Bill Overview
Title: ZZZ’s to A’s Act
Description: This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to conduct a study that examines the relationship between school start times and adolescent health, well-being, and performance; comprehensively reviews the scientific evidence relating to that relationship; compares adolescent health, well-being, and performance among local educational agencies with different school start times; and evaluates factors that contribute to, or affect, school start times. ED shall report its findings and recommendations to Congress.
Sponsors: Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-19]
Target Audience
Population: People in their adolescent years
Estimated Size: 42000000
- The bill focuses on examining school start times and their impact, which primarily affects adolescents attending schools.
- There are an estimated 1.2 billion adolescents worldwide between the ages of 10 and 19, according to the World Health Organization.
- School start times vary globally and are a common factor in school operational policies, linking the analysis to a broad global audience.
- The outcomes of the study could influence international educational policies, making this a worldwide concern for all adolescents currently attending schools that might be affected by policy changes based on such findings.
Reasoning
- The policy examines impacts on adolescents, but indirectly affects parents, teachers, and administrators.
- Interviews should include perspectives from adolescents, parents, and school staff to assess a comprehensive impact.
- The budget indicates a small-scale study with potential focused interviews and surveys rather than large-scale nationwide data collection.
- Some population segments, like urban vs rural schools, may experience different impacts due to varied current start times and constraints.
Simulated Interviews
High School Student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 16 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I often feel tired in the morning and struggle to concentrate in early classes.
- A later school start time could give me more rest and improve my performance.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Middle School Student (Chicago, IL)
Age: 14 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 17/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think starting later could mean going home later, and that might cut into my after-school activities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
High School Teacher (Rural, TX)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- My students often appear tired in the morning; a change might help them be more alert.
- A later start could affect my second job schedule in the evenings.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
School Administrator (New York, NY)
Age: 48 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Adjusting start times will be challenging logistically but could improve student outcomes.
- We need concrete evidence to make a decision.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
High School Student (Miami, FL)
Age: 17 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I struggle with balancing my studying and sleeping time.
- A change in start time might allow more sleep, but it depends on how extracurriculars are adjusted.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Middle School Student (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 13 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 19/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I like my school start time; I focus better in the morning.
- My mom's schedule works well with my current school hours.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
High School Student (Seattle, WA)
Age: 15 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think later starts could help with morning practices and energy levels during school.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Parent (Boston, MA)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've seen how tired my kids are, and a later start could help them get more sleep.
- However, it will be important to manage pickup times as I have work commitments.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
High School Student (Denver, CO)
Age: 16 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- My current schedule works well, but I notice some classmates struggle with early starts.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
School Counselor (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 41 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've been advocating for later start times due to mental health benefits.
- It might improve overall student satisfaction and reduce stress.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $7000000)
Year 2: $2000000 (Low: $1000000, High: $3000000)
Year 3: $1000000 (Low: $500000, High: $1500000)
Year 5: $500000 (Low: $250000, High: $750000)
Year 10: $100000 (Low: $50000, High: $150000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The cost estimate is primarily driven by the logistical and personnel expenses of conducting a nationwide study involving multiple local educational agencies.
- There may be variability in costs based on the scale and depth of comparative analyses required in the study.
- Departments may need to allocate additional funds for unforeseen administrative and data acquisition expenses.