Wilson School District’s High School Start Time

Audience: The following policy brief addresses Wilson School District’s school board, the

policy making body of the school district, on the topic of student sleep deprivation. The purpose

of this policy brief is to inform the school board on the consequences of sleep deprivation on

academics, athletics, and health, and recommend options for improving Wilson High School’s

learning environment.

Problem Definition: Wilson is constantly striving to be an exemplar high school in the

community. Changes, such as the 1:1 initiative and AP Seminar course show Wilson is dedicated

to change for the benefit of academic excellence. Similarly, the problem of sleep deprivation is

proven a worthy undertaking for further improving the academic environment; therefore, it fits

that Wilson would address the issue. Currently, students are not obtaining quality sleep for an

appropriate length of time, leading to hindered performance and health. Teenagers require 8.5 to

9.5 hours of sleep each night (Owens 646); however, it has been noted that teenagers only

average six hours and 50 minutes of sleep nightly (Carskadon 352). These averages can be

applied to Wilson students, where currently 1,896 individuals are molded and educated

(Raffauf). The school board has the ability and responsibility to improve learning circumstances

by enacting policies that lend themselves to a better learning environment.

To fully understand why sleep deprivation has such a negative impact on teenagers, one must

first understand the bodily processes related to sleep. Homeostasis is the cause for the body to

desire sleep (Koh 372), and conversely, the circadian rhythm sets when one will feel awake

(Kirby 56). Lastly, it should be noted that melatonin, a hormone which promotes sleep, is

generally produced in teenagers from eleven in the evening until eight in the morning (Carrell

64). These biological systems explain why teenagers do not function ideally when woken before

eight in the morning, which is after Wilson’s first bell rings. Many teachers and parents assume it

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is the fault of irresponsible teenagers, remaining up late to watch television, play games, or do

other recreational activities; however “students’ natural time to fall asleep is about 11 p.m. or

later” (Carskadon 352), making it difficult for teenagers to fall asleep early enough to wake up

on time for high school at 7:33 in the morning. This sleep deprivation can “impair brain

functions and contribute to… cumulative wear and tear on body systems” (McEwen).

Early school start times, such as Wilson’s, exacerbate adolescent sleep deprivation. Schools

only begin as early as they do because in the later nineteenth century, schedules of American

schools revolved around adult work hours (Hampel). For decades now, school have started early,

but the resulting sleep deprivation has only become prevalent with more current research,

starting in the 1990s (Wahlstrom 3). The majority of American schools have not yet changed

their morning bells, but the trend commenced in 1997 with the Minneapolis Public School

District located in Minnesota (Wahlstrom 4).

Although school start times and sleep deprivation directly and indirectly affect entire

communities, including but not limited to teachers, parents, siblings, and employers, students are

arguably impacted the most directly by sleep deprivation. There are relevant academic, athletic,

and health consequences connected to sleep deprivation. When tired, the constant lack of energy

leads to poor attention during class. The National Sleep Foundation found that up to 28 percent

of high school students fall asleep during first period (WBA Market Research 10), and feelings

of tiredness can persist throughout the day (Perkinson-Gloor et al.). As this statistic

demonstrates, students are exhausted, and many struggle just to stay awake. In order to be a

successful student, one must be able to pay attention, complete homework, and study, but as a

result of sleep deprivation, teenagers experience an inability to reach full mental awareness,

which affects their abilities to learn and retain new information. In addition to mental effects of

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 Wilson School District’s High School Start Time

sleep deprivation, “optimal sleep is likely beneficial in reaching peak athletic performance” as

well (Mah et al.). Performance is impacted by sleep.

Health consequences, such as bodily injury, is especially a concern for teenagers who fall

asleep at the wheel. Studies have shown that even slight sleep deprivation can impair driving

abilities to the same effect as alcohol does (Williamson 649). Wilson has 277 student cars

registered for a parking pass (Durkan), meaning at least 277 students are potentially at risk for

driving while sleep deprived. The effects of sleep deprivation on mental awareness negatively

impact students’ abilities to perform well in academics and athletics, as well as their health, all of

which are valued by Wilson School District. In order to improve learning circumstances, policy

intervention should be considered.

Current Policy: Every student attending Wilson High School starts at precisely 7:33am

(“Wilson High” 47). Currently, there is no policy to address the sleep deprivation that is

exacerbated by this early school start time.

Two Policy Alternatives: This policy brief will propose two alternatives to the current school

start time policy that may better enable students to obtain proper sleep. One alternative is an

example of regulation, and would entail that Wilson’s school start time be pushed back far

enough for students to sleep until eight in the morning (Kraft and Furlong 105). An 8:40 a.m.

bell will allow this because the average student travels 25 minutes or less to reach Wilson high

school each morning (Wiand). A later start time implies a later end time. The new schedule

would push each period back one hour and seven minutes, having school end at 3:47 in the

afternoon.

Another way to address sleep deprivation in Wilson High School students is to maintain the

current schedule but implement an educational policy, an example of education from the policy

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maker’s toolbox (Kraft and Furlong 105). There are multiple approaches an educational program

could take, such as a guest speaker series, but the proposed alternative is to add sleep education

to the mandatory health course’s curriculum. Wilson is “constantly updating/writing curriculum

that meets students’ needs, contains the latest scientific research, and is aligned with the states

[sic] standards” (Rinella). An addition of sleep education would therefore be appropriate. This

change, however, would require health teachers to be educated and trained in aiding students in

improving their sleep habits. The proposed program would take a week out of the current course

and focus on the science, ramifications, and solutions to sleep deprivation of each individual

student. Students would learn about systems and REM cycles, record a sleep journal, and

complete a project where they propose and test their own improvements to their sleep habits.

Methods for sleep education can be found elsewhere, such as the program plan for university

students (Brown and Walter). This educational policy would supplement the current health

course required to graduate from Wilson High School.

Criteria: The proposed schedule alternatives can be evaluated in three ways: effectiveness,

efficiency, and administrative feasibility. Effectiveness is defined as the “likelihood of achieving

policy goals” (Kraft and Furlong 175). In this case, an effective schedule alternative would

enable students to sleep at their natural times (between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m.) for optimal

performance and health. Efficiency is defined as “the achievement of program goals or benefits

in relationship to the costs” (Kraft and Furlong 175). To evaluate the schedule options, efficiency

will refer to the most effective outcome that takes the fewest changes, money, and resources.

Administrative feasibility is the “likelihood that a department or agency can implement the

policy well” (Kraft and Furlong 175). In context, policies will be deemed administratively

feasible if the schoolboard can likely implement the policy successfully as planned.

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 Wilson School District’s High School Start Time

Evaluation: The issue to be addressed is sleep deprivation in Wilson High School’s student

population. The current start time of 7:33 a.m. is exacerbating sleep deprivation. Based on clear

scientific evidence summarized earlier, it is apparent that the early school start time is ineffective

towards the goal of improving students’ sleep, health, and performance. Leaving the schedule as

it is currently is efficient in the sense that it will not take any money, energy, or time, but

inefficient in that using the fewest resources possible, being none here, does not address the issue

effectively. Therefore, overall, the current policy is inefficient. Administrative feasibility is the

only criteria that the current policy successfully fulfills, for it would take no effort to make no

change; however, Wilson’s goal should be to improve the educational environment for students.

Districts that have committed to addressing sleep deprivation have found success, such as the

high school in Minneapolis, and Wilson should, in some way, address the issue.

The first schedule alternative would be to postpone the morning bell until 8:40 in the

morning. This will effectively give students the opportunity to sleep at the ideal time because

they will not be expected in class before their bodies generally want to wake up. Effectiveness

can be expected based on districts that have changed school start times in the past. For example,

a study found that 50 percent of students reached at least eight hours of sleep with delayed

school start times, instead of a mere 37 percent of students before the start time was delayed

(Owens et al. 644). There are many statistics and experiments that have similar results: more

rested, better prepared students (Kelly and Clarke, Carskadon et al., Wahlstrom).

As described earlier, efficiency refers to using the fewest resources and finances as

possible while still reaching the goal effectively. Noted expenses of delaying school start times

often begins with bus scheduling and can also affect childcare (Wolfson and Carskadon 55). Bus

scheduling is a serious concern because the associated changes in bus routes can be costly and

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 Wilson School District’s High School Start Time

complicated. However, there are schools with dedicated supervisors that have overcome the

challenge of bus scheduling. Wilson could add tiers to current bus routes so that more buses and

bus drivers do not need to be paid for. Another potential solution is for Wilson to exchange the

high school bus schedule with the elementary school bus schedule as Monroe County

Community School Corp. in Indiana is considering (Keck). Essentially, this would switch the

elementary and high school hours; however, this may lead to schedule conflicts of parents’ work

schedules and young children’s school schedules, which is why more creative solutions are ideal

in order to avoid other expenses such as extend childcare programs. Due to the fact that delaying

the school start time is proven most effective, potential costs should be addressed, avoided,

and/or resolved wherever necessary, depending on the nature of the school. This solution can be

considered efficient if implemented in a way that best utilizes resources at Wilson’s disposal

because it also would lead to successful results.

The solution of postponing the morning bell still requires much effort in regards to

administrative feasibility. This change will affect the district and surrounding community in

multiple ways. In addition to the bus dilemma addressed above, administration will have to

overcome multiple other challenges if the school start time is delayed, such as the scheduling of

afterschool activities. If schools are let out later in the day, many parents and teachers are

concerned that students will miss valuable class time for club and sport competitions. As a

solution, some schools rearranged the times of competitions and practices. Through collaboration

with different coaches and advisors, later school start times did not affect the time students spent

in class (“Eight”). Well-rested students make better competitors.

Furthermore, many families are concerned that their children would not have enough time for

after-school employment if schools ended later in the day. Families that rely on the income of

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 Wilson School District’s High School Start Time

teenagers to help support the family are especially concerned. However, when schools

implemented later school start times, employees noted that fewer workers were needed before

schools were let out. Despite later end times, work opportunities were noted to be foundationally

unchanged (“Eight”). In conclusion, student employees with later school end times can continue

to work without much impact to their pay.

Implementing the above alternative can be daunting, and it is important to consider other

options as well, such as the educational program. An educational program may be more effective

than doing nothing; however, there is no evidence to support an educational program having as

positive and substantial of an effect on sleep deprivation as changes in school start times have.

An educational program would likely work as other health-related informational programs have.

Research has shown that informing people of healthy eating and obesity will have little to no

effect on long term health even though it is politically feasible (Brescoll et al. 178), which is why

it is expected that an educational program would be ineffective. Concerning efficiency, an

educational program is a compromise between the current policy and other proposed alternative.

It will take some resources and finances, such as the training of current health teachers by sleep

experts and doctors, but potentially less effort than changing the entire school’s schedule.

Administrative feasibility similarly is an aspect of an educational program that can be

appealing. It will take effort from the health department, but the initial effort will be short lived,

for once the program is implemented for a few years, it will work as any other aspect of the

health curriculum. An educational program is likely to be less effective and inefficient towards

reaching the ultimate goal of a well-rested student population.

The school must prioritize. It is logical that the schoolboard should be focused primarily on

the educating of Wilson students, and therefore, makes effectiveness the highest priority.

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 Wilson School District’s High School Start Time

Efficiency is ideal, but in this case, if a policy is administratively feasible and effective,

efficiency does not necessarily have to follow. Similarly, if an alternative is effective and

efficient, administration should be creative and work towards success for the sake of Wilson

students.

Conclusion: The aforementioned science and ramifications of sleep deprivation prove it is vital

for schools to intervene and create policy solutions. Therefore, the current policy is not an

acceptable solution and policy intervention is crucial for enhancing the learning environment and

overall athletic performance and health of students attending Wilson High School. Based on the

above criteria and evaluation, it is evident that delaying the school start time will be most

effective. The costs and time for delaying the morning bell may be higher than doing nothing or

a down payment on training educators, but the effectiveness is higher as well. Therefore,

delaying the morning bell is a relatively efficient solution, for it will successfully meet the goal

of improving the learning environment while minimizing costs.

It is not the most administratively feasible, but it is practical, efficient, and effective, and

therefore worthwhile. It is not as simple as maintaining the current policy, but it is most efficient

because it is the most likely to succeed in the objective of improving the sleep habits of Wilson

students. Although this change will require creative solutions for busing and other potential

dilemmas, the benefits of delaying the school start time greatly outweighs the initial energy it

will require to make the change. Educational programs may benefit some students, but the effects

will likely not be as impactful, as other health issues have shown, such as educational programs

on childhood obesity (Brescoll et al. 185). To implement a later school start time, it is

recommended that the school board educates themselves in the science in order to educate the

community. This education will lead to a greater understanding of the need for change and a

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 Wilson School District’s High School Start Time

better understanding of how change can be applied to the district. The school board will need to

decide how to address transportation, extracurricular activities, sport competitions, and finances

in order to establish a later school start time, but it is recommended that this change be focused

on to benefit the students.

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 Wilson School District’s High School Start Time

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