School Start & End Times Study

A research-based plan

The school start and end times for 2021-22 reflect the scientific research, extensive community input gathered over a year-long study process, and they are consistent with schools in the Lake Conference. Key points as these times are implements are:

  • During the last school year, Eden Prairie Schools started to provide more time for lunch and recess at the elementary level. This plan puts time back into the instructional day in order to support those changes.

  • As bus routes are developed for the 2021-22 school year, the Transportation Department will review closely the longest routes in the district to limit early pick ups as much as possible.

  • CMS administration and the high school activities director will work with middle school students who participate on high school teams to ensure that school work remains the top priority.

An added benefit is the district will see a one-time savings of $200,000, plus $130,000 annually with this plan.

eden prairie schools 2021-22 school start & end times

Resources

 

One of the most frequently-cited studies around school start times is by Kyla L. Wahlstrom, Ph.D.: "Examining the Impact of Later High School Start Times on the Health and Academic Performance of High School Students: A Multi-Site Study," 2014, Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, College of Education & Human Development, University of Minnesota

A review of 38 reports around school start times was conducted in 2016 by Anne G. Wheaton, Ph.D., Daniel P. Chapman, Ph.D. and Janet B. Croft, Ph.D., of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta

Executive summary from Eden Prairie School's Start and End Time Task Force covering available research on elementary school start times

Tips for parents and research findings about the importance of teen sleep can be found on the Minnesota Sleep Society’s Teen Sleep Loss website.

 

Area districts

A number of Twin Cities metro area school districts have reviewed their school start and end times in the last few years. Here are links to those outcomes and study processes:

Frequently Asked Questions

News & Updates

Public Input & Feedback

From other school districts

Testimonials

First page of the PDF file: Schedules-Timeline-Oct-2020