School Start Time Study Final Report, Volume 2: Analysis of Student Survey Data

This is a research report that provides the findings from an examination of student outcomes when a local suburban high school changed their starting time from 7:20 to 8:30 AM. The data from the student self-report survey compares outcomes for the students in the later start school to a sample of students in 16 other school districts in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. The data are also compared with the findings from students in a Rhode Island school district that also made the change to a later start time.Effective with the 1996-97 school year, the Edina School District was the first district in the U.S. to change to a later starting time for their high school, going from 7:20 AM to an 8:30 AM start. This Volume II Report reports the data analysis and findings for survey responses from 7,168 secondary students, comparing the results from the Edina students to students in 16 additional school districts in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. The report also provides a comparison of findings for students in Rhode Island who also experienced a change to a later start time. The survey used was the School Sleep Habits Survey created by Bradley Hospital at Brown University. A discussion of the comparative findings and possible future research studies is also included.This study was initiated at the request of several school superintendents and was completed with the administrative and financial support of seventeen area school superintendents in Minnesota