Read both passages. Then write an argument in which you explain which position is better supported. Use relevant and specific evidence from both passages to support your response. Plan to spend about 45 minutes.

Passage 1 — "Four-Day School Weeks Help Students and Districts"

More than 900 U.S. school districts now hold classes only four days a week. Supporters point to savings: a rural district in Colorado reported cutting transportation and utility costs by about 7 percent, money it used to raise teacher pay. Superintendents say recruiting teachers has become easier, since many applicants see the extra day as a major benefit. Attendance can improve as well, because families schedule medical and dental visits on the fifth day instead of pulling children out of class. "Our students come back on Monday rested and ready," one principal said. Districts usually lengthen the remaining four days by about an hour, so total instruction time stays close to the state minimum.

Passage 2 — "The Hidden Costs of a Shorter Week"

A shorter school week may look efficient on a budget sheet, but the savings are smaller than promised. A national study found that most four-day districts saved between 0.4 and 2.5 percent of their budgets — far less than expected — because salaries, the largest cost, do not shrink. Meanwhile, a 2021 study of Oregon districts found that students in four-day schools scored lower in math and reading than similar students in five-day schools, with the largest losses among low-income students. Working parents also face a new problem: finding and paying for child care on the fifth day. Longer school days can leave young children too tired to learn in the final hour. Before more districts make the switch, leaders should weigh what students lose, not only what budgets gain.

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