CONTENTS: Introduction Recent History The Research Implications of the Research Conclusion Endnotes References Are you printing this paper? This section as well as the entire document is available in a printer-friendly format.

by Julie Aronson, Joy Zimmerman and Lisa Carlos ©1998 WestEd. All rights reserved. Conclusion In conclusion, it appears that time is but one of several important variables in the complex equation that determines how much students learn in school. The research literature suggests that, while time is certainly a critical factor, by itself it has little direct impact on student performance. Simply adding time to the school year or day would not likely produce large scale gains in student achievement. Rather, what research studies repeatedly find is that in education, quality is the key to making time matter. Of particular importance is providing curriculum and instruction geared to the needs and abilities of students, engaging them so they will return day after day, continuing to build on what they have learned. In other words, educators must -- to the greatest extent possible -- make every hour count. What matters most are those catalytic moments when students are absorbed in instructional activities that are adequately challenging, yet allow them to experience success. This then -- maximizing the time during which students are actively and appropriately engaged in learning -- is one lens through which any education reform measure should be viewed. Policy makers and practitioners should evaluate any potential reform with an eye to whether and how it will contribute to increasing the amount of time when students are truly learning. Only when time is used more effectively will adding more of it begin to result in improved learning outcomes for all students.