10 Practical and Actionable Tips for Summer Learning Programs

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Summer learning programs are not new, but in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued learning loss and gaps in student achievement, these programs are on the rise.

GET ITa K-12 research and evaluation organization, today announced a new report on the effectiveness of summer programs to help mitigate learning loss, often called the “summer slump,” and stimulate academic recovery in the wake of Pandemic-related learning disruptionsThe report takes an in-depth look at research on summer programs, their implementation and design, and the effectiveness of such programs in achieving literacy, math, and social-emotional learning (SEL) outcomes.

“The effects of the learning disruption caused by the pandemic are still being felt. Our Latest data “It is estimated that students would need, on average, an additional 4.5 months of math instruction and 4.1 months of reading instruction to catch up in these two subjects. Many districts have turned to summer programs as a key recovery strategy, and these programs hold promise if they are well designed and well attended,” said Dr. Miles Davison, a research scientist at NWEA and one of the authors of the new report. “Given the end of ESSER funding, it is particularly important for school districts to have information on how to optimize the effectiveness of these programs.”

Due to the increased use of summer programs, NWEA researchers evaluated current studies and identified 10 recommendations that district leaders should consider regarding their design and implementation:

1. Districts must offer summer programs of at least four weeks duration.
2. Summer programs should include small class sizes and targeted instruction.
3. Summer instruction must be provided by qualified personnel.
4. Staff should enter summer programs prepared with familiar curricular tools.
5. Relationship building should be a key component of summer programs.
6. Summer programs should incorporate enrichment that includes diverse resources.
7. Districts should incorporate culturally relevant activities during the summer.
8. Summer programs should be free and provide transportation and meals.
9. Summer programs should prioritize family communication to promote student engagement.
10. Summer program staff should communicate with families to highlight student accomplishments and address challenges.

The new report also highlights positive outcomes that have been observed in a number of studies, including improved literacy in the early grades for low-income students, a boost in math across all student characteristics and ability levels, and the potential to improve SEL outcomes and student engagement across multiple summer sessions.

By focusing on these specific outcomes and incorporating key design features, summer programs can be a powerful tool to prevent learning loss and help students recover from lost learning opportunities during the pandemic.

This press release Originally appeared online.