ST. PETERSBURG — Sitting in the school library on a brisk and breezy Saturday morning, Cadi Moorehead proudly held up two sheets of paper.
6 Months Ago
5 Months Ago
6 Months Ago
"I wrote a two-page story about Nate the Great," she announced.
Cadi, 9, could have slept in. She could have played outside. But she wanted to be in school. So here she was on a Saturday morning at Fairmount Park Elementary, doing math on an iPad, reading aloud from Nate the Great, the children’s series about a boy detective, and writing a story about what she read.
More than two dozen schools in Pinellas County are offering Saturday classes this year as part of an effort to give students more opportunities to catch up or even get ahead in their schoolwork. Students aren’t required to attend and most Saturday sessions last only a few hours. But the programs fit into superintendent Mike Grego’s vision of expanding school hours for students who need it the most. Since he was hired in 2012, Grego launched summer school, started before- and after-school tutoring, and created a program to provide lap tops to students in low-income schools.
Grego hasn’t required schools to hold Saturday sessions, but he described the extra one-on-one attention for students as "priceless."
Efforts to extend the school day and year are common nationwide, particularly in low-performing schools where some students are years behind their classmates. Former President Barack Obama also encouraged school districts to lengthen school hours as a strategy to compete with other countries whose students spent more time in school.
Research about the approach is mixed, however. Some programs gave students an academic boost, while others didn’t. According to a federal report released about two years ago, programs worked best when they targeted students for specific skills, such as reading, and students were taught by certified teachers. Some of the benefits also were less tangible than test scores — in some cases, students were more motivated and had better behavior when they attended the programs, the report said.
For some students, the programs also give them a safe place to go.
Principal Stephanie Joyner said they started Saturday classes at Largo Middle School last month. The school provides students with transportation and a snack. So far, 59 students have registered. The sessions include 30 minutes of physical education — a hook for some students, who come to play sports but still get academic support.
"However I can get them here, I want them here," she said.
Many of the schools offering Saturday sessions this year are low performing. There are a dozen elementary schools, including six of the eight schools that get extra support as part of the district’s Transformation Zone, plus five middle schools and about a dozen high schools.
Lisa Wolf, district spokeswoman, said they didn’t track which schools offered Saturday sessions in past years, so it’s difficult to know if this is an expansion. The district also had no available count of how many students are participating this year.
The programs are being paid for with dollars earmarked for extended learning and low-income students. Teachers who cover Saturday sessions receive their base pay, minus the referendum dollars built into their regular paychecks.
Grego said one pitfall of such programs is the potential for burnout, not only for students but for teachers. That’s why the schools are flexible about how often they offer Saturday classes and who attends. Some administrators, who are required to be on campus if students are, take turns covering the sessions to allow others to see their families and get a break.
Joyner said she takes turns with the assistant principals, and Largo Middle only holds Saturday sessions twice a month.
"We really want to make sure teachers get the rest and enjoy the weekend too," Grego said.
At Fairmount Park, which started its Saturday Academy last semester, students get the benefit of a relaxed atmosphere and small group instruction. The school invited about 60 students in third, fourth and fifth grades to attend, said Principal Kristy Moody. Not every child who needs it will come, and some can’t make it because of participation in sports or family obligations. But "a lot of kids wanted to come," she said.
"We’re not going to turn anyone away," she said.
Emma Sichette, a third-year teacher at Fairmount, said that teaching on Saturday morning gets her day started. She often comes in workout clothes and goes to the gym afterward, she said. She said that she’s also committed to helping the school.
"I like to help out where I can," she said.
A first-year teacher, Annie Nemeth teaches on Saturdays and tutors children after school three days a week. She said she teaches the extra hours because she wants to help the children and, as an added bonus, it helps her grow in her profession.
"I’m passionate about this," she said.
Shandreeka Henry, 10, said her older sister walks her to Saturday Academy at Fairmount. She said she enjoys being in school the extra time.
"They help us with what we need to understand," she said.
For Cadi, who also attends after-school tutoring at Fairmount, the extra hours have paid off: Her F in math is now a C.
Staff writer Colleen Wright contributed to this report. Contact Cara Fitzpatrick at cfitzpatrick@tampabay.com. Follow @Fitz_ly.
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