The 'cast oI characters involved in school policy reIorm can include legislators,

superintendents, teachers` unions, administrators` organizations, the State board oI education,

and research organizations. The State Board oI Education determined that schools in Oklahoma
should operate on a daily or hourly basis. Currently the school year must be a minimum oI 175
days or 1,080 hours. Oklahoma City School District decided to develop a calendar based on 175
days oI attendance.

In the local school district, the School Board was the primary players involved in changing a
policy on the length oI each class. Oklahoma receives an average oI approximately eight inches
oI snow per year. This year two blizzards brought over eighteen inches oI snow within a two-
week period. The district had scheduled two Snow Days and missed six days oI school.
Teachers and parents made suggestions about what the district could do to make up the time.

Suggestions included decreasing the number oI days during Spring Break, extending the school
year to include Iour additional days, attending school on Saturdays, or adding more time to each
school day. The School Board held a meeting to discuss all options. School staII, parents, and
community members attended the meeting. During the Iollowing meeting, the Board voted to
add time to each school day as a means to recoup the hours. Board meetings held a third meeting
to decide exactly how the daily schedule would change. Administrators organized their ideas and
gave input on how extending school days could assist with preparing students Ior standardized
assessments.
The Board voted to extend the school day by an hour and ten minutes. Administrators,
curriculum specialists, and academic coaches develop a plan Ior each school to include practice
activities Ior standardized assessments. The schedule will take place over a two-month period.
Each day all students will attend review sessions or complete sample state assessment activities.
This new reIorm developed Irom a need to make up school hours and increase test scores.


ReIerence:
Fowler, F. C. (2008). Policy studies Ior educational leaders: An introduction. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson.