| In the fall of 2005, the Boston schools began | | | | partners. They worked together to develop the plans |
| exploring the education reform strategy of extending | | | | and implementation of the extended day at each |
| the school day for its middle schools. The extended | | | | school. Additionally, the non-profit organization, |
| school day gives students more time for learning at a | | | | Massachusetts 2020, gave support to the planning |
| crucial time in their education. The middle school years | | | | and implementation process. The 2020 group is |
| provide the much-needed preparation for students to | | | | dedicated to expanding educational and economic |
| enter high school, college and the workforce. Last | | | | opportunities for children and their families within the |
| year, the Boston schools applied for and was | | | | state of Massachusetts. The Boston schools' interim |
| awarded a $40,000 planning grant for three schools. | | | | superintendent, Michael Contompasis, noted that both |
| The Boston schools have been awarded grants again | | | | the students and the teachers benefit from this |
| this year for another three schools. These three | | | | extra school time. Students receive more classroom |
| Boston schools were among ten schools across the | | | | instruction time in the core academic subjects that |
| state that included five school districts. The other | | | | are crucial for their success in high school and college. |
| four districts are Cambridge, Fall River, Malden, and | | | | More time also will be available to students for |
| Worcester, who shared with the Boston schools a | | | | tutoring, the arts, and recreation. Additionally, |
| total of more than $2.2 million in implementation | | | | teachers are given more time for lesson planning, |
| grants to extend the learning time at the ten schools. | | | | setting schedules, and for professional development |
| The three Boston schools are: - Clarence R. Edwards | | | | activities. The Massachusetts Department of |
| Middle School in Charlestown; - Umana/Barnes Middle | | | | Education provides the grants from its "Expanded |
| School in East Boston; and - James P. Timilty Middle | | | | Learning Time to Support Student Success" grant |
| School in Roxbury. Beginning in September 2006, | | | | program. The Boston schools have more than 58,000 |
| Edwards and Timilty middle schools will begin class at | | | | pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students at 145 |
| 7:20 a.m., Monday through Friday. They will end school | | | | schools. The hopes of all concerned is to continue to |
| at 4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and at 11:40 | | | | expand this reform strategy of extended school |
| a.m. on Friday. Umana/Barnes will begin classes at 7:35 | | | | time; so that student achievement will continue to |
| a.m., Monday through Friday; end school at 4:30 p.m., | | | | rise, with students being better prepared for high |
| Monday through Thursday; and end at 11:40 a.m. on | | | | school, college and the workforce. |
| Friday. As with the schools last year, the Boston | | | | Patrica Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, |
| schools enlisted the assistance of Boston schools | | | | providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and |
| administrators, union representatives, teachers, | | | | private K-12 schools. |
| counselors, principals, parents, and community | | | | |