School days will get more than two hours longer for 2,000 New York City sixth-graders next fall. The nation’s largest city is joining a roster of school systems experimenting with having students spend more time in class.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott announced the plan Monday.
It will involve about 2,000 students in 20 schools, not yet chosen.
Pupils will get 2½ extra hours a day of reading tutoring and other educational activities, run by a nonprofit group.
The City Council and private foundations are paying for the extra instruction. It’s part of a $4.6 million effort to improve middle school reading.
The National Center on Time & Learning has estimated that about 1,000 school districts nationwide have adopted longer school days or years.