School Start &

Dismissal Times

Phase I--Task Force: February 2014-December 2014
Phase II--New Work: January 2015-December 2015
Phase III--Community Involvement: January 2016-February 2016
Phase IV--Board Requested Options: March 2016-Present

Students & Sleep: Health-related Research

In order to make a more informed decision regarding school start times AACPS reviewed research related to the connection between teen health and sleep. Follow the links below to hear, watch, and read recent conversations about this topic.

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Study Says School Starts Too Early for Teens , August 24, 2015

In this National Public Radio Audio interview , Dr. Anne Wheaton, epidemiologist in the CDC's Division of Population Health, joins NPR to discuss the findings of a recent CDC study and explain why students need more sleep. An infographic highlighting the study’s findings is available here.

  Video: CDC--Early School Start Times Could Lead to Health Issues for Students, August 10, 2015

This newscast includes CDC research as well as the practicalities of busing, after school, jobs, and childcare which all must be considered when moving school start times.

  Video: Health Experts Recommend Later School Bells, August 22, 2015

This newscast includes CDC research as well as a Superintendent speaking about the 30 min change his district is making to school start times this year.

Only one in five Washington secondary schools start late enough, CDC says, August 17, 2015 

This article discusses recent CDC research about high school start times across the country.


Looking for more information?

Click on a topic below for more research related to students' sleep needs.