What is a Balanced Calendar?
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What is a balanced calendar? With a balanced calendar, students attend class the same number of days and receive the same instructional hours driven by the same curricula as students at traditional-calendar schools. A balanced calendar evenly distributes the days those students attend school and the days they are on vacation across the 12-month calendar year. All students attend school at the same time and go on vacation at the same time. Students have periodic, shorter breaks rather than one long summer break.
In a balanced calendar option, during the fall, spring, and summer break periods, schools provide extended learning opportunities for students (called intersession programming). Students can relearn material, practice skills, catch up or experience nonacademic enrichment activities.
While we will remain on a traditional calendar for 2022-23, the committee is open to future consideration of a balanced calendar. The calendars of surrounding districts, and evolving research on the impact on student achievement, are all factors that could contribute to additional study.
May 2022: Read the final NTPS Balanced Calendar Review presented to the School Board >> (PDF)
What is a Balanced Calendar?
Types of Calendars
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Current Calendar
190 days Teacher Schedule 180 days Student Instruction 0 days Fall Break 10 days Winter Break 5 days Spring Break 11 weeks Summer Break -
45 / 10 Balanced Calendar
190 days Teacher Schedule 180 days Student Instruction 10 days Fall Break 15 days Winter Break 10 days Spring Break 7-8 weeks Summer Break -
45 / 15 Balanced Calendar
190 days Teacher Schedule 180 days Student Instruction 15 days Fall Break 15 days Winter Break 15 days Spring Break 5 weeks Summer Break
News Coverage & More Reading
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NTPS Balanced Calendar Informational Fact Sheet
View this brochure (in English & Spanish) with a brief overview of Balanced Calendar and dates & times for the Community Forums.
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Washington State School Directors Association Presentation
View the slide deck from the 12/16/2021 Presentation on the Balanced Calendar Initiative.
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Thurston Talk: NTPS Considers Balanced Calendar, Seeks Input
Local school districts are gathering information about the value of moving to a balanced school calendar. This is part of a greater initiative from the Washington State Legislature about learning recovery.
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KING 5: Shorter summer breaks? Washington District study changing school calendar
Several districts and one charter school will study whether taking shorter breaks throughout the year will help prevent major learning loss commonly seen in summer.
