Seventh Hour Brings a Meaningful End to the School Day

Five Great Hearts Arizona prep schools will implement a seventh hour for the upcoming school year. Lincoln Prep piloted the initiative last year, adding a 30-minute block at the end of the school day to support the needs of both students and staff. The program offers academic support, enrichment courses, and a structured study hall, and is part of a broader Great Hearts effort known as the Prep School Promise.

The success of this pilot program has encouraged further growth within the network. Adding to the mix for the 2025-26 school year will be Arete, Roosevelt, Cicero, and Anthem Prep. “You have three different choices here at Lincoln Prep,” explained Dr. Michelle Paull, Lincoln Prep’s Assistant Headmaster. “You’re either doing academic support, getting help in math or ELA, or you’re doing an enrichment course, which we have theater, robotics, sculpting, or you’re in a study hall.”

Seventh Hour quickly became more than just an experiment. It addressed a real need on campus. “We saw a need in our school for academic support,” explained Paull. It wasn’t long before the initiative showed noticeable improvements across the board. “We’re seeing a lot more students turning in their homework,” she noted. “The ones that are doing study hall, they’re getting it done. It’s a lot less late homework that we’re seeing.”

Parents are on board too. “Parents have loved it because they don’t have to see their kids stay up a lot later when they’re going to practice right after school. Their kids used to be up to like 11:00 [PM] doing homework. Now they’re not seeing that because they’re getting it done in study hall,” said Paull.

The academic benefits have been clear. “[With] the academic support, we’re seeing students improve in gaps that they had, which has helped their grades go up in math and ELA.”

But Seventh Hour hasn’t just helped with homework and test scores. It’s helped students explore new interests and develop new skills. “A lot of our athletes have tried new things like musicals or robotics and vice versa. It’s now allowed some of our kids who do enrichment to join athletics,” Paull shared.

Even teachers, who were originally hesitant, have grown to appreciate the new routine. “Initially teachers had the most pushback, right? Because, you know, an extra 30 minutes with students at the end of the day that might not be super controlled can be intimidating,” said Dr. Paull. “But a lot of our teachers found if they just set up really clear expectations, that the students wanted to get the work done. They didn’t want to have to stay up super late after practice.” And of course, the enrichment options bring their own rewards. “The [teachers] that are doing enrichment are enjoying doing what they love and sharing it with the kids.”

With support from students, parents, and teachers, Lincoln Prep’s Seventh Hour is proving to be a thoughtful and flexible way to close out each day, supporting academic growth, encouraging creativity, and giving students the space to thrive.

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