In-School and Out-of-School Factors That Build Student Achievement

Significance of Total Weekly In-School and Out-of-School Learning Time

The data from these studies consistently show that high achievers at the elementary and high school levels spent more time in weekly learning activities than their low-achieving counterparts. These include activities in school and activities in out-of-school enrichment situations. Exhibit 5 shows that high-achieving first- through sixth-grade students spent a total of 44 hours and 40 minutes per week doing weekly learning activities (in and out of school), while low-achieving first through sixth graders spent 42 hours and 34 minutes per week doing these same activities. (The difference between the two groups was 2 hours and 6 minutes). Total weekly learning time was positively correlated with achievement for the elementary students.

Exhibit 5 Total Weekly In-School and Out-of-School Learning Time, by Achievement Level * p<.01

Following the same pattern, the high-achieving high school juniors spent 47 hours and 37 minutes per week doing learning activities (in and out of school), while low-achieving high school juniors spent 40 hours and 15 minutes per week in these activities. (The difference between the two groups was 7 hours and 22 minutes). Findings for both elementary and high school students were statistically significant. It is very likely that these weekly differences in time-use patterns are cumulative over time. For example, the weekly difference of 2 hours and 6 minutes for elementary students translates into 79 hours and 48 minutes over a 38-week school year. The nearly 80-hour yearly difference in "engaged learning activity" may contribute to higher scoring students, on average. As time goes by, high and low achievers may display more obvious differences in their amount of exposure to constructive out-of-school learning activities.