Tom Harkin: “as we seek to ensure that our students have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college and careers, we…”

“as we seek to ensure that our students have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college and careers, we must revisit how learning time is structured to help them meet the ever-rising expectations and ever-growing demands of the 21st century global economy. The Time for Innovation Matters in Education Act, or TIME Act, would provide high-need schools with the resources they need to expand the school day, week, or year so students have more time to learn. By providing additional time for more in-depth and rigorous learning opportunities in core and other academic subjects, as well as enrichment activities that contribute to a well-rounded education, we can increase students' academic engagement and outcomes to help close our nation's achievement gap. That is why I am pleased to introduce this legislation, which my colleague Rep. Donald Payne will introduce in the House, today. Under our present school calendar, most American students spend 6 hours a day for 180 days in school each year. This outdated calendar was designed to meet the needs of a farm- and factory-based economy in the early 20th century, and fails to provide students with the learning time needed to complete a rigorous curriculum and meet high standards. In fact, American students spend about 30 percent less time in school than students in other leading nations, leaving American students at a competitive disadvantage.…”