Days/Hours/Waivers - Questions and Answers

CALENDAR

1. What constitutes a school day?

Any day in which pupil instruction occurs is considered one of the 180 days. A school day that contains fewer instructional hours than a full schedule is considered a school day; however, only those hours in which instruction is provided may be counted toward meeting the required hours of instruction (half-day kindergarten - 437; full day kindergarten-grade 6 - 1050; grades 7-12 - 1137). (Return to menu and click on "worksheet" to calculate the hours of instruction).

2. Should a school district schedule 180 or 175 days of instruction?

The school calendar must include 180 days. Of these, five may be used for parent-teacher conferences and/or inclement weather. It is recommended that the required number of school hours be scheduled within 175 days of instruction. In this way, missing instructional hours due to inclement weather and/or parent-teacher conferences will not require rescheduling.

3. If students are in attendance part of a school day and parent-teacher conferences are held the same day or evening, can this count as two days of school.

No. Evening parent-teacher conferences cannot be counted as an additional day of school when conferences are held on the evening of a day when students are in attendance during part or all of the regular school day.

4. Can a professional development day count for one of the five days allowed for inclement weather and/or parent-teacher conferences?

No.

5. Is there any purpose for which the Department may approve waiver of an instructional day?

Yes. Districts that wish to enhance professional development programs may apply for waiver of an instructional day or days.

Requests for waiver will be reviewed for approval using the following criteria:

• The waived days of instruction must be replaced with days of locally planned, locally hosted professional learning opportunities held during the school term as defined in s. 115.001(12), Wis. Stats.
• The professional learning is based on specific needs of the district's student population.
• The professional learning is designed to enhance the education goals and improvement plan of the district.
• Data regarding the effectiveness of the professional learning will be gathered by the district in order to plan subsequent learning opportunities and to provide documentation for possible waiver renewals.

In addition, the following criteria from the statute, 118.38 Waivers of laws and rules will be applied:

• (b) Before requesting a waiver, the school board shall hold a public hearing in the school district on the request.
• (1m) The school board shall specify in its request for a waiver the reason for requesting the waiver.

A waiver is effective for four years. The department shall renew the waiver for additional four-year periods if the school board has evaluated and reported to the department the educational and financial effects of the waiver over the previous four-year period, except that the department is not required to renew a waiver if the department determines that the school district is not making adequate progress toward improving pupil academic performance. For renewal, elements of the original waiver must continue to be met.

6. What are the primary steps in the process of requesting a waiver? What information must be provided?

• The district must provide an opportunity for the community to offer input regarding the proposed waiver. The opportunity may be provided in conjunction with a regular school board meeting but must be publicized well in advance
• Waiver requests from school districts must be made by letter and signed by the district administrator and/or the president of the school board.
• The request must include a description of the response of the community to the proposed waiver as indicated by a record of the public hearing held in the district.
• School board minutes showing board action endorsing the request for waiver and the board's adoption of the ratified calendars covered by the waiver.

. Additional information requested includes:

• The mutually agreed upon calendars for the years of the waiver showing all professional learning opportunities, vacations, holidays, early dismissals, late starts, and dates and times of parent-teacher conferences.
• Daily schedules for each building that include warning bell, starting and dismissal times as well as lunch and recess times.

COMPUTATION OF HOURS

7. How are the hours of a school day computed?

A school day is determined from the start to the close of each student's daily instructional schedule.

8. The first bell for a particular school rings at 8:15 a.m. The next bell rings at 8:25, at which time all students are expected to be in the building and on their way to classes. The last bell rings at 8:30 and all students are required to be in a classroom. When does instructional begin?

Instructional time is counted from 8:30 a.m.

9. The last bell prior to the lunch period rings five minutes prior to the time the students are eating lunch. Because passing time between classes can count as instructional time, can the five minutes prior to the beginning of the lunch period be counted as passing time?

Yes, but the passing time between lunch and the following hour may not be counted.

10. Can the lunch break be considered recess?

Time for lunch cannot be added into the total number of hours of instruction. Time scheduled in addition to lunch may count as recess time if all students participate in the activity. If the period of time scheduled is only for students to take a mid-day meal, it may not be added to the total minutes of recess. The maximum recess time counted as instructional time may not exceed 30 minutes per day.

11. Some districts have staggered starting and ending daily schedules for students. Is this permissible?

Yes, so long as each student's instructional schedule meets the required number of hours for that level.

12. Some students are dismissed two periods prior to the end of the day to participate in practice for sports or other activities. Can this time be included in their instructional schedule?

No, because sports or other extracurricular activities are not considered a part of the instructional day, these students would not be provided the mandated time allocation.

13. In some districts, students in lower grade levels may be picked up ten minutes earlier than the usual dismissal time so that they can be moved to another location for transportation purposes. Would these ten minutes count as instructional time in meeting the standard?

No, the minutes do not qualify as instructional time.

For questions about this information, contact Beverly J. Kniess (608) 266-3706

Last updated on 7/3/2009 10:14:42 AM