High School Start Time Presentation

High School Start Time

High School start times have now become an area of interest in the region due to a national movement regarding research on the adolescent brain.

High School Start Time

The movement to study school starts times related to adolescent brain development began approximately 20 years ago at the University of Minnesota under the direction of Dr. Kayla Wahlstrom.

High School Start TimeDr. Peter Franzen, an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, has generated interest locally after reviewing the results of Dr. Wahlstrom’s 20-year study.

High School Start TimeWho Supports Later Start Times to help combat sleep deprivation in teens?

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

• American Medical Association (AMA)

• Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

“Studies show that adolescents who don’t get enough sleep often suffer physical and mental health problems, an increased risk of automobile accidents and a decline in academic performance. But getting enough sleep each night can be hard for teens whose natural sleep cycles make it difficult for them to fall asleep before 11 p.m. – and who face a first-period class at 7:30 a.m. or earlier the next day.”

Source: AAP Press Release, August 25, 2014

High School Start Time

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends high schools delay the start of class to 8:30 a.m. or later. Doing so will align school schedules to the biological sleep rhythms of adolescents, whose sleep-wake cycles begin to shift up to two hours later at the start of puberty.

High School Start Time

Source: CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013

High School Start TimeTeens who got less than 8 hours of sleep (cons):

• Experienced higher depression symptoms• Fell asleep in class• Used caffeine more frequently• Engaged in substance abuse more often

Teens with school starts later than 8:30 a.m. (pros):

• Earned higher grades in core subject areas• Earned higher scores on state and national assessment tests• Had higher attendance rates• Had reduced instances of tardiness

Source: Wahlstrom 2014 - 3-year CDC funded study

High School Start Time

**Northern Area School Districts include: Shaler, Pine Richland, North Hills, Fox Chapel, North Allegheny, Hampton, Quaker Valley, Deer Lakes and Northgate.**

High School Start Time

Next Steps:• Invite Dr. Franzen to conduct a

presentation on current research and findings pertaining to this issue.