Framingham Superintendent Speaks About Snow Days To DC Newspaper

The Washington Post newspaper ran a report this week on if snow days hurt a student’s progress in school.

A Harvard professor says the answer is no.

Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government Assistant professor Joshua Goodman examined weather data, student test scores and attendance data in Massachusetts between 2003 and 2010, and found the number of canceled school days because of snow in a given year had no impact on children’s math and reading test scores.

Framingham’s Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott was also quoted in the newspaper’s report.

Framingham Public Schools have had seven snow days this year.

Goodman’s analysis said most districts miss an average of 2.2 days per year due to snow.

Scott told the DC newspaper teachers find ways to adjust their lessons to deal with closures.

“The teachers do a good job of being able to sustain the learning and keep it going,” Scott was quoted.

Goodman’s research was published this week online in the journal Education Next.

His research showed that a student’s progress is hurt more by absenteeism than by snow days.

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Photo Credit: Susan Petroni/Petroni Media Company