Is Summer School Effective? Is summer school effective? Yes or no? Summer school is often associated with bored students staring out the window, but it can be a beneficial experience. It can help students compensate for learning losses, improve their grades, take specialized classes, and prepare them for college. However, research shows that summer school is ineffective in achieving these goals.
Summer Strategies The key to a successful summer school program lies in creating a fun and engaging atmosphere, offering a variety of subjects and activities, focusing on building relationships with students, removing barriers for families, providing perks for teachers, considering in-person options, ‘bridging the gap to the next school year’-ensuring that students are prepared for the curriculum and expectations of the next grade level-and having realistic expectations. Ultimately, summer school is one of several strategies to help students catch up and keep them engaged.
Attendance is Key A lively and encouraging environment must be created to boost attendance at summer school. Despite the threat of being held back, it can be challenging to entice students to consistently attend summer school. This is due to the sunny summer weather and the fact that other students are out having fun and not attending school.
Summer School Tips To make summer school more appealing, it is essential to provide incentives for attendance. Students who do not show up will not benefit from the learning experience. There are two key aspects to consider to accomplish this. First, go beyond traditional subjects like math and reading and offer a variety of activities such as music, art, dance, and field trips to engage the students. For instance, schools could organize a painting session, a music performance, or a dance workshop. Secondly, focus on building positive relationships between students and teachers, as research shows that attendance increases when students have a strong connection with their teachers. By implementing these strategies, summer school attendance can be improved.
Alternative Options to Summer School Let’s face it: by June, teachers and students will be burnt out. The idea of summer school doesn’t really appeal to anyone. Instead of traditional summer schools, schools could offer tutoring sessions focusing on specific subjects. Teachers and students only need to attend these sessions for an hour a couple days a week, relieving stress for both parties. Summer camps or programs that offer academic skills, along with other activities. Students who qualify for extended school year services (ESY) may attend through June to receive additional help. Several online learning programs can also be utilized. In 2024, we have options and alternatives to traditional summer school, and that’s a good thing.
The Reality It’s important to maintain realistic expectations for summer school. Research indicates that it usually doesn’t yield significant learning improvements, which is acceptable if you align your expectations accordingly. Although it may be tempting to believe that summer school can address substantial learning gaps, it is more realistic to focus on preventing the summer slide and achieving modest progress to prepare students for the upcoming school year. School leaders should consider summer programs as just one of many strategies to assist students in catching up rather than relying solely on them. Additionally, remember that besides academic progress, summer school offers ‘intangible benefits’-such as improved social skills, increased self-confidence, and enhanced teacher and peer relationships-which can positively impact the next academic year.
Written By: Meredith Biesinger
Professional Writer/ Education Specialist
Meredith Biesinger is a licensed dyslexia therapist in Mississippi, in addition to being an experienced classroom teacher and K-12 administrator. Meredith also works as a consultant, where she bridges the bridge the gap between K-12 school districts and ed-tech organizations. With a passion for literacy, she is also a professional writer and syndicated author. With a M.Ed in Educational Leadership and a B.S. in English Education and Creative Writing, she has had rich and diverse opportunities to teach students and education professionals in different parts of the country as well as overseas.
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