Littleton Public Schools Policy

Policy Code    IF Policy Name    Time on Task Adoption            January 24, 1995 Revised

The Board of Education believes that time devoted to academic pursuits must be protected from the encroachment of nonacademic demands on District students. The purpose of this policy is to prioritize the use of time during the school day for grades one through eight. Since graduation requirements provide a framework for the use of time in high school, grades nine through twelve are exempt from this policy.

To enhance understanding of the terms used in this policy, the following definitions are provided:

School Day

        The number of hours and minutes designated at each level for student attendance, i.e., elementary level—6 hours 30 minutes daily, middle level— 6 hours 40 minutes daily.

Academic Day

        That part of the day used for teaching Board-adopted core academic curriculum.

Board-Adopted Core Academic Curriculum

        The core academic curriculum consists of language arts, mathematics, science, history, geography, fine arts, music, physical education, civics, vocational education, technology, foreign language, and other Board-adopted curriculum.

The average time allotted to the academic day should be:

        Grades 1–3      70% of the school day

        Grades 4 –5     75% of the school day

        Grades 6 –8     80% of the school day

Any disputes arising under this policy shall be resolved by the Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee, subject to appeal to the Board.