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Drew Jackson
Mr. Salow
English 11
1.16.17
Persuasion Shown in Year-Round Schooling
The idea of a year round school calendar is a very debated topic throughout the
educational system. Many researchers are for the idea behind helping students of both calendars.
Opinions on the side for year round school believe that it will help students keep a better
memory of their classes, they forget less about what they are learning and working on. Many
people arguing against year round school believe that the system is fine the way it is, you
shouldnt fix something that isnt broken. As schools across the US are changing their schedules
to year round calendars, calendars are becoming more and more of a controversial topic. It is
necessary to analyze the persuasion of the Authors and their opinions. Each Author uses ethos
about statistics and logic to try and prove that their opinion of the school calendar is the better
option for the schools.
A few of the authors use the same type of persuasion to prove their opinion. Varner,
Lyttle, and Naylor use some of the same arguments to persuade. These authors prove their
opinions by using statistics and logic to create a strong emotional tone throughout their research.
For each of the arguments that the author makes they use a storm of evidence to prove how their
point is better than the others. One example of this is shown when Lyttle quotes Metzker about
Researchers and educators have long known that the traditional school calendar doesn't
correlate with children's learning patterns. The long summer break is a hardship, and it
interferes with retention of material, particularly for younger children and for students whose

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families cannot afford summer enrichment activities (qtd.in Lyttle). In this argument Lyttle
uses other research to prove how her opinion is correct. Lyttle summarizes by saying, since this
person discovered this, my opinion is correct. Another example of this is Lyttle using Gandaras
research to show that year-round schooling is also good for teachers. Benefits of year-round
schools are not just for students, but teachers as well. Three schools, with very different
characteristics, undertook to extend their school year to approximately 223 days (from the
previous 180 days), reorganize funding to provide more days of schooling for many students, and
increase the length of the work year, and consequently the salaries, of teachers. All three schools
were able to demonstrate increases in academic achievement, a high level of parent and teacher
satisfaction, and a cost-effective use of existing school facilities, (qtd.in Lyttle). By using
another authors research Lyttle creates an effective way to persuade their reader. Using quotes
and research to prove their opinion creates a strong tone that is not easily recognizable. These
authors are very smart to come off as a quiet voice with a strong tone. This helps the author
convince the reader by not sounding too dramatic and demanding.
These authors might not convince well educated readers by using data but not describing
the evidence as much. Many of the authors use another authors research to prove their opinion
but never describe what the actual evidence is about or describing. It is never shown what the
research is about or anything involving the study and experiment. Lyttle tends to do this often
throughout her essay, such as when she quotes Speck. Year-round education provides the
balance calendar opportunities for year-round professional development that will impact student
learning through continued learning by teachers and staff (dtd.in Lyttle). In this case Lyttle
quotes another researcher but never describes anything about the research. Lyttle goes on
throughout the paragraph only quoting other researchers, she never talks about what the quote

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describes. She continues throughout essay only quoting, she never goes into depth about what the
research talks about. The quotes would be much more effective if it would describe how the
research connects to her statement and opinion. Also, it never talks about the research, what
happened in the study, and what had been discovered throughout the study. The author could how
the research proves her opinion is the only opinion that could be concluded from the data. The
way Lyttle uses these quotes provides a strong tone with a quiet voice, but if looked at closely it
shows that there is no in-depth description of research.
Naylor describes how the data of his quotes describe his opinion well. After claiming
Year-round schooling is frequently promoted as being of particular benefit to low-income
students and families (Naylor) he goes on to create an in-depth description of how the data
proves his opinion.
Von Hippel (2007) stated: Summer learning is particularly slow for poor children
with less-educated parents (Heyns 1978; Entwisle and Alexander 1992; Downey,
von Hippel, and Broh 2004). In fact, it is mainly during the summers between
academic years that poor children lose ground to their middle-class peers
(Alexander, Entwisle, and Olson 2001; Downey, von Hippel, and Broh 2004).
Although poor children are already behind on the first day of kindergarten, during
the school year they nearly hold their own by learning almost as fast, on average,
as their more affluent peers (Downey, von Hippel, and Broh 2004). It is summer
vacation that sets poor children further and further back (Alexander, Entwisle, and
Olson 2001).

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Naylor uses this description to show that he is in fact correct that Year-Round schooling helps
low-income students achieve higher statuses. Also, in this description, Naylor uses other research
to show how other income based families do in the calendar.
Other authors use pathos to persuade their opinion of year round schooling. Authors
Delisle, Walker, and Naylor tend to use pathos more throughout their essay to convince the
reader that their opinion is the best. Values is one of the key factors that Naylor uses to describe
his opinion. When he uses these values, he uses a strong and loud voice to project his feelings.
This is shown greatly when he describes the idea of the Agrarian Calendar. Naylor calls the
Agrarian Calendar a myth saying
here is a homespun myth, treated as fact, that the annual school calendar, with
three months off for both teachers and students, is based on the rhythm of 19th
century farm life, which dictated when school was in session. Thus, planting and
harvesting chores accounted for long summer breaks, an artifact of agrarian
America. Not so. Actually, summer vacations grew out of early 20th century
urban middle-class parents (Revisiting the Issue of Year-Round Schools)
Naylor claims all of the Agrarian Calendar is a myth but he nevers shows evidence
supporting his claims. Never throughout his explanation does he provide a bit of data to show
that his opinion is correct. Naylor also has a strong tone to try and make his claim sound more as
a fact. While the myth of the agrarian calendar may be a minor issue, (Revisiting the Issue of
Year-Round Schools). The undertone of this article is shown greatly in the quote above. It is
shown deeply by the words that Naylor uses. Notice how Naylor calls the agrarian calendar a
myth as in it doesnt truly exist to him at all. Also, he calls it a minor issue, he does not believe
that the agrarian calendar is that much of a threat to his beliefs.

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One author that does a very nice job persuading their readers is Morton Inger. Throughout
his article Inger uses all types of persuasion to successfully persuade his readers. Inger uses
many facts to describe his opinion and why he is correct. After Inger describes his opinion he
uses facts and statistics to prove why he is correct and why his opinion is better than the others.
At the start of the paragraph Inger makes his claim and follows the claim with plentiful data and
research describing that he is right. Also, his data proves that Ingers ideas do not just work on
paper, they also work in the field and have been proven throughout time. One vivid instance that
Inger uses this outline is when he talks about avoiding the construction costs of building extra
schools to continue the traditional 9-month system. He explains that
Expenses would be incurred for building design, engineering, construction, and
furnishing, as well as for infrastructure reconstruction (streets, sewers, water, utilities,
furniture). In 1987, a study done for the California State Board of Education indicated
that it would cost nearly $4 million to build a 24-classroom elementary school (720
students), and more than $6 million to build a secondary school addition to accommodate
720 students, Denton & Walenta, 1993. (Year-Round Education: A Strategy for
Overcrowded Schools)
Inger starts off by describing what a community would pay for in the instance that a community
decided on building a new school. After Inger describes what he is truly attacking and what he
believes could be better, he uses facts to show that building a new school could be excessive. He
also uses a smooth tone that does not attack the readers belief as much. This tone feels calm
throughout the article, it is a perfect amount of definite belief and not to much of convincing the
reader that they are wrong. Inger persuades the reader, under the table, without the reader
knowing. At the end of the article the reader has slowly been shown that Ingers ideas are better

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than the readers before the article was read. This way of persuasion is extremely effective and is
well shown.
It was necessary to analyze how authors on both sides of year-round school. It is
important to show how using a lesser tone with true data is the best way to persuade the reader.
Using a demanding tone in an article is not an effective way to persuade the reader. It is
important to precisely describe the data and research to persuade your reader. The best way to
convince and persuade the reader of your beliefs is to use ethos and logos in a strong, but not
demanding tone.

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Works Cited
Lyttle, Leighanne. Year-Round versus Traditional Schools. Eric.ed.gov. March 3, 2011. Web.
21 Nov. 2016.
Naylor, Charlie. "Revisiting the Issue of Year-Round Schools. BCTF Research Report. Section V.
2012-EI-02." British Columbia Teachers' Federation(2012).
Walker, Karen. "Year-Round School. Research Brief." Education Partnerships, Inc. (2009).
Varner, Lynn W. "Instructional Review Time in Year Round and Traditional Calendar Schools."
(2003).
Ramos, Barbara K. "Transitioning to Year-Round Education: Satisfaction and Factors of
Choice." Online Submission (2012).
Delisle, Jason, and Ben Miller. "Myths & Misunderstandings: The Undeserved Legacy of
Year-Round Pell Grants." New America Foundation (2015).
Ramos, Barbara K. "Transitioning to Year-Round Education: Satisfaction and Factors of
Choice." Online Submission (2012).
Inger, Morton. "Year-Round Education: A Strategy For Overcrowded Schools. ERIC/CUE
Digest.
Number 103.". Ericdigests.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 Jan. 2017.