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Summer an important time for all students to learn 

Low-income youth prone to lose years of academic progress

Ah, the lure of summer vacation—most students are chomping at the bit by the end of the school year, eager to ditch the homework, play with family and friends, explore and experience new things, and maybe even enjoy reading a good book or two.

But for some students, particularly those in low-income families who have few opportunities to travel or share in other enriching activities, the summer lull can be boring and downright detrimental.

The Rand Corp. recently reported that the learning lost over the summer is cumulative, so that by fifth grade low-income students, on average, are several years behind their more advantaged peers. Not only do low-income students enter school at a disadvantage, but each summer they lose ground while away from their regular studies.

But such learning loss can be minimized with high quality summer programs.

One study by the Oakland Unified School District found that students in the district’s Summer Intervention Program increased their reading scores substantially. The share of proficient students increased to 52 percent in the fall, from 36 percent on spring standards tests. The improvement, according to a district analysis, was driven primarily by students who improved their performance from below the district’s benchmark for proficiency to at or above the benchmark level.

“Offering summer learning programs is a no-brainer,” says Oakland USD board member David Kakishiba. “Engaging children who would otherwise be idle in high-quality learning activities is good for young people’s social, emotional and academic growth.”

Beyond the 3 Rs

As important as it is for students to spend more time reading and writing, however, educators are also adamant that all students need a variety of experiences to stay enthusiastic about learning.

“While intervention is important for some students, it is most effective when combined with creative and interactive approaches to learning that are project-based and relevant to children,” says Katie Brackenridge, senior director with the Partnership for Children and Youth, which partners with nonprofit backers, state legislators and the state Department of Education in a summer-learning initiative called Summer Matters. Summer is a wonderful time to encourage students to explore the arts and science, get active, and participate in service learning in meaningful ways, she says.

Team up for success

School board members have to balance the need to provide summer programs with their district’s budget restrictions, but they don’t have to do it all alone. By forming partnerships with others in the community—such as non-profits, parks, libraries, museums and universities—school leaders can leverage their resources to offer programs that meet local needs and expand their students’ horizons.

“There are significant benefits to partnering with community organizations when planning and delivering the summer learning program,” Brackenridge says. “These include cost, continuity of staffing from after school to summer, expertise in academic enrichment and summer programming, and opportunities to further develop community staff skills that can carry over into the school year.”

School board members can take several actions to promote summer learning in their districts:

  • Share the research on summer learning loss with other school board members and administrators.
  • Find out what programs are already being offered by the district, and explore enhancing them by partnering with other organizations and resources in the community.
  • If no summer programs are offered by the district, find out whether available resources and partnerships can be pulled together to offer even a short summer program.
  • Make sure the district has a plan for reaching out to parents.

“Plan ahead,” advises Kakishiba. “Identify and pool all possible existing district resources. Create a partnership with your mayor, county supervisors, and major civic organizations. Make summer learning a big deal that everyone in your community wants to see happen.”   

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