Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Jean-Claude Brizard toured Benjamin E. Mays Elementary School today to highlight the positive impact and benefits of a full school day. Mays Elementary and Genevieve Melody Elementary School, along with 37 charter schools, begin the full school day as children return for the spring semester.

“By attending a school with a full school day, the children at Mays Elementary and Melody Elementary are no longer being shortchanged and instead will spend more time receiving instruction and focusing on learning, and ultimately receiving the education they deserve,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Lengthening the school day gives our kids the tools they need to excel in school and succeed in a global economy.”

“The quantity of instruction can mean the difference between a high school dropout and a college graduate,” stated CPS CEO Jean Claude Brizard. “Studies show that whether we add time to reading, math and science classes or provide students with individual instruction in these areas, the more time students spend on task, the more they understand, learn and grow academically.”

The 302 students at Mays elementary will benefit from:

• 35 additional minutes of Reading per day
• 18 additional minutes of Mathematics per day
• 16 additional minutes of Science per day
• 21 additional minutes of Enrichment/Ancillary lessons per day

The 306 students at Melody Elementary will benefit from:

• 50 additional minutes of Intervention (reading and math) per day
• 20 additional minutes of Writing per day
• 20 additional minutes of Science per day

In addition to Mays and Melody, 37 charter schools will also launch a full school day schedule.  The Charter schools include: 3 ASPIRA schools, 5 Perspectives schools, 6 CICS schools, 2 Prologue schools, 3 Shabazz schools, 10 UNO schools, Providence Englewood elementary school, ACE high school, Legacy elementary school, ChiTech Academy high school, Youth Connection Charter Schools (12 campuses), Chicago Talent Development high school, U of C Donoghue Campus elementary school and Erie elementary school.

“Research supports that adding instructional time will give Chicago students the education and skills they need to achieve in the classroom and beyond,” said Mayor Emanuel.  “We will be working with the University of Chicago Urban Education Lab to provide more evidence of the benefits of the full school day.”

In partnership with the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute, the newly established Urban Education Lab has been commissioned to study the effects of extending the school day on CPS schools by taking advantage of the fact that pioneer schools are implementing the policy change during the 2011-12 academic year. The UEL will also partner with CPS to study the effects of rolling out the new policy citywide next academic year in order to learn more about how we can ensure the best possible public education for Chicago's youth.

“The Urban Education Lab is dedicated to answering essential questions that will improve the quality of schooling in Chicago and across the nation. Understanding the impact of Mayor Emanuel's full school day initiative is of critical importance to Chicago and every urban school system in the country. We are thrilled to be a partner in this effort,” said Timothy F.C. Knowles, John Dewey Director of the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute and Co-Director of the  Urban Education Lab. More information about the Urban Education Lab can be found here:  http://uel.uchicago.edu.

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