Urban charter students made significant gains in reading and math in a summer program that combined instruction and enrichment, reports Greg Toppo on The 74. English Learners and students moving into grades 4-8 gained the most in Summer Boost, compared to similar students who didn't participate, researchers report.
But summer school doesn't work if kids don't show up.
Poor attendance has plagued New York City's Summer Rising program, also a mix of academics and camp-like activities, reports Michael Elsen-Rooney in Chalkbeat.
Parents were eager to sign up when the program started in 2021, funded by federal Covid funding, he writes. Now that the federal money has run out, the city is paying the $240 million cost for what Chancellor David Banks called a “cornerstone in the lives of our youngest New Yorkers.”
Yet only about 60 percent of students show up for the academic portion of the day.
Before the pandemic, the city ran free summer camps and the school system provided mandatory summer school for students who'd failed courses. It cost a lot less.
"The first four hours of the Summer Rising day are purely academic, a turnoff for some families seeking a more recreational experience." writes Elsen-Rooney. Promises of weekly field trips haven't been fulfilled.
“To have kids sit in a classroom with workbooks and tablets and call that enrichment … It's not thoughtful," said a Brooklyn parent. Her third-grader told her: "This is school."
Students in 2023 improved on literature and math tests over the summer, proponents say.
More than 40 percent of parents say they want a structured summer program, but can't afford it, according to a Gallup poll, reports Lauraine Langreo in Education Week.
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