About 550 school districts in 25 states operate on four-day school weeks, according to a new report from the Center on Reinventing Public Education.
The report found interest in the compressed schedules has risen in response to fiscal crises in the 1980s and the Great Recession. The schedule has gained popularity in rural districts, which have used it as a selling point to entice teachers.
However, the report found little evidence to date that the schedule improves student achievement in participating districts.