Group to Study Changes to Iowa School Calendar

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By Lauren Peikoff

Story Created: Jul 4, 2012 at 6:43 AM CDT

Story Updated: Jul 4, 2012 at 7:22 AM CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A task force will study whether Iowa's public schools should lengthen the school day and make other changes to their calendars.

Iowa Department of Education Director Jason Glass on Tuesday appointed the members of the Instructional Time Task Force, which was created by lawmakers as part of their education reform law.

The committee will study whether the minimum length of the school day and year should be extended for some students or all students and whether schools should have a uniform start date. The group will also consider whether summer break should be shortened, with days off spread out throughout the year.

Glass says time in school should be applied differently to students based on their individual needs, but that adding time should be carefully studied because of its expense.

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