British Columbia's Ministry of Education recently allowed flexibility in how school districts choose to organize their school calendars. BC school districts currently follow a traditional school calendar with students attending school for approximately 190 days, most with a two-week break in the winter and spring and two months off during the summer months. “This model was very practical when the school calendar was designed to accommodate children with the demands of an agricultural economy” (qtd in Webb 5), and can be “described by some as obsolete and irrelevant in today's society” (Winter 401 ). A balanced school calendar, also called modified school year and year-round school, would keep the same number of days of instruction but spread breaks equally throughout the year. The available literature and research on the balanced school year is mostly American, with some Canadian sources. This research indicates that those who support this type of calendar see many benefits, but the one most strongly supported by the evidence is the reduction in summer learning loss experienced by students, particularly for English as a Second Language (ESL) and ESL students. low income. Those who oppose the balanced school year, some believe that summer learning loss does not exist and others strongly argue that changing the school calendar is justified only with evidence of increased student academic achievement. The Vancouver school board is considering implementing a calendar change; in a June 2010 memorandum submitted for review, “Balanced School Calendars: Pros and Cons” by Superintendent of Schools Steve Cardwell, the report summary states that “the ever-changing composition and needs of students in this district make it . .. . middle of paper ......ion. November 5, 2011. Kail, Robert and Zolner. "Ri : A moment of your time." Message to the author. November 21, 2011. Email.Miele, Justine. “Closing the Achievement Gap: Education Reform and the Summer Slide.” NdUniversity of Loyola Chicago: Institute Forum of Child Law and Education. November 25, 2011. Schulte, Brigid. "Putting the Brakes on the 'Summer Slide'." Education Review 75:4 (2009):17-22. November 25, 2011.Webb, Taylor Dr. “Teacher Well-Being in Year-Round Schools.” April 2009. School District 36.Web. November 21, 2011.Winter, Eileen. “A Modified School Year: Perspectives from the Early Years.” Child in practice. 11:4 (2005):399-414. Premier of academic research. Network. November 18. 2011.