Title: More Time in School
Feed: CWKN #387, May 28, 2008
Time: 1:38
SUGGESTED LEAD: FOR YEARS, THE RESULTS HAVE BEEN THE SAME: WHEN YOU COMPARE MATH AND READING TEST SCORES OF OUR KIDS TO OTHER STUDENTS AROUND THE GLOBE,
U-S KIDS RANK FAR FROM THE TOP.  BUT SOME AMERICAN STUDENTS REALIZE THE SCHOOLING THEY’RE GETTING JUST ISN’T ENOUGH … AND THEY SPEND THEIR SUMMERS WITH A BOOK OPEN AND A CALCULATOR TURNED ON. THAT STORY IN TODAY’S CONNECT WITH KIDS.
<<PKG>>

NARR:  A LOT OF TEENAGERS SPEND THEIR SUMMER PLAYING … AND WORKING … WITHOUT EVER OPENING A BOOK.

NOT ZACH WILSON AND MARGARET COY.  THEY SPEND THEIR SUMMERS TAKING COLLEGE PREP CLASSES. (:11)

SUPER:  Margaret Coy, 18 years old (:11)
“Most people I guess don’t really spend their summers doing academic things… some people look at me like I’m kind of crazy for it, but I’ve enjoyed it.”

SUPER:  Zach Wilson, 18 years old (:19)
“I want to keep going in the summer so I can get done a lot faster and go to law school.”

NARR:  ZACH AND MARGARET ARE MORE LIKE STUDENTS AROUND THE WORLD.
 
ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS … KIDS IN TAIWAN ARE IN SCHOOL TEN WEEKS LONGER … STUDENTS IN CANADA, SPAIN, AND SCOTLAND ARE IN CLASS TWO WEEKS LONGER … THAN AMERICAN KIDS.

EXPERTS SAY, IN EDUCATION, QUANTITY MATTERS!  (:21)

SUPER: Dianne Weber, College Admissions Director (:44)
“The United States does not tend to do as well as students from other nations when you compare their abilities.”

NARR: ONE PROBLEM, SHE SAYS, IS THAT ALL SUMMER LONG KIDS TURN THEIR BRAINS OFF … ONE WAY TO COUNTERACT THAT IS TO TAKE A CLASS. (:07)

SOT:  Dianne Weber, College Admissions Director (:59)
“The idea is, keep your child’s mind active during the summer.  Not just going to the swimming pool, not just watching TV, but really being involved in some cultural experiences, reading experiences.”

NARR: STILL EXPERTS SAY KIDS SHOULD HAVE SOME DOWN TIME … OTHERWISE … (:05)

SOT:  Dianne Weber, College Admissions Director (1:19)
“The student could get burned out earlier than they need to be.”

NARR:  MARGARET IS BUSY BUT BALANCED.  SHE’S ON THE DANCE TEAM, SPANISH CLUB, CROSS COUNTRY TEAM … BUT SHE ALSO LEAVES TIME FOR OTHER THINGS. (:09)

SOT:  Margaret Coy, 18 years old (1:31)
“Just the regular things, hanging out with my friends, maintaining a social life.”

SUGGESTED TAG:  EXPERTS SAY NO MATTER HOW INTO ACADEMICS A CHILD MAY BE, IT’S IMPORTANT FOR PARENTS TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO FIND LEARNING EXPERIENCES OUTSIDE A BOOK AS WELL, WHETHER FROM VOLUNTEER WORK, ARTISTIC PURSUITS, ATHLETICS, OR SOMETHING ELSE.