Four-Day School Week Across State Lines: Insights on Attendance from Missouri and Arkansas
By Kate Barnes and Sarah McKenzie, Ph.D.
This report sheds light on the relationship between four-day school weeks and attendance in Missouri and Arkansas schools.
Key Points:
Missouri and Arkansas have increasingly adopted the four-day school week (4DSW) model, particularly in rural districts facing financial and staffing challenges.
Advocates of the 4DSW argue that it can improve student attendance by providing families additional flexibility for scheduling appointments and other commitments.
Using quasi-experimental methods, we analyzed the effect of 4DSW adoption on student attendance in Missouri and Arkansas school districts.
Results from Missouri, where many districts have used the 4DSW for over a decade, show no significant impact on overall student attendance.
In Arkansas, a more recent adopter, we find small but statistically significant improvements in attendance, particularly among economically disadvantaged students. However, these improvements tend to diminish over time.
The findings suggest that the four-day school week should not be adopted solely to improve student attendance, as its effects in this area are modest and inconsistent.
Please Cite As:
Barnes, K., & McKenzie., S. (2024). Four-Day School Week Across State Lines: Insights on Attendance from Missouri and Arkansas. Policy Research in Missouri Education, 7(1). St. Louis University. www.primecenter.org/education-reports-database/attendance-4dsw