FCCPTA Resolution on Later Start Times: April 7, 2008

 

WHEREAS, the Fairfax County Council of PTAs has had a position in support of later high school and middle school start times since February 2005, based on numerous facts and research (see “Secondary School Start Times” Position paper), and 

WHEREAS, increasing research since then has re-enforced the fact that adolescents have different and later natural sleep cycles than adults and younger children and

 WHEREAS, scientists at The Role of Sleep in Memory and Learning Conference in Washington, D.C. on March 3-4, 2008, concluded in one of five “Messages to the Public” that “Changes in sleep and circadian regulation occurring in adolescence are inconsistent with optimal learning when morning school start times are too early (before 8:30 -9am)” and

 WHEREAS, there is ample evidence that later start times result in more sleep on school nights for adolescents, who on average get two hours a night less sleep than is optimal, and

 WHEREAS, sleep research is overwhelming that adequate sleep enhances learning and cognitive function and

 WHEREAS, adequate sleep is important for students’ mental and emotional health and

 WHEREAS, an FCPS Operational Expectation, adopted as part of its Strategic Governance Manual in December 2006, states that the Superintendent will “Maintain a safe and healthful learning environment” and

 WHEREAS, the Final Report of the Transportation Task Force, dated March 10, 2008, recommends reengineering the FCPS transportation system and proposes a new bell schedule that puts both high school and middle school students on a later schedule and

 WHEREAS, the Task Force also saw benefits to having more elementary school students on the first two tiers of the three-tier bell schedule and

 WHEREAS, the Task Force included a wide range of representatives of the community, including parents, teachers, administrators and community groups, including the FCCPTA and

 WHEREAS, the Task Force found that reengineering and the revised bell schedule should be developed and implemented together rather than separately, and

 WHEREAS, the School Board stated its belief in the benefits of later start times for adolescents in its Charter creating the Task Force

 THEREFORE, NOW, BE IT RESOLVED that the Fairfax County Council of PTAs endorses the findings of the Final Report of the Transportation Task Force and calls on the School Board to follow the Task Force recommendations on transportation reengineering and the proposed new bell schedule.

 

###

Top of Page