School+sleep+project

You can work solo or with a partner, but your partner must be someone you have never worked with before on a project in this class. If you worked alone for the brain project, now you will work with a partner.

Please address the following questions: Remember that we are at the minimum number of minutes for time on learning so the school day cannot be shortened unless you change state law, though sure, you can make it longer -if you get the town to agree to pay teachers more ;)
 * Your job is to clearly argue when our school should start and why that is the appropriate time to start, based on research. School start time is going to change, you can and will have a say with this assignment.**
 * When specifically do you think school should start for the teenage brain, explain why. (You must state a time!) Now that the Superintendent has stated a plan, address this plan specifically. Do you agree or disagree with the plan put forward and why. Backing yourself up with evidence here is key.
 * How can your suggestions be balanced for families with lots of different people going different places at different times? Do remember that your family is not the same as all families, please don't make assumptions, you need to present data. How can your plan work to support education and additionally with sports, clubs, younger siblings, working families, activities, band, etc?


 * **What specific ideas do you have for making start times work better for the entire school district?**
 * **Most importantly, how will your suggested start time support learning?**
 * **Address potential issues, (sports late at night, people naturally oppose change) and suggest ways to overcome them. You are, after all constituents and experts on this matter.**
 * **Many school districts have experimented with this already. You can look to their experiences for insight and other research.**

Your audience in the Burlington School Committee and School Superintendent. Honors will be writing formal letters to all. CP will **either** be writing a formal letter **or** creating an artistic and cleverly done poster with slogan, etc.


 * You are the experts on teen brains but you must use a bibliography that cites your sources! (in APA format, see top of home page for how to generate the citations, use endnotes or footnotes. No, you cannot cite me or my ppt.)**

Cite your sources on the back of your poster or on a separate page attached to your letter if you want it to be graded. This is to prepare you for college.

Step 1: rough draft with key resources and a slogan for a poster. All propaganda has a good slogan. Posters will be displayed prominently with your name on the front. Letters will have your signature, so please take time and pride in your work. Step 2: Identify key argument points and great resources. In your letter address all challenges and make specific suggestions for resolving these challenges. In a poster it is not possible to go this in-depth, but make some key points. Step 3: Make sure your argument is cited, your opinion is super valuable, but data is stronger. Step 4: Get large chart paper for your poster (if that is what you are making!) and use colors and images to really make your argument come to life. Or go to google templates and find a formal letter template to use for writing your 6 formal letters to the 5 school committee members and Superintendent. Yes, you will use your address and their home address.
 * Steps for poster or letter**

Creativity: 25% - Is your plan interesting and reasonable? Have you considered all objections and all players? Do you address objections to your plan? Research: 65% -Is your plan backed by scientific evidence? Does it have specifics? Do you cite your sources in APA? Did you find a wide variety of sources? Did you look at case studies? Format: 10% - Is your letter in proper formal letter format and did you write one to each school committee member and the Superintendent? Is your poster attractive, and does it sell us on your point.
 * Rubric:**

50 point assignment

Resources for sleep research, a nice place to start, feel free to peruse others: Note, I did not cite the below in APA format, this is just a list!

[|startschoollater.net] Sleepfoundation.org brainpickings.org Johnshopkins newscientist [|radiolab podcast] [|npr] [|sleep time video] [|sleep deprivation in teens] [|sleep deprivation webmd] [|sleep deprivation in teens] [|sleep deprivation makes]very bad things happen [|why are American teens so sleep deprived?]

Research surrounding school start times continues to be published. While some of this research conflicts, there is a large amount of research indicating that a later high school start time would be beneficial to students social/emothional wellness and overall performance in school. As discussed below, the Middlesex League of Superintendents signed a letter pledging to examine start times at the high school between 8:00a-8:30a. **News Articles, Research & Helpful Information** Boston Public Schools - School Start Times Work - November 2017 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Assocation (MIAA) State on Start Times - December 2016 Huffington Post - Improving American Education: Two Crucial School Changes (article written by LPS student) - September 1, 2017 PBS - Frontline - Inside the Teenage Brain Pubmed.gov - Delayed school start times and adolescent sleep: A systematic review of the experimental evidence - June 29, 2015 New York Times - The Economic Case for Letting Teenagers Sleep a Little Later - September 13, 2017 Massachusetts Legislature - Bill H289 - An Act authorizing a study to institute a later start time to the school day Start School Later - Healthy Hours Website Start School Later - Myths and Misconceptions Website Moveon.org Petition - Start Massachusetts Middle and High Schools After 8:30 AM CBS Boston - Concord-Carlisle High School Switches To Later Start Time - September 7, 2017 USA Today Article - If later school start times are better, why aren't they more popular? - August 17, 2017 WBUR - Later School Start Times Spark Debate In California - August 14, 2017 Community Advocate - Group identifies need for a later school start time for Northborough-Southborough teens - August 8, 2017 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Huffington Post - The Concerning Link Between Inadequate Sleep and Adolescent Substance Use - July 11, 2017 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Metro - Schools might start later in Massachusetts after experts say teens need more sleep - May 31, 2017 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">MassLive - Petition calls for delayed start times at Massachusetts schools - May 30, 2017 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">New York Times Article - The Science of Adolescent Sleep - May 22, 2017 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Youtube - Why School Should Start Later For Teens – TED Talk - November 2016 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">USA Today - Later starts disrupt families: Opposing view - August 25, 2016 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Boston Globe - Students find more awareness with later starts - May 10, 2016 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">USA Today Article - High schools, wake up to later start times: Our view - August 27, 2014