Opponents of traditional school calendars often cite summer learning loss as a reason for starting the school year in early-August.  They say reducing the length of summer vacation will aid student achievement.  Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Professor von Hipple examined reading and math scores of children in kindergarten and first grade in 748 public schools and 244 private schools from around the country.  He found that over a full year math and reading test scores improved about the same amount for children in year round schools as they did for students whose schools followed the traditional nine-month calendar.

Internationally known educational researcher Dr. Gene V. Glass reviews academic research relating to the school calendar configuration. His review shows the calendar configuration does not impact academic performance.
Click to see a summary of the findings and the report as a whole.
Click to see the Science Daily news release or to see the complete research

A book by CUNY Professor Kenneth Gold sets the record straight on the change in summer vacation schedules.  Contrary to the cries of traditional school calendar opponents, the three month summer vacation schedule is not that of an agrarian calendar.  A calendar meeting the needs of the agricultural community would have a short summer and longer vacations scheduled during the fall and the spring to accommodate the harvest and planting schedules.  The nine month calendar was actually ushered in as urbanization took hold in our country.
Click to see the American Educational Research Association news release summarizing Professor Gold's findings.  (Bill ,this is the PDF Reconstructing summer vacation)

• Paul von Hipple and Dr. Glass are both academic research that show no academic gains difference based on calendars
• Reconstructing Summer Vacation is a news release about a book that shows how we came to have a summer vacation and why.  Shows the traditional calendar is not an agrarian calendar but was ushered in during urbanization.
• Why Talking Exams after Winter Break is Best for Students pull research on the Spacing Effect from various sources

Time for School - It's Duration and Allocation by Gene Glass
Dr. Glass Summary
Reconstructing Summer Vacation - CUNY Education Professor Sets Record Straight
Science Daily Article - Paul von Hippel
Paul von Hipple Research
Why Taking Exams after Winter Break is best for Students