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Modified School Year Calendars

Through its vision and mission, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed “to educate all students to meet high academic standards and to prepare all students to be responsible citizens in the 21st century.” Over the years, FCPS has responded to this challenge by developing innovative programs and services for students. Among the greatest challenges for FCPS and school divisions across the country is providing programs and services that maximize instructional time and build on the knowledge acquired by students over time. Towards these ends, FCPS supports a group of ten schools in implementation of a modified school calendar (MSC).

The modified school calendar is often referred to as the year-round calendar or extended school year. The ten schools that have adopted the MSC include Dogwood Elementary, Franconia Elementary, Glen Forest Elementary, Graham Road Elementary, Timber Lane Elementary, Annandale Terrace Elementary and Parklawn Elementary, Glasgow Middle, Falls Church High, and Stuart High.

The modified school calendar takes two forms in FCPS, an elementary and secondary version. While the goals for reducing summer learning loss and raising levels of student performance remain the same, the methods for reaching those goals differ for each calendar.

Elementary Modified Calendar
Dogwood, Franconia, Glen Forest, Graham Road, Timber Lane, Annandale Terrace and Parklawn Elementary
The calendar utilized by the seven elementary MSC schools in FCPS is based upon the one chosen by Timber Lane Elementary School in 1996. It is called the 45-15 model in which school is in session for 45 days or 9 weeks, then students are on a break for 15 days or 3 weeks. The calendar allows students to have an extended school year, with optional two-week intersessions, during which remedial opportunities focusing on reading and mathematics, intensive English as a second language study, enrichment, and acceleration are provided.

Secondary Modified Calendar
Glasgow Middle, Falls Church and Stuart High
The modified school calendar at the secondary schools is organized in a different manner than at FCPS elementary schools. The innovative feature that distinguishes the secondary modified school calendar from the traditional calendar is an eight-week summer trimester that allows students to complete up to four additional semester courses, continue with courses that they have not yet mastered, or complete two year-long courses. For students to complete the summer trimester in time to take the Standards of Learning (SOL) tests during the summer administration, it is necessary to begin the summer semester mid-June and shift the beginning of the fall semester to mid-August.