Later School Start Times Linked to More Sleep, Better Grades, Study Finds

A new working paper says later school start times in California have increased the share of students who are getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night and provide mental health benefits.A law that went into effect in 2022 requires most middle schools to start no earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m.Research shows later start times better align with the circadian rhythms of teenage students and the American Academy of Pediatrics backs the 8:30 a.m. start time for high schools. The group says insufficient sleep in adolescents is “an important public health issue that significantly affects the health and safety, as well as the academic success, of our nation’s middle and high school students.”A new working paper by National Bureau of Economic Research researchers found the share of California students sleeping at least 8 hours per night has increased 13 percent since the law went into effect, with larger gains among boys. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night for the 13 to 18 year old age group.The study also found that boys showed significant reductions in sadness, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation.Math and English scores in the eighth grade showed improvements, according to the study, with the largest gains among Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students. The researchers also found a possible link in lower high school dropout rates tied to the later start times.One of the paper’s authors, associate professor of Economics at the University of Pittsburgh, Osea Giuntella, has long been interested in the effects of sleep on both health and human capital.“I think the lesson is that the mandate works, at least when we look at the outcomes that we consider in these studies,” Mr. Giuntella told the New York Sun.He said there have been some scattered school districts across the country that have adjusted their schedules, but California’s statewide mandate gives a clearer picture of widespread effects. “If you’re interested in understanding what could be the scenario, if other states would like to move to later start times, that’s a good example,” Mr. Giuntella said.There are critics, however, of California’s mandate. The state’s school board association says the rule change has led to an increase in missed instructional time and other impacts. It released a study last year that found many students who participate in extracurricular activities and sports were missing afternoon classes at a greater rate than before the mandate.“The constraints that limit the ability of many districts to adjust extracurricular schedules are resulting in students’ early dismissal, forcing them to make up work and miss direct classroom instruction,” the California School Boards Association reported.The association also said later school start times caused challenges coordinating bus routes, especially with elementary schools or neighboring districts.Another concern was over additional costs due to changing bus schedules, but a 2017 Rand Corporation analysis found the later start times would more than pay for themselves with better academic outcomes and higher graduation rates.“So the effects really trickle down eventually to outcomes that are even of economic importance to us,” Mr. Giuntella said.California remains the only state with a mandate requiring later school start times but several other states are considering similar legislation. Florida passed a bill in 2023 that pushed start times later but repealed the law in 2025 before it went into effect.The head of one local teacher’s union in Florida said school start times need to be left to local school districts. “I don’t think many people understood the complexities involved in changing school schedules,” the president of the Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association, Gordan Longhofer, said. “These are the stakeholders. They should make this decision, not a lawmaker 400 miles away, saying ‘do this or else.’”Eight other states, including New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut have legislative proposals to mandate later school start times.

Later School Start Times Linked to More Sleep, Better Grades, Study Finds

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