School start times and academic achievement - A systematic review on grades and test scores.
Academic performance
Adolescence
Grades
School starting times
Scores
Sleep
Journal
Sleep medicine reviews
ISSN: 1532-2955
Titre abrégé: Sleep Med Rev
Pays: England
ID NLM: 9804678
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
02 2022
02 2022
Historique:
received:
11
07
2021
revised:
01
11
2021
accepted:
30
11
2021
pubmed:
31
12
2021
medline:
31
3
2022
entrez:
30
12
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Early school times clash with the late sleep of adolescents, leading to wide-spread sleep restriction in students. Evidence suggests that delaying school starts is beneficial for sleep and recent studies investigated whether this also translates into improved academic achievement. We thus conducted a systematic review of the literature on school start times, grades and test scores in middle and high-school students. We reviewed 21 studies following the PRISMA guidelines and assessed the evidence quality using a pre-defined risk of bias tool. Nine studies reported no association of later starts with achievement, while the remaining reported mixed (5), positive (5), negative (1) or unclear (1) results. Considering the heterogeneity in academic outcomes, study types, amount of delay and exposure, and the substantial risk of bias, a meta-analysis was not warranted - instead we provide grouped reviews and discussion. Overall, no generalisable improvements in achievement with later starts emerge beyond the level of single studies. This does not necessarily preclude improvements in students' learning but highlights shortcomings of the literature and the challenges of using grades and test scores to operationalise academic achievement. Given other previously reported positive outcomes, our results suggest that schools could start later while achievement is likely maintained.
Identifiants
pubmed: 34968850
pii: S1087-0792(21)00167-2
doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101582
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Review
Systematic Review
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
101582Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Conflicts of interest AMB received research and travel funds from the Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences Munich. KM reports funds from the Schweizer-Arau-Foundation during the conduct of this study but outside the submitted work. GZ reports no funding in relation to the study and outside the submitted work. ECW reports receiving funds from the German Research Foundation (DFG) during the conduct of this study but outside of the submitted work.