Students in the US spend an average of 6 hours a day and 180 days per year in school. Only 6% of American students scored in the advanced level on an academic exam given in 56 countries.
There is a strong correlation between the length of the school day/school year and the performance of students on the PISA exam (a worldwide exam measuring performance in science, math and reading).
The federal government should mandate that all schools in all states increase the school day from 6 to 8 hours per day and increase the number of days spent in school to at least 200 per year. Vacations should be no more than 4 weeks long at any one time in order to prevent the significant regression in skills we see each summer.
Our kids deserve the best education and future opportunities in the world.