Lawrence, Fall River To Extend Classroom Time For Thousands

Thousands of students in Lawrence and Fall River will soon be spending more time in the classroom.

School officials said that the two cities are included in a national pilot program that will add 300 extra hours of instruction to the school year, starting next fall.

A number of Massachusetts school systems already have extended days in place. Administrators report higher student achievement in those schools.

Chris Gabrieli is chairman of Massachusetts 2020, the group that spearheaded the effort. He spoke with Bob Oakes on WBUR's Morning Edition Monday.