Work longer or smarter? The discussion among teachers and colleagues about whether to extend the school day, extend the school year, or maintain the traditional September to June period has been ongoing for a few decades. National legislation such as No Child Left Behind and state-influenced Common Core Standards have increased pressure on students to perform academically on a global scale (Noll, 2013). As America's youth demand for education increases, advocacy groups such as the National Center on Time and Learning have begun to influence school districts across the United States (Noll, 2013). Hence the debate to keep up with global standards through political influence or competition from private and charter schools, public school systems are strongly considering modifying the traditional 180-day school to include additional learning time. The question remains: Will longer school days accompanied by additional school hours improve student learning, or do schools need to work smarter over the 6.5-hour, 180-day school year in which they currently operate? Does Michigan's extended school year guarantee equal performance? The Educational Performance Authority (EAA) in the State of Michigan was designed to help Michigan's top 15 low-performing schools with an extended 210-day school year from 180 days along with additional resources (State of Michigan, 2014). The EAA allows students in lower achieving schools to work at their own pace in all subjects. If a student excels in one subject area, they can advance their studies, and if they struggle in another, they can slow them down to learn better. Therefore, the extended school year gives students more time to improve their studies. Results in two…half paper…ten month school year: Are we ignoring educational research to preserve summer vacation? Finding a compromise between educational progress and overschooling. Brigham Young University Education & Law Journal(2), 395-415. Srivastava, M. (2011). Anxiety, stress and satisfaction among professionals in manufacturing and service organizations: impacts on personal values, work values ​​and extreme working conditions. Vision (09722629). 15(3), 219-229. doi:10.1177/097226291101500302State of Michigan. (2014). EAA FAQs. Retrieved from Michigan.gov: http://www.michigan.gov/eaa/0,4841,7-281-59278---,00.htmlWiggins, G. (2006, April/May). Healthier testing made easier. Edutopia, 49-51.Wu, A.D. (2010). Does year-round schooling impact California API score achievement and growth? Journal of Educational Research and Policy Studies, 10(1), 79-97.