What is wrong with school?

David Harper, December 8 2015

If sleep is so important then why the **** does school start so early?
-Anonymous
For a science devoted to studying people, it is ironic that it so often fails to study one-third of peoples
lives. All too often we take it for granted, but sleep is all too important to our waking lives. As with
many things, this is especially true of sleep in adolescence a stage of life that largely centers around
school. Ontario clearly considers education a priority, spending $24 billion on education annually
(Treasury Board Secretariat, 2015), including many initiatives to increase student success. Where is the
policy discussion on sleep?
Adolescents between the ages of 11 and 22 need a recommended 9 hours and 15 minutes of sleep every
night to function at their best (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2014), with some experts
recommending as much as 11 hours (Chan, 2012). But few teens are getting that much sleep as few as
15% get an average 8.5 hours (Sleep Foundation, 2006). Even then the statistics can be misleading; the
average Canadian teen gets half an hour more sleep on weekends, skewing the average (Statistics
Canada, 2005).
Without a good nights sleep, teenagers have trouble concentrating, causing their grades to suffer
(Richter, 2015). Even when time that would have been spent sleeping is being spent to study, students
who sacrifice sleep achieve lower grades than their peers who got a full nights rest (Gillen-ONeel,
2013).
These effects on academics should be reason enough to worry, but the problem does not end there.
Chronic lack of sleep has been associated with aggressive behaviour, depression and suicide (Sleep
Foundation, 2006), all of which are already strongly felt in adolescence. Sleep deprivation has also been
linked to the abuse of drugs and alcohol by heightening their effects, leading to an increased incidence
of impaired driving (ibid). In contrast, students who get enough sleep at night are less likely to be obese,
are less likely to be involved in a car accident, and do better on standardized tests (American Association
of Pediatrics, 2014). If lack of sleep was a drug, it would surely be quickly banned. Instead, there is a
deafening silence on the issue.
Many parents would argue that the obvious solution is for their children to go to bed earlier, perhaps
after losing access to their cell phones and computers. However, research has shown that adolescents
biological clocks are set to give them a boost of energy late in the evening, around the same time their
middle-aged parents are falling asleep (Spinks, 2002). This kind of solution to the problem might
actually be making it worse: the Looking-Glass theory of socialization argues that we form our identity
through how we believe others perceive us. Surely the teenager who believes his or her parents see
them as lazy will start to believe it! Perhaps the solution needs to come from the system itself rather
than the individual?
One independent school in Rhode Island decided to try and tackle this problem by setting their start time
half an hour later, from 8:00 to 8:30 (Owens, 2010). Because the school was a boarding school, the

school was able to enforce the same lights out time as previously, ensuring the students received more
sleep. In fact, after introducing this new policy, students reported getting an average 45 minutes more of
sleep, with 59% reporting that they slept for at least 8 hours (ibid). But this was hardly the most
important finding! The school found that shortly after introducing the new start time, attendance and
reported motivation both increased markedly (ibid).
In a separate study, researchers analyzed attendance and test scores from eight high schools in three U.S.
states that shifted their school day later. They found that all these factors showed increases, while at the
same time tardiness, substance abuse, depression and car crashes all decreased dramatically (Richmond,
2015). In contrast, researchers who studied a school that moved its start time an hour earlier found that
few students changed their bedtimes, resulting in them being pathologically sleepy (ibid).
With an estimated 40% of U.S. high schools starting before 8 am (American Academy of Pediatrics,
2014), there is clearly room to shift the start of the school day later without pushing it outside the hours
of a typical workday. The positive effects of delaying the school day are considerable. By delaying the
beginning of school by as little as half an hour, we can improve grades, attendance, mood, and even
safety all without straining the budget. In order to maximize student success, the Ministry of
Education should adopt a later start time across the province for the 2016-17 school year.
Works Cited
Chan, A. (2012, August 23). Skimping On Sleep To Study Could Mean Worse Grades: Study. Retrieved December 8, 2015,
from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/23/sleep-study-grades-deprivation-academics_n_1822229.htm
Gillen-ONeel, C., Huynh, V. W. and Fuligni, A. J. (2013), To Study or to Sleep? The Academic Costs of Extra Studying at the
Expense of Sleep. Child Development, 84: 133142. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01834.x
Owens JA, Belon K, Moss P. (2010) Impact of Delaying School Start Time on Adolescent Sleep, Mood, and Behavior. Arch
Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2010;164(7):608-614. doi:10.1001/archpediatrics.2010.96.
Richmond, E. (2015, August 17). Why School Should Start Later in the Morning. Retrieved December 8, 2015, from
http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/08/why-school-should-start-later/401489/
Richter, R. (2015, October 8). Among teens, sleep deprivation an epidemic. Retrieved December 8, 2015, from
https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2015/10/among-teens-sleep-deprivation-an-epidemic.html
Spinks, S. (2002). Inside the Teenage Brain. Retrieved December 8, 2015, from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/from/sleep.html
Let Them Sleep: AAP Recommends Delaying Start Times of Middle and High Schools to Combat Teen Sleep Deprivation.
(2014, August 23). Retrieved December 8, 2015, from https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/LetThem-Sleep-AAP-Recommends-Delaying-Start-Times-of-Middle-and-High-Schools-to-Combat-Teen-Sleep-Deprivation.aspx
Ministry of Education - THE ESTIMATES, 2015-16 - Summary. (2015). Retrieved December 8, 2015, from
http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/budget/estimates/2015-16/volume1/EDU.html
Teens and Sleep. (2015). Retrieved December 8, 2015, from https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/teens-and-sleep
Who gets any sleep these days? Sleep patterns of Canadians. (2005). Retrieved December 8, 2015, from
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-008-x/2008001/article/10553-eng.htm

11%

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

Theory
[Knowledge 10]

Evidence
[Thinking 30]

Process
[Application 40]

Paper
[Communication
30]

A sociological theory
from the course is used
persuasively to make all
3 key points (the nature,
effect and solution to
this issue) more
convincing.
Considerable specific,
recent and compelling
evidence is presented
to justify the scope and
effect of the problem.
Considerable specific,
recent and compelling
evidence is presented
to justify the proposed
solution.
There are at least 11
citations in proper APA
format. At least 4 are
from academic journals.
All four inquiry sheets
are completely full,
showing both research
and thinking was done.
Every single definitive
statement is backed up
by an appropriate
citation the first time it is
brought up. Other
statements are always
prefixed as opinions
(surely, might be,
probably, etc.).
The paper begins with
an engaging hook
which connects fluidly
to the purpose and
conclusion of the paper.
Each section of the
paper is connected to
the next in a natural,
fluid way.
The paper has no
grammar, punctuation
or spelling errors. Word
count is appropriate.

A sociological theory
from the course is used
persuasively to make 2
key points (the nature,
effect or solution to this
issue) more convincing.

A sociological theory
from the course is used
naturally to make a key
point more convincing.

A sociological theory
from the course is used
appropriately to make a
key point more
convincing.

A sociological theory
from the course is
appropriately applied to
this topic.

Specific, recent and

comprehensive
evidence is presented
to justify the scope and
effect of the problem.
Specific, recent and
comprehensive
evidence is presented
to justify the proposed
solution.
There are at least 10
citations in proper APA
format. At least 3 are
from academic journals.

Considerable specific
and recent evidence is
presented to justify the
scope and effect of the
problem.
Considerable specific
and recent evidence is
presented to justify the
proposed solution.
There are at least 9
citations in proper APA
format. At least 2 are
from academic journals.

Specific and recent

evidence is presented
to justify the scope and
effect of the problem.
Specific and recent
evidence is presented
to justify the proposed
solution.
There are at least 8
citations in proper APA
format. At least 1 is
from an academic
journal.

Specific evidence is
presented to justify the
scope and effect of the
problem.
Specific evidence is
presented to justify the
proposed solution.
There are at least 7
citations in proper APA
format.

All four inquiry sheets

are full.

All four inquiry sheets

are mostly full.

Three inquiry sheets

are completely full.

Nearly every single

definitive statement is
backed up by an
appropriate citation the
first time it is brought
up. Other statements
are always prefixed as
opinions.

Every important
definitive statement is
backed up by an
appropriate citation the
first time it is brought
up. Other statements
are usually prefixed as
opinion.

Nearly every important

definitive statement is
backed up by an
appropriate citation the
first time it is brought
up. Other statements
are usually prefixed as
opinion.

The paper begins with

an engaging hook
which connects fluidly
to the purpose of the
paper.
Most sections of the
paper are connected to
the next in a natural,
fluid way.
The paper has only one
trivial grammar,
punctuation or spelling
error. Word count is
appropriate.

The paper begins with

an engaging hook
which connects to the
purpose and conclusion
of the paper.
Each section of the
paper is connected to
the next.
The paper contains a
few trivial grammar,
punctuation or spelling
errors. Word count may
be slightly off.

The paper begins with

an engaging hook
which connects to the
purpose of the paper.
Most sections of the
paper are connected to
the next.
The paper contains
several trivial grammar,
punctuation or spelling
errors. Word count may
be slightly off.

Three inquiry sheets

are mostly full.

Most definitive
statements are backed
up by citations.

The paper begins with

an attempted hook
which connects to the
purpose of the paper.
Moving from one
section to another is
sometimes jarring.
The paper includes at
least one error that
impede understanding.
Word count may be
noticeably off.

What is wrong with school?

A HSB4U Assignment
Education is a critical part of Canadian society. Not only does it prepare children to take on the responsibilities of
an adult in the workforce, it is also a crucial stage in the socialization of individuals to live up to the expectations
of their society. If we want to have a high standard of living, a low crime rate, or a tolerant society, then
education must be our priority. But there is considerable room for improvement in our education system.
Social scientists often write policy recommendations for the governments of Canada and Ontario. As a social
scientist, your task is to write a policy recommendation for the Ontario Ministry of Education in order to better
prepare Canadian students for the challenges of the 21 st century. Since politics is fraught with conflict, you will
need to have unassailable evidence to back up your arguments.
STEPS
1) Choose a problem facing the Canadian school system.
2) Following the inquiry model, do research into this problem to describe it within Canada. Follow this up by
doing more focused research into its effects on individuals and on society and what other social scientists
have concluded about it (this need not be Canadian). Try to ensure your research focuses on the recent past
(within your lifetime). Keep these pages in order to hand them in as part of your process mark.
3) Integrate your research and the questions brought up in it by describing a potential solution to the problem.
Try to find an example of this solution being done elsewhere. Keep this page in order to hand it in as part of
your process mark.
4) Go through your research notes again. Brainstorm how a sociological theory or socialization theory we
learned about in this course applies to this issue: its nature, effects and proposed solution. Make sure to
describe the theory and how it connects to at least one of these.
5) Using your research notes, write up a policy proposal. Your proposal should be around 750-1500 words plus
bibliography, divided into 5 sections, each connected to the next in a natural way without breaking up the
report. Make sure to include your theory connection somewhere in the report!
a) An introduction with an engaging hook that connects directly to your topic.
b) A section that describes the problem itself. Each definitive statement made should be backed up with an
in-text citation (Author/Publisher Name, Year Published). A definitive statement is a statement presented
as a fact even one that is patently obvious (Fire is hot (Grok, 50000 BC)).
c) A section that describes the effects of the problem, convincing your reader that this problem needs to be
solved. Cite every definitive statement.
d) A section that describes and justifies a potential solution to the problem, citing every definitive statement.
e) A works cited page which lists every source cited in your paper. This should include at least 9 citations
(the ones you found in your inquiry pages), and at least 2 should be from academic journals.

6) Before submitting your paper on Turnitin.com, proofread it for mistakes and compare it to the rubric
(attached) to ensure you get the mark you want!