Dive Brief:

• In New Jersey, State Sen. Richard Codey (D) is leading efforts to consider new legislation that would mandate later start times in the state's middle and high schools, potentially making New Jersey the second in the U.S. to do so.
• The state's Department of Education will be taking public comments until May 20, after which pilot programs testing later start times may be rolled out in select schools.
• Maryland, the only state with official guidance on school start times, passed its own legislation by considering the issue within a public health framework, using scientific studies touting the cognitive benefits of later start times to build public awareness and advocacy.

Dive Insight:

Codey told the Huffington Post that around 50 middle and high schools might start experimenting with later start times in the 2018-19 school year, and 85% of New Jersey middle and high schools currently start classes before 8:30 a.m, the earliest start time recommended by the American Association of Pediatrics. Still, one New Jersey county that tried to push start times to 8:15 a.m. found that sports, kids with after-school jobs, and families with childcare were inconvenienced by the later schedule, reverting back to a 7:15 a.m. start time.

But any change brings inconvenience, and adapting to a later class schedule might reap greater benefits than drawbacks. In February, a study published in the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's publication, "Sleep," noted that a proven link exists between early high school start times, disciplinary problems, and tardiness for students. Study authors reported that two-thirds of adolescents aren't getting enough sleep for "optimal functioning," with sleep deficits averaging two hours per night. Still, they noted, even with a later start time, students weren't getting more sleep.