Recently, U.S. News and World Report released their annual public high school ranking for 2016 and for the fifth year in a row the School for the Talented and Gifted in Dallas earned the top spot. The rankings are based on quite a bit of data, including graduation rates, advanced exams, student performance on state proficiency tests, and the percentage of economically disadvantaged students the schools serve. However, there is one thing the list doesn’t take into account (although it should) and that’s school start times.
First-period at the School for the Talented and Gifted starts at 9:15 a.m. Compared to most other schools in both its district, and the US, that’s unusually late. It is however a best practice, as recommended by public health experts.
Teens (and some pre-teens) require more sleep than adults and are hardwired to want to sleep in; eight hours a night might be a good goal for adults, but according to the American Academy of Pediatrics teens need between 8.5–9.5 hours and the National Sleep Foundation puts that number even higher- at eight to ten hours. But sadly, very few teens get the minimum amount they need to perform at their optimum level; studies show that two out of three high school students get less than eight hours of sleep, with seniors averaging less than seven hours.
While kids could go to bed earlier, puberty makes it difficult for them to fall asleep before 11 p.m. When you combine late nights with early mornings the result is sleep deprivation.
From the Slate article:
“The side effects are severe: Sleep-starved teens are more likely to misbehave, be tardy for class, and underperform academically. THEY’RE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO BE OVERWEIGHT, suffer from depression, drink alcohol and use drugs, and get in more car accidents. Moreover, their sleep habits now raise their risk later in life for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even Alzheimer’s.”
But only our body clocks are hardwired (somewhat), school start times don’t have to be. The AAP and CDC, in the last two years, have become so alarmed about sleep deficits in teens that they are URGING both middle and high schools to make start times 8:30 or later. And yet, the CDC’s most recent report showed that nationally, less than 20 percent of middle and high schools had start times of 8:30 a.m. or later- with an average start time of 8:03 a.m.
While changing start times for middle-schools and high-schools might present some problems (bus schedules, athletic programs and parents/coaches) school districts from Seattle to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, have recognized its importance and are putting their students academic needs first. In fact, the Seattle school district will be the largest district to date to make the shift (beginning this fall).
Until schools make these changes, teens will do what they can to feel less drowsy, like sleeping in on weekends to try to make up for lost sleep or pumping their bodies full of caffeine. But even those two things will do more long term damage than good. A teen sleep study published last month showed that even two nights of recovery sleep don’t undo some of the many cognitive impairments caused by one week of partial sleep deprivation. And caffeine can cause jitters, anxiety, nervousness, and even sleep deprivation- which then becomes cyclical.
I’m sure there are multiple reasons that the School for the Talented and Gifted landed in the top spot, not just because of their start time. But, at least the school understands what their students need and are willing to set them up for as much success as possible, doing whatever it takes to guarantee it. Ultimately, what is most important is students who are well-rested and can perform better (school athletics will even see a benefit as sleep deprivation drags down peak physical performance). And don’t our students deserve at least that?
Source: Slate
