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SAT scores jumped 212 points
Edina's early buses
Edina is a township just outside Minneapolis and one of the earliest test cases for later school starts. Buses for a 7:25 start often begin leaving at 5:30 in the morning, so some children have to wake at 5:15 or earlier.
The score jump
The analysis focused on the top 10 percent of students, arguably the group with the least to gain from any further improvement by way of sleep. Their average score rose by 212 points, an increase large enough to change which tier of university they end up attending, and perhaps their later life trajectories.
Later studies
Some people have questioned aspects of the Edina study, perhaps for good reason. In the later, carefully controlled studies of delayed start times, academic grades increased, behavioral problems decreased, truancy rates decreased, and psychological and psychiatric issues decreased.
Why do school buses leave so early?
Many districts run their buses in tiers, using the same fleet and drivers to serve several schools one after another. Because high schools sit on the same routes as elementary schools, one tier has to go first. In many districts the older students have been placed in that first tier. Changing one start time forces a change to the others, which is why bell schedules are hard to move.
Why do critics question studies like this?
The Edina result compares scores before and after a single district's change, without a randomly assigned control group. Other factors can shift in the same years, such as the makeup of the graduating class, the curriculum, or test preparation. Researchers therefore look for controlled comparisons across many schools. Kyla Wahlstrom at the University of Minnesota has led research on start times at Minnesota schools, including Edina.
Which medical groups back later school starts?
In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement recommending that middle and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later. The statement cited the biological shift in teenage sleep timing during puberty. The American Medical Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have also endorsed later starts.
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