The Conditional Value of a Longer School Year in One-Teacher Schools

Abstract

The need of a longer school year in the one-teacher ele mentary schools has frequently been urged as the most important factor toward the equalization of instruction in these schools and in the graded elementary schools. In connection with a recent study of pupil achievement in one-teacher schools in Kansas data from schools having different lengths of school year were made available. From these data a comparison was made of the achievement of 861 pupils attending one-teacher schools for eight months of each year with the achievement of 334 pupils who were attending one-teacher schools in the same region for seven months. Then an analysis was made of the effect of dif ferent degrees of regularity in school attendance in these one teacher schools. A total of ninety-eight schools in fourteen counties located in different parts of the state were included.