This Week's Herman Trend Alert Women---Expanding their Sphere of Influence

The Herman Trend Alert July 14, 2010 Postpone School Start Time to Support Adolescent Learning In his landmark book, "The Seven Secrets of Learning Revealed", our late THG Consulting Partners colleague, Laurence Martel, details adolescents' optimum times for learning. Reinforcing Martel's work, a pilot study, conducted in a small private high school (St. George's School) by Hasbro Children's Hospital located in Providence, Rhode Island, confirms a brief delay in school start time of only 30 minutes was associated with significant improvements in adolescent alertness, mood, and health. These findings were published in the July issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. Inadequate nightly sleep in adolescents, defined as fewer than nine hours, is a known problem and a major public health concern. For years, pediatric sleep experts have encouraged delayed school start times to address this concern. In fact, the start time in this study was delayed only from 8am to 8:30am. Due to a shift in circadian rhythms, biological changes in adolescents can cause a "phase delay"---later sleep onset and wake times. Despite the shift in their wake/sleep times, the optimal sleep amount for adolescents is nine to 9-¼ hours per night. On a practical level, this sleep pattern means that the average adolescent rarely falls asleep before 11pm, so the ideal wake time is around 8am. Not surprising, many studies have documented that the average adolescent is "chronically sleep-deprived and pathologically sleepy". The consequences of sleep deprivation are far-reaching: impairments in mood, attention and memory, behavior control and quality of life; lower academic performance and a decreased motivation to learn; and health-related effects including increased risk of weight-gain, lack of exercise and use of stimulants. Overall the percent of students sleeping fewer than seven hours, after the change in school start time, decreased by 80 percent. Plus, there was a significant average increase in sleep duration of 45 minutes on school nights. across all grades (nine to 12). We have only begun to scratch the surface in discovering how to support learning among people of all ages. Certainly, we may expect these insights about sleep and start times to result in more student-centric schools similar to many of the changes made at High Point University. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." EMPLOYERS AND JOBSEEKERS: MARK YOUR CALENDARS Advertise at or attend VetJobs Virtual Career Fairs. VetJobs, the top veterans' job board, and PSI, the premier diversity job fair producer, are teaming up to launch these VeteransCONNECT events. Employer registration is now open with loading by February 15th. Candidate loading begins March 1st. Expect 25-30 employers and an attendee goal of 2,000 skilled jobseekers. Promoted extensively, early registration begins NOW. To register or request additional information, contact VetJobs at 877-838-5627 or email info@vetjobs.com; Employers: Mention the Herman Trend Alert to receive a Bonus. LOOKING FOR A UNIQUE VALENTINE’S GIFT? Give the gift of leadership advice in our weekly Lessons in Leadership to help your supervisors and managers remind your leaders about what’s really important The 52-week subscription is only $47, a bargain when you think about the savings to your organization in reduced turnover. Quantity discounts available by emailing Joyce at joyce@hermangroup.com. http://www.hermangroup.com/store/subscription_all.html#3 Order today! PREVENT EMPLOYEE TURNOVER IN 2012 Yes, you can prevent costly employee turnover, when you train your supervisors, managers, and executives. They will learn dozens of low and no-cost strategies and tactics that they can implement right away. We have an impressive track record and stand ready to help you. Call Carl at 336-210-3547 for a no-obligation conference call. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

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