Kwok 1

Nicole Kwok
October 17, 2016
Mr. Bradley
Period 2
Education Bill Research Paper
On average the typical high school student gets about 6-7 hours of sleep when 9 hours is
recommended for their age (Should School Start Later?) Students do not get enough rest and
sleep with the amount of homework and studies that they have to complete. Many students in
high school feel the stress that comes with school and extracurricular activities, leading to the
lack of getting enough sleep. Research has found that if school starts at an hour later of usual
time, 9AM, student will not only get enough sleep, but they will have the ability to focus in class.
This should become a law because it is necessary to gets students the appropriate amount of
sleep recommended, this improve test scores and promote participation, and will help students
with their own health.
School should have a start time an hour than it is now to enlarge the amount of sleep each
student and teacher should get. This should become a law to help better students lives and to
have less stress on their workload. According to the National Sleep Foundation, their poll found
that 59 percent of middle schoolers and 87 percent of high schoolers are getting less than the
recommended 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 hours of sleep a night (Pediatricians Say School Should Start Later
For Teens' Health). 87 percent is an astounding percentage of students that lack sleep. For
obvious reasons, this is not good for the health of the students. A study at the US Air Force
Academy showed first-year students starting classes after 8 A.M. performed better not only in
their first classes but throughout the day (Wake Up Calls). Waking up at the appropriate time of

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the day is beneficial to the education and learning of students. Improving the start time not only
advances the amount of sleep a student can get, but also improves their test scores.
Students are faced with many tests from a wide range of classes and topics. With many
different subjects, there is a larger amount of time the student feels that is an efficient way of
studying. Delaying school start times by one hour, from roughly 7:30 to 8:30, increases
standardized test scores by at least 2 percentile points in math and 1 percentile point in reading
(Do Schools Begin Too Early). Focusing the teenagers can enlarge the number of successful test
scores. Later start times can mean less missed school absences dropped 15% in Bonneville
County, Idaho, after it instituted such a change, according to a 2014 Childrens National Medical
Center report (Los Angeles Times). With schools that already experience this difference in how
many students participate benefits the students education and also benefits the school so that
they do not lose money. Starting school an hour later also gains a better chance for every
individual students health.
A lack of the right amount of sleep can jeopardize ones health. Not getting enough sleep
can contribute to unhealthy eating and sleeping habits, which can lead to ones mental problems.
Both the CDC and the pediatricians group cited significant risks that come with lack of sleep,
including higher rates of obesity and depression and motor-vehicle accidents among teens as well
as an overall lower quality of life (Atlantic Media Company). To ensure the students can be as
healthy as they can, its vital to prioritize getting enough sleep. When Jackson Hole High School
in Wyoming shifted its start time to 8:55 a.m., the number of car crashes involving teenage
drivers dropped by 70% (Wake Up Calls). The safety of the students should come first before the
focus on getting a good education. More sleep means an improved happiness level and an
improved health.

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Many would argue that starting school later would affect extracurricular activities and
transportation logistics. Having a different schedule would change parents schedule and students
after school schedule. If school started at a later time and ended at a later time, extracurricular
activities would follow along with their schedule (The Educated Mind). With this is mind, the
issue of extra curricular activities should be understood by coaches and employers if school
started and ended later. If parents will not be able to drop off and pick up their student at the
given start and end time of school, there is a school bus that could transport the students. The
school bus coordinates with the times that school start and end (Walnut Creek Elementary: 201617 Bus Routes). Public transportation also has different times to pick up and drop off students.
Students should not have trouble getting to school when there many forms of public
transportation.
A bill should be passed to enact the later school time of 9A.M. to increase the amount of
sleep students and teachers get, to promote a healthier lifestyle and influences, and to increase
the standardized test scores for the students. Having a better habit and lifestyle of sleeping
schedules can minimize teens influences to numerous drugs and alcohol addictions. Starting
school an hour later should be noticed by all and should become a mandatory law.

Works Cited
The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2016.
Edwards, By Finley. "Do Schools Begin Too Early? - Education Next." RSS. N.p., 07 Sept. 2016.
Web. 19 Sept. 2016.

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Egan, Kieran. The Educated Mind: How Cognitive Tools Shape Our Understanding. Chicago: U
of Chicago, 1997. Print.
Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2016.
"Pediatricians Say School Should Start Later For Teens' Health." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 19 Sept.
"Should Schools Start Later?" Choices. N.p., 25 Jan. 2016. Web. 19 Sept. 2016.
Wake Up Calls (Fast Facts)." Start School Later. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2016.
"Walnut Creek Elementary: 2016-17 Bus Routes." WCPSS: Walnut Creek Elementary Bus
Routes. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.