Summary & Paraphrase

Summary

According to an article written by USA Today, titled “High Schools, Wake Up!”, sleep researchers from Brown University and the University of Montana discovered that teenagers who wake up at a later time, even an hour later, tend to be more alert and ready to learn than sending teenagers to school by 7:30 a.m. Despite overcoming challenges with commuting, sports, and employers, the improved performance from allowing teens to sleep longer in the morning far out ways the conflict according to 92% of all people who participated in the change.
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Paraphrase

Paul D. Houston’s Opposing View: Reform No Child’s Play

Despite the belief that waking up early allows people to get an early start, this is not true for all ages. Recent research on the teenage brain showed a unique change in sleep patterns causing students to perform better later in the day and function more clearly into the evening. As a result, many districts suggest a change in school schedules for high school students might be the solution. Although this change in schedule would greatly improve teen’s performance, change is not always as easy as it sounds. Elementary and Middle school age students would need to start earlier to compensate, thus little boys and girls would be standing outside in the dark waiting for their bus in the morning. In addition, another obstacle discouraging districts from changes are the local businesses. Many teens would no longer be able to work for businesses that depend on teenage labor and parents who used to leave the house to get to work at an early time no longer would be able to do so. Because high schools do not stand alone as an independent organization, leaders must make wise choices in order to watch out for the needs of everyone, otherwise, everything between buses and businesses are greatly affected. Therefore, school districts must communicate with one another, and the community, through constant exploration and research. As one can see, great educational ideas are easier said than done.