Believe it or not, another school year is wrapping up. School districts are preparing for end-of-year tests and field trips. Hopefully, they are also preparing to offer summer learning opportunities.
Summer learning opportunities help to avoid the “summer slide,” or the learning students lose while they are on summer break. Studies have shown elementary and middle school students lose an average of 20 percent of the reading gains and 30 percent of the mathematics gains they made during the school year over the summer.
The summer slide doesn’t just erase gains made in the previous school year; it impacts learning in the next school year, too. As I’ve written about before, the latest research from the Education Recovery Scorecard shows students remain nearly half a grade-level behind pre-pandemic levels in both math and reading. This makes each summer since the pandemic especially important. If student learning hasn’t recovered from the pandemic, the summer slide makes things even worse.
Ninety-one percent of U.S. K-12 superintendents say summer programs are important to achieving their district’s goals. Seventy-three percent plan to provide programs over the summer for students who qualify for remedial instruction, but only 27 percent of these districts surveyed plan to offer summer school for all students. It’s time to rethink the summer break and consider the moment as a time for students to have fun and practice foundational skills they may have missed during the school year. The benefits are clear:
- The Harvard Graduate School of Education research shows students who participated in summer programs experienced significantly better math achievement and gains in social-emotional skills and relationships than those who did not.
- In summer 2022, another team of Harvard researchers assessed summer school programs as a strategy for COVID-19 learning loss recovery and found a positive impact of summer school on math achievement.
- Overall, summer programs have demonstrated impact beyond academic success, such as by curbing risk-taking and anti-social behaviors, benefiting students’ physical and mental health, and improving social-emotional skills.
As school districts face budget crunches from declining enrollment and the expiration of pandemic relief dollars, they should prioritize the continuation of programs that help students recover the most academically.
Investing in Summer Learning
Some states have encouraged and funded summer learning programs:
- In 2023, Alabama’s Summer Adventures in Learning (SAIL) program reported that the 2,000 students who participated gained 3.1 months of typical school year progress in math and 1.9 months’ worth in reading.
- In 2021, Georgia used funds from the American Rescue Plan to support Building Opportunities in Out-of-School Time (BOOST) , which aimed to expand access to summer and after-school learning to under-represented youth, but the program ended when funds ran out.
Whether your state has funds available for summer learning, school districts are the primary designers of their summer programs, and the business community can play a key role in supporting summer learning in their communities.
Three Ways the Business Community Can Support
Partner with existing efforts.
If there are already school-based programs, library-based programs encouraging summer reading, or community organizations like the YMCA or Boys and Girls Club hosting a summer learning initiative, consider supporting them. This support can be anything from volunteering staff time or resources to offsetting the costs of participation for those in need to promoting the programs with your employers and patrons. Consider the unique value each of these community agencies has and where you can be helpful to achieve shared goals.
Offer internship programs for high school students and young adults.
Summer learning opportunities are not just for K-12 students. Programs like Step Up in Minneapolis or U.S. Chamber Foundation’s EPIC (Employer Provided Innovation Challenges) help students develop employable skills, while enabling businesses to address workforce shortages. Consider if there are opportunities for you to train the future workforce in your area through summer opportunities in your company or organization.
Offer your own summer program.
Programs come in all shapes and sizes. They can be big, such as a week-long career exploration experience that provides a group of students with in-person learning about a high-demand industry or some transferable skills. Or, programs can offer a self-paced challenge, such as reading competitions where students read a certain number of books or complete activities for a reward. The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) offers resources for people or organizations that want to advocate for summer learning programs in their region. They track state policies on summer learning programs and have just launched a partnership with AT&T’s Achievery to create a free digital learning platform to enhance online learning opportunities for all students. NSLA is a good starting place for ideas on designing and supporting summer learning programs.
Brain development doesn’t switch off during the summer months, and learning opportunities should not either. Business and community leaders have an important role to play in ensuring children can continue learning outside the classroom walls.
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About the author
Kyle Butler
Kyle Butler is senior manager of K-12 education programs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
