1. 180 Days

2. There are 180 days in a school year for instruction.

3. Or are there?

4. First Day of School (-1) Distribute textbooks, go over class expectations, fill out index cards, class meetings, icebreaker 179

5. End of the School Year (-1) Signing yearbooks, heat, end of year stuff. 178

6. 12 Tests Given (-12) Assumes once every three weeks. 166

7. Final Exams (-6) Three days of finals each semester. 160

8. Review Days for Tests and Final Exams (-8) Half a day for each test, full day for each final. 152

9. TAKS Testing (-10) Shortened classes, strange schedules, students are tired. 142

10. District SAT Testing (-1) Shortened classes, students are tired. 141

11. Field Testing (-1) 140

12. Pep Assemblies (-3) Shortened classes, students are distracted. 137

13. Other Events (-2) Motivational Speakers, Class meetings, etc. 135

14. Counselors Come In To Talk About Scheduling for Next Year (-1) 134

15. Days Before Major Vacations (-3) Lots of students absent, hard to focus. 131

16. Absent Students (-4) Many students miss at least four days for one reason or another. 127

17. Absent Teachers (-6) Most teachers miss at least six days for professional development, sickness, taking care of sick children, personal days. 121

18. Fire Drills, Bus Evacuation Drills, Duck and Cover Drills, etc. (-2) Cumulative time missed due to fire drills, etc. (planned or otherwise). 119

19. Celebrations (-1) Cumulative time missed due to celebrations in class. 118

20. Inclement Weather – hurricanes, ice, flooding (-1) 117

21. 180 Days?

22. 117 Days?

23. 173 Days? Time we have wasted (?) on the way. http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2007/04/180-days.html