The Atlanta Journal Constitution – Jo Boaler and Lang Chen
“My ideal time of day is l:30 in the afternoon. Everything seems better at that hour, and I feel the most alert. So, I understand teens who complain they aren’t at their academic best at 7:30 a.m. Many high schools and middle schools have pushed back the morning bell in response to research showing starting classes later improves performance. But a new study in the Review of Economics and Statistics suggests students are more productive in the morning than in the afternoon, especially in math. University of Chicago researcher Nolan G. Pope looked at whether the scheduling of math and English courses affects grades and test scores for adolescents. His study, “How the Time of Day Affects Productivity: Evidence from School Schedules,” examined the GPAs and standardized test scores of nearly 2 million students enrolled in grades 6 through 11 in the Los Angeles Unified School District. The students attended schools that began around 8 a.m. and ended at 3:10 p.m.”(more)