Youngblood1

JackYoungblood
Mr.Salow
English11
17November2015
FinalDraft
Iamperformingarhetoricalanalysisonwhyschoolsshouldhavelaterstarttimes.
ThroughoutmyanalysisIwillbelookingattheethos,logos,andpathosofeacharticleIhave
foundonhowtheyrelatetothehealthofstudents,thestudentsacademicperformance,andtheir
behavioroutsideofschoolforlaterschoolstarttimes.Iamshowinghowthearticlesuseuse
theirbiastoconvinceyoutosupporttheirclaimsforlaterschoolstarttimes.Emotionswouldbe
animportantfactortowardsconvincingschoolsthatlaterstarttimesisthekeytoenhancingthe
student'sacademics,andbehaviors.Logicisthebigfactorforhowthearticlestrytoconvince
schools,andadministratorsthatlaterstarttimesarecrucialtothedevelopmentofthestudents.
Theyusefactsfromreputablesources,liketheCentersforDiseaseControlandtheNational
SleepFoundation,andstatingfactsfromstudiesconductedbythewebsitesthemselves.
Thenationalsleepfoundationdescribessleepdeprivationthroughlogos.Delawareonline
talksabouttheoptimalsleeptimesforstudents.TheNationalsleepfoundation'sarticleuseslogos
morethanpathosorethosbynotincludingtheirbiasortrytoconnectwithyouremotioninany
oftheirsentences.Theauthorheavilyuselogostoshowfactsandstatisticsfromotherwebsites
toprovetheirpoint.DelawareOnlinesarticleisheavilypathos,seekingsympathyfromyour
emotionslikeinthefirstsentence.Itusesyouremotionstomakeyouthinkthatifstudentsget
moresleep,thattheywillbecomebetterinschool.InaprojectspearheadedbyDr.MaryA.

Youngblood2

Carskadonandcolleagues,researchersinvestigatedwhatwouldhappentosleepandcircadian
rhythmsinagroupofyoungpeopleforwhomthetransitionfromjuniorhightoseniorhigh
requiredachangeinschoolstartingtimefrom8:25amto7:20am(NationalSleepFoundation).
Keychangesinsleeppatternsandneedsduringpubertycancontributetoexcessivesleepiness
inadolescents,whichcanimpairdaytimefunctioning.First,daytimesleepinesscanincrease
duringadolescence,evenwhenteensschedulesallowforoptimalamountsofsleep(National
SleepFoundation).SomepeoplesaythatAdolescentsleepdeprivationislargelydrivenbya
conflictbetweenteensinternalbiologicalclocksandtheschedulesanddemandsofsociety.
Therefore,itmakessensetolookatschoolstarttimes,whichsettherhythmofthedayfor
students,parents,teachersandmembersofthecommunityatlarge(NationalSleepFoundation).
Foraslongastherehasbeenschool,therehavebeenstudentswhocomplainabouthowearly
theyhavetowakeup(Albright).HudsonHighschoolsaidthatanyattempttochangethe
schooldaywouldhavetocomewithsignificantoutreachtoparents.Thosewhowork,for
example,mightfindittoughertogettheirkidsreadyinthemorningbeforetheyhavetoleave
fortheirjobs.Parentsofathleteswouldhavetoadjusttostudentsarrivinglaterintheevening.
(Albright).Localschoolofficialssaythey'veconsideredchangingtheschedule,butsaythere
aretoomanylogisticalhurdlesintheway.Manyworkingparentsrelyonearlybustimessothey
cangettowork,andstudentswhostayafterschoolforathleticsandotheractivitieswouldget
homemuchlater(Albright).TheNationalsleepfoundationsquotesareimportantforshowing
theuseoflogosbythearticlesauthor.Thelogoscomefromtheuseofthenameinfrontofthe
study,andthetypeofstudythatwasconducted.Delawareonlinesquotesareshowinghow

Youngblood3

muchthestudentshavecomplainedhowmanytimesthestudentscomplainaboutnothaving
enoughtimetosleep,andnotgettingenoughsleepfromthenightbefore.
Laterstarttimesareimportanttohighlightwhywethearticlesarepushingforlaterstart
timesforstudents.ScientificAmericanarguesearlyschoolstarttimesversuslaterschoolstart
timesthroughlogos.TheAtlanticisanewswebsitethathaswrittenanarticleabouthowthe
CentersforDiseaseControl,CDC,hasissuedawarningtoallschoolsabouthowearlyclass
timeshavetakenatollonstudentshealthandacademicperformance.ScientificAmericanhas
writtenaargumentativearticleabouthowschoolsearlierstarttimeshaveimpactedstudents
studyingorlearninginschool.Theygiveevidencefromhundredsofschoolswhohavealready
adoptedthelaterschoolstarttimes.TheAtlanticarticleisagainheavilylogosandethoswith
pathosfartherbehindthanmost.Theysawthat9000studentsin3stateshaveseenanincrease
intheiracademicperformanceforschoolsthatstartedafter8:35(Fischetti).Seeingthe
mountingevidence,theAmericanAcademyofPediatricsyesterdayreleasedanewpolicy
statementrecommendingthatmiddleandhighschoolsdelaythestartofclassto8:30a.m.or
later.Doingsowillalignschoolschedulestothebiologicalsleeprhythmsofadolescents,whose
sleepwakecyclesbegintoshiftuptotwohourslateratthestartofpuberty,thepolicystatement
says(Fischetti).StudieshaveshownthatHundredsofschooldistrictsintheU.S.have
experimentedwithlaterstarttimesandtheacademicperformanceofstudentshasimproved
acrosstheboard(Fischetti).TheCDCsrecommendationscomeayearaftertheAmerican
AcademyofPediatricsurgedschoolstoadjuststarttimessomorekidswouldgetthe
recommended8.5to9.5hoursofnightlyrest(Richmond).Inmorethan40states,atleast75
percentofpublicschoolsstartearlierthan8:30a.m.,accordingtotheCDCsreport.Andwhile

Youngblood4

laterstarttimeswontreplaceotherimportantinterventionslikeparentsmakingsuretheir
childrengetenoughrestschoolsclearlyplayanimportantroleinstudentsdailyschedules
(Richmond).So,ifthescienceissostrong,whatsgettinginthewayofchangingthepolicy?
(Richmond).AteamwithintheCDCfoundthatstudentsshowedupformorningclasses
seriouslysleepdeprivedandthatthe7:20a.m.starttimerequiredthemtobeawakeduringhours
thatrancontrarytotheirinternalclocks.Fewerthanhalfofthe10thgradersaveragedevenseven
hoursofsleepeachnight,whichisalreadybelowtherecommendedamount(Richmond).

This
anexampleoftheuseoflogosinthearticlewhichiswhatthearticleismostlyabout.Theydont
useanyemotiontopersuadeyouoranybias.Theytalkaboutnotonlythereasonsforwhyto
switch,butalsothereasonswhytheschoolscan'tdoitasquicklyasparentsandstudentswantit
to.Thisarticlehasmadetheconnectionbetweenthestudentsperformanceandthelaterschool
starttimes.Thearticlehasbeentherealevidenceforwhyschoolsshouldstartearlier,andhow
wecanimprovethestudent'sacademicperformance.TheAtlantics
articleisanexampleof
logosisusingaknownsource,liketheCDC,andusingitsresearchtosupporttheirclaim.This
exampleofethosshowshowhowtheynotonlyincludetheprosoftheargument,butthecons
associatedwithlaterstarttimes,whichshowsthatthearticlehasnobias.Thisarticleisgreatfor
showingthesupportingpointsofthelaterstarttimesthroughareputablesource,theCDC.This
articlecouldbeusedtoargueagainstapointofearlierschoolstarttimes,foritincludespoints
fromtheothersideoftheargument.Thisexampleofethosshowshowhowtheynotonlyinclude
theprosoftheargument,buttheconsassociatedwithlaterstarttimes,whichshowsthatthe
articlehasnobias.Thisarticleisgreatforshowingthesupportingpointsofthelaterstarttimes
throughareputablesource,theCDC.

Youngblood5

Articlesthatargueaboutlaterstarttimesareindirectcorrelationwiththearticlesarguing
sleepforthestudentsacademicsandhealth.TheNewYorkTimeshascreatedanewsstoryabout
howayoungstudentconvincedherschooltopushbacktheirstarttimefrom7:50to9a.m.
SchoolStartLaterhascompiledalistoffactstosupportschoolsonwhytheyshouldswitchto
laterstarttimes.TheNewYorkTimeswasgreatontheiruseofnotonlypathos,butlogosas
well.SchoolStartlatersarticleisheavilylogos,forallthestudiestheytalkabout,andethos,for
thebiastheauthorhas.Shesetthreesuccessivealarmsonherphone.Skippedbreakfast.Hastily
appliedmakeupwhileherfumingfatherdrove(Hoffman).Dr.ElizabethMiller,chiefof
adolescentmedicineatChildrensHospitalofPittsburgh...(Hoffman).Researchershavefound
thatduringadolescence,ashormonessurgeandthebraindevelops,teenagerswhoregularly
sleepeighttoninehoursanightlearnbetterandarelesslikelytobetardy,getinfightsorsustain
athleticinjuries.Sleepingwellcanalsohelpmoderatetheirtendencytowardimpulsiveorrisky
decisionmaking(Hoffman).AstudyattheUSAirForceAcademyshowedfirstyearstudents
startingclassesafter8a.m.performedbetternotonlyintheirfirstclassesbutthroughoutthe
day(McKibben).Amajor,multistatestudyconductedbyresearchersattheUniversityof
MinnesotaandtheU.S.CentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionlinkedlaterhighschoolstart
timestosignificantdecreasesinteensubstanceabuse,depression,andconsumptionof
caffeinateddrinks(McKibben).WhenJacksonHoleHighSchoolinWyomingshifteditsstart
timeto8:55a.m.,thenumberofcarcrashesinvolvingteenagedriversdroppedby70%.
Switchingmiddleschoolstarttimesby30minutesormoretoafter8a.m.inWakeCounty,NC
wasassociatedwithincreasedmathandreadingtestscores,withdisadvantagedstudents
benefitingmost(McKibben).Girlsarelesslikelytoreportgetting
>
7hoursofsleeppernight

Youngblood6

thanboys,asareracial/ethnicminorities,urbanstudents,andthoseoflowsocioeconomicstatus
(SES).However,minorityorlowSESteensandfamiliesarealsomorelikelytobelievetheyare
gettingadequatesleep(McKibben).
TheNewYorkTimesquotebyHoffmanwasagood
exampleoflogoshasexplainedhowtheyuseasourcetoconveythetypeoflogicwhichisa
studyconductedbyareputablesource.Thisschoolthatwasprotested,andnowhasallowedthe
studentstotosleepinforanotherhourorso,hasshownthestudentsthattheyhavethepowerto
standupfortheirhealth.SchoolStartLatersauthor,SarahMcKibben,agoodexampleoflogos
byincludingastudyfromanothersource.Theethoscomesfromthetypeoffactsthatarebeing
givenbytheauthor.Shetalksaboutallthefactsforthestudentsbenefitforthelaterstarttimes
ratherthangivingallthefactsfortheothersideoftheargument.Thearticlehasgiventhebulk
ofthefactstowardsthesupportoflaterschoolstarttimes.
Ihavelookedathowtheauthorsarguelaterstarttimesthroughtheiruseofethos,logos
andpathos.Ihavelookedathowtheyarguethroughethos,logosandpathosthesleep
deprivationofstudents,laterstarttimeversusearlystarttimes,andthehealthandacademicsof
thestudents.Ihaveshownhowthearticlesuseusetheirbiastoconvinceyoutosupporttheir
claimsforlaterschoolstarttimes.Emotionswouldbeanimportantfactortowardsconvincing
schoolsthatlaterstarttimesisthekeytoenhancingthestudent'sacademics,andbehaviors.
Logicisthebigfactorforhowthearticlestrytoconvinceschools,andadministratorsthatlater
starttimesarecrucialtothedevelopmentofthestudents.Theyusefactsfromreputablesources,
liketheCentersforDiseaseControlandtheNationalSleepFoundation,andstatingfactsfrom
studiesconductedbythewebsitesthemselves.

Youngblood7

WorksCited
"LaterSchoolStartTimes."
NationalSleepfoundation
.N.p.,25Apr.2004.Web.6Nov.2015.
"ShouldTheSchoolDayStartLater?"
DelawareOnline
.N.p.,3Sept.2014.Web.28Oct.2015.
"SleepyTeens:HighSchoolShouldStartLaterintheMorning."
ScientificAmerican
.N.p.,26
Aug.
2014.Web.26Oct.2015.
"ToKeepTeenagersAlert,SchoolsLetThemSleepIn."
TheNewYorkTimes
.N.p.,13Mar.
2014.Web.12Nov.2015.
"WakeupCalls."
SchoolStartLater
.N.p.,Apr.2014.Web.28Oct.2015.
"WhySchoolShouldStartLaterintheMorning."
TheAtlantic
.N.p.,17Aug.2015.Web.28
Oct.2015.