Many concerns about academic failure in the United States regarding the inability to compete with other countries have increased dramatically each year due to the lack of clear support for teachers and students within the traditional school calendar. With the implementation of the annual calendar or “balanced calendar,” students were given the opportunity to close those unnecessary gaps between school years and begin to even out their “in school” time throughout the year. Many parents and teachers find this division of time conflicting when it comes to scheduling community programs or additional summer job opportunities, as well as the costs becoming too high to keep students within the walls of the school for longer periods of time. The reality has become quite clear regarding the educational improvement that other countries receive due to the consistent nature with which they implement strategic learning opportunities. The benefits and opportunities of having children on a more regular schedule will far outweigh the long summer break in terms of student acceleration, costs to local schools, support for districts, family time, attendance students and teachers, as well as academic gap. that continues to plague the United States today. Understanding the difference between a traditional curriculum and a balanced curriculum is very important. Both programs cover the general 180-day schedule established by the U.S. Department of Education, but the variations are significant (SchoolDays32). By definition, a traditional schedule is: …involves a long 12-week summer vacation followed by a long period of session days with the first break coming at Thanksgiving. The winter holidays......half paper.......Web. 30 Apr. 2012.Katz B. SCHOOL ALL YEAR ROUND: THE CONTROVERSY. Family life [online serial]. June 2001;15. Ipswich, MA. April 30, 2012. Lyttle, LeighAnne: “Year-Round Schools Versus Traditional Schools.” Information analysis. March 2011.McMillen B. Statewide assessment of academic achievement in year-round schools. Journal Of Educational Research [online serial]. November 2001;95(2):67. Ipswich, MA. April 30, 2012. Mitchell R, Mitchell D. Student segregation and achievement monitoring in year-round schools. Teachers College Record [online serial]. April 2005;107(4):529-562. Ipswich, MA. April 30, 2012.M. M, Mueller K, Yeston J. Calendar effects. Science [serial online]. December 9, 2011;334(6061):1324. Ipswich, MA. April 30, 2012. SCHOOL DAYS. State legislatures [online serial]. June 2006;32(6):5. Ipswich, MA. April 30, 2012.