Education cuts could shorten school year - Joshua Emerson Smith, California Watch

Reducing the school year and increasing class sizes are the two ways districts usually save significant amounts of money. Class sizes are fast approaching state limits or are in danger of violating safety codes. And California already has one of the shortest school years in the country. Bigger classes and shorter school years typically mean students get less individual attention, said Michael Kirst, professor emeritus of education and business administration at Stanford University. He said there’s currently limited research on the topic, but shorter school years often mean students don’t master the skills taught at the end of the year, skills that are often the most challenging and important for advancing to the next grade level. To a certain extent, technology can mitigate some of the negative effects, Kirst said. He points to a website called khanacademy.org that helps students get answers to specific questions about math.