Instructional Time for Third- and Eighth-Graders in Public and Private Schools

On average, in school year 2011-12, third-graders in both public and in private schools spent a greater amount and a larger percentage of time on instruction in English, followed by mathematics, than on any other subject, according to “Instructional Time for Third- and Eighth-Graders in Public and Private Schools: School Year 2011-12,” a Statistics in Brief that examines the amount of time that students in grades 3 and 8 spent on different activities in 2011–12 and compares how, if at all, this time varied by activity, school sector, and grade. Key findings include:

Based on reporting by school principals, in school year 2011–12:

•    In public schools, a typical full week of school was 33.0 hours long for third-graders and 33.8 hours long for eighth-graders.

•    In private schools, a typical full week of school was 33.1 hours long for third-graders and 33.5 hours long for eighth-graders.

•    On average, eighth-graders in both public and private schools spent a greater amount and a larger percentage of time on instruction in English than on any other subject.