In October, as a result of SR 417, the PA Joint State Commission on Secondary School Start Times published its report recommending that the best start time for secondary school students (grades seven through 12) is 8:30 AM or later. Reasons for such a recommendation include:

• The secondary school-age student requires between eight and 10 hours of sleep per night to aid in their continuing development;
• The circadian rhythms of secondary school-age children are roughly two hours later than adults and their younger peers due to a delay on the release of the melatonin hormone, which induces sleep and occurs at about 11PM;  
• The above two factors are difficult to reconcile without the adjustment to a later school start time;
• There are negative effects to a lack of sleep in secondary school-age children, such as mental and behavioral health issues and risky behaviors as well as a higher rate of athletic injuries; and
• Sleep is associated with one’s memory and ability to learn.

The Owen J. Roberts School District in suburban Philadelphia is a school district looking into whether to go to a later start time and, on November 20^th, the school district will host Dr. Wendy Troxel, who served as an advisory member of the Joint Commission. Dr. Troxel will present at a public session at the Owen J. Roberts Middle school starting at 6:30 PM.

Thanks to the Philadelphia Inquirer

On October 17, 2019, the Pennsylvania Joint State Commission on School Start Times released its report showing that later secondary school start times (i.e., after 8:30 AM), result in students getting more sleep, which helps to improve student health and educational performance. The report, a direct result of PA Senate Resolution 417, aligns with research that demonstrates the increased likelihood that, with later start times, teens will sleep the minimum recommended amount of time, which yields positive results.

To view the  report click on this title: “Sleep Deprivation in Adolescents: The Case for Delaying Secondary School Start Times.”

PA Attorney General Josh Shapiro is releasing the TeenTALK Report—a resource guide for students, parents, and educators with recommendations for preventing and intervening in bullying. The report summarizes the feedback gathered during the TeenTALK sessions hosted by the Attorney General’s Office throughout the Commonwealth during the 2018-19 school year. The students who participated in the TeenTALKs outlined three focus areas where improvement is needed regarding bullying prevention and mental health services in schools. They are: student mental health services staffing, data reporting gaps, and funding to support bullying prevention, mental health programs and other positive climate initiatives. Some of the recommendations include expanding mechanisms for students to report school climate and safety concerns, implementing trainings for staff to learn prevention and intervention techniques, and establishing a consistent policy for investigating reports of bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment.

In January 2019, the Office of Attorney General began operating the Safe2Say Something anonymous reporting system, and students who participated in the TeenTALKs praised the program as an appropriate way to bring concerns to adults who could intervene.

The full report can be read by clicking here.