The four-day school week has become increasingly popular in Missouri in recent years. As of fall 2023, approximately 28 percent of all Missouri public school districts have adopted this schedule. But how much do we know about its impact on student achievement, district finances, teacher recruitment and retention, or parental satisfaction? The short answer is: not as much as you might expect.
At this free event, Show-Me Institute Director of Research James Shuls and Policy Analyst Avery Frank will share their latest research on the impact of the four-day school week, explore how Missouri parents feel about it, and more.
Related Publications
A Systematic Literature Review of the Four-day School Week
Five for Me: A Survey of Missourians Regarding the Four-day School Week
About the Speakers
James V. Shuls
Director of Research and Senior Fellow
James V. Shuls is an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Missouri St. Louis. His work has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Phi Delta Kappan, Social Science Quarterly, Education Week, The Rural Educator, Educational Policy, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He earned his Ph.D. in education policy from the University of Arkansas. He holds a bachelors degree from Missouri Southern State University and a masters degree from Missouri State University, both in elementary education. Prior to pursuing his doctorate, James taught first grade and fifth grade in southwest Missouri.
Avery Frank
Policy Analyst
Avery Frank earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics (with honors) and political science from Sewanee: University of the South in 2022. He also studied at the London School of Economics in 2021 and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Societies. His research interests include education policy and economic development,
