Holly Yettick writes at the Education Week (3/19) “Inside School Research” blog that a recent report from the University of Minnesota “has helped to awaken a nationwide movement to start school later so students can get more sleep,” noting that the report indicates that starting high school after 8:30 a.m. can improve academic performance, boost attendance rates, and reduce “teenagers’ car crashes in the areas surrounding schools.” The piece notes that interest in moving back high school start times got a boost from Education Secretary Arne Duncan last fall, when he suggested that “secondary schools start later so students can get more sleep.” Yettick quotes Duncan saying, “There’s a lot of research and common sense that lots of teens struggle to get up ... to get on the bus. I’d love to see more districts, you know, seriously contemplating a later start time.” The New York Times (3/14, Hoffman) also mentions Duncan’s support for the concept at its “Well” blog.