cited by many is the ability to rearrange bus schedules and after-school events, particularly in the athleticsdepartment.
That’s why Quaker Valley is pushing the school day back by only 15 minutes this year, Ms. Ondek said. The district will treat this year as a “pilot program” and make adjustments to schedules as needed. If all goes well, administrators may consider pushing start times back evenfurther next year.
“We know that there will be some unintended consequences, but we believe this is important enough to the health of our secondary students,” Ms. Ondek said. “We see it as cost-neutral, but it does require some flexing. It affects all personnel. Our families have to adjust; not all parents of elementary-aged children will necessarily appreciatean earlier start.”
Still, she said, the district has received a lot of community support for the change. Quaker Valley serves Aleppo, Bell Acres, Edgeworth, Glenfield, Glen Osborne, Haysville, Leet, Leetsdale, Sewickley, Sewickley Heights and Sewickley Hills.
About 300 parents responded to a survey the district conducted about the topic, and roughly 85 percent of the responses were in favor of the change, officials said.
“What I’m hoping is that once people really hear about what’s going on in the Quaker Valley School District, other school districts will say ‘Oh, well we can do that, too,’” Dr. Miller said.
Ms. Bates believes the district could have pushed the start times further back than 15 minutes and skipped the one-year test altogether.
“I absolutely commend them for doing this,” she said. “I think the later start time clearly is the better choice for the students. I don’t think there’s any question about that at all.”