Giving Compass' Take:

• Shawna De La Rosa, writing for Education Dive, reports on how schools are shifting schedules based on research that says certain changes lead to stronger student engagement and educator instruction. 

• How can donors support research and educators that want to adjust traditional models?

• Read more about whether or not changing school start times will improve the quality of education. 

The classroom norm has changed drastically since the introduction of what's known as more traditional learning formats: early school starts, many classes each day and the same set of electives. Today, high school students are expected to complete more credits, have a chosen career path, and maybe even have some professional certifications under their belt by the time they graduate.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland., has switched up its school day to lighten homework loads, reduce unproductive transitions and improve student focus, among other goals, EdSurge reports. The changes were made based on neuroscience and student learning research from the school's Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning.

After 18 months of planning, the school — which starts at 8:30 a.m. — rolled out a new schedule with longer classes that meet three times a week, rather than four shorter periods. The school hopes longer periods will promote creative teaching and deeper learning, spur less overwhelming homework loads, and allow for more focus and a more moderate school life tempo, EdSurge notes.

Later start times, for example, have been linked to fewer suspensions and higher grades, especially for disadvantaged students, and multiple school districts have embraced this model so far. The group Start School Later claims early high school start times force students to walk or drive to school in the dark and leave them sleep deprived — which ultimately hurts their academic performance and overall well-being.

Making school schedule changes is a major adjustment that will have impacts on not only students, but also their families and educators, and it's up to administrators to make sure schools' bases are covered before switching things up.

Read the full article about improving school schedules by Shawna De La Rosa at Education Dive