“You’ll notice in Indian and Chinese schools, the students spend a lot more time on task. American schools have more study breaks, and the classes are generally shorter,” he said. “Instead of increasing the school day, the bigger question is: Are we teaching the right subjects for students to compete in the 21st century?”
Besides time on task, Compton said educational success has to do with improving the caliber of the curriculum, and increasing the content knowledge of the instructor. Those factors must improve if students are going to compete globally, he said.
“In India and China, in order to teach high school physics the teacher must have at least a bachelor’s [degree] in physics. In the U.S., teachers only need to have a degree in education and 20 to 24 hours of science–and not necessarily in physics,” he said.
Compton said educational success has little to do with the duration of the school day and more to do with time on task, improving the caliber of the curriculum, and increasing the content knowledge of the instructor. Those things must change if students are going to compete globally, he said.
“Doing more of the same and expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity. I think that’s what Arne Duncan is doing,” he said.
Arthur Griffin, senior vice president of national urban markets for McGraw-Hill Education, agreed that educators should focus more attention on how students are using their time in school.
“Extending the school day without making any changes mostly likely won’t improve anything,” he said. “What helps in terms of global competitiveness is to make sure the quality of teaching during regular hours or extended hours is high. And we have to make sure teachers are prepared to teach in an extended environment.”
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