Accelerating Outcomesthrough Summer Learning
Sarah Pitcock, CEO
National Summer Learning Association
NSLA seeks to:• Improve the quality of summer learning opportunities• Expand access to summer learning• Increase demand for summer learning
Our Mission
How do we do this?
We serve as the nation’s leading voice forbuilding awareness of the value of summerlearning
We convene and provide best practices andtechnical assistance to school districts, nonprofitsand city and state leaders
We change public systems and public policy
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When we are successful:
1. School districts include high-quality summerlearning in a 12-month student achievementplan for all kids in Title I schools;
2. Providers align school-year and summerprograms through shared indicators ofquality and effectiveness in coordinatedsystems; and
When we are successful:
3. States and localities use summer learning toaccelerate education priorities, such as 3rd
grade reading, middle school transitions,teacher effectiveness and post-secondaryreadiness.
“Virtually all of the advantage thatwealthy students have over poorstudents is the result of differences inthe way privileged kids learn when theyare not in school….America doesn’thave a school problem. It has a summervacation problem …”
Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers, pp. 258 - 260
“It may seem counterintuitive, but schools don’tseem to produce much of the disparity in testscores between high- and low-incomestudents…
There is some evidence that achievement gapsbetween high- and low-income studentsactually narrow during the nine-monthschool year, but they widen again in thesummer months.”
Source: Sean Reardon, No Rich Child Left Behind, New York Times
Op-Ed, April 30, 2013.
Afterschool and Summer
Faucet Theory: learningresources are turned on forall youth during the schoolyear because of equalaccess to public education.
Afterschool and Summer
During the summer, the faucet is turned OFFfor low-income youth.
A limited flow of resources in the summer hasmajor implications for summer programquality.
What is the opportunity gap?
Over the last 40 years, upper-income parentshave increased the amount they spend ontheir kids’ enrichment activities, like tutoringand extra curriculars, by $5,300 a year.
Lower-income parents have only been able toincrease their investment by $480, adjustedfor inflation.
3,536
5,650
6,975
8,872
8351,264 1,173 1,315
0
2,500
5,000
7,500
10,000
1972 to 1973 1983 to 1984 1994 to 1995 2005 to 2006
Enrichment Expenditures on Children(in 2008 dollars)
Top Quintile Income Bottom Quintile Income
Source: Whither Opportunity?, 2011, Greg Duncan and Richard Murnane, ed., p. 11
The growing opportunity gap
The problem we are solving
There is a persistent achievement gapbetween higher and lower income youth,producing lifelong consequences.
By ninth grade, the gap is as wide as 6.5 years.
Up to half of the gap is caused by lack ofsummer learning opportunities.
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Why the achievement gapis a problem
Falling behind causes kids to drop out of school.
• If a child is not proficient in reading by third grade, heis four times as likely to drop out of high school.
Dropping out results in low wages, higher rates ofunemployment and incarceration and reliance onpublic assistance.
One high school dropout costs society $200,000more in her lifetime than a high schoolgraduate.
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Summer Learning Media Coverage
2007 - 2013
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2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
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sSummer Learning In The News
summer learning summer learning loss summer slide
The New York Times
By Motoko Rich
June 30, 2013
At Retooled Summer Schools,Creativity, Not Just Catch-Up
• Awareness is high, and it’s beginning totranslate into policy and action
Where is summer learningas an issue?
Federal context
Broad education reform agenda defined by:
Flexibility
New Ways of Doing Accountability
Evidence-Based Practices
Key Implications
We have an opportunity, and a need, to showhow summer learning accelerates a variety ofeducation priorities that cities and states careabout, including third grade readingproficiency, teacher effectiveness and collegeand career readiness
We need to use evidence-based models
State Action on More Time
New Mexico- six-year pilot: 25 moredays, K-3 grades
New York- law: 25% increase in learningtime
New Jersey- State of the State priority
Washington- new legislation: 20 days ayear, for three years
Texas Summer TeacherTraining Program
TX House Bill 742
• New statewide competitive grant program forsummer learning
• Requires districts to pair HQ teachers with firstyear apprentices
• Did not receive appropriations
3rd Grade Reading
32 states have passed legislation designed toimprove 3rd grade reading proficiency
• Includes mandatory retention in 14 states
• Texas retains in grades 5 and 8
3rd Grade Reading
Campaign for Grade-Level Readingencourages focus on summer learning in 130communities. In Texas, those are:• Arlington-Mansfield
• Austin
• Brownsville
• Houston
• San Antonio
• Waco
• Wharton, Colorado & Matagorda Counties
Local Action: New Vision forSummer School Network
Austin
Baltimore
Birmingham
Boston
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Chicago
Cincinnati
Council Bluffs
Dallas
Duval County
Fairfax County
Fresno
Grand Rapids
Houston
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Newark
New York City
Oakland
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Providence
Racine (WI)
Rochester
Sacramento
Seattle
Springfield (MA)
Washington, DC
Wausau (WI)
Systems Building
Cities are coming together with cross-sectorsteering committees to jointly plan, market,assess and fund their programs citywide.
• Baltimore
• NYC
• Grand Rapids
• Sacramento
• Birmingham
Working Within Existing State Policies
School Improvement Grants
21st Century
NCLB Waivers- SES funding in Title I
Title I
Title II
What matters?
Relationships with Peers
Relationships with Adults
Critical Thinking
Perseverance
Learning Interest
Optimism
Empathy
School Bonding
STEM Must-Haves:
Ongoing Projects, not drive-by STEM
Relevance
Connected Learning- peer networks/socialaspect
Experts as peers
Clear college and career applications
School-year continuity
Why Games?
• Significantly improves youth attitude towardmathematics, science and engineering.
• Allows students to move at their own pace tomastery.
• Allows teachers to track student progressthrough real-time data.
Global Kids - NYC Haunts
Youth designed location-based game using mobiletechnology (ARIS)
Historical scavenger hunt• Civil War Draft Riots
• Youth created characters to giveclues to players of the game
http://olpglobalkids.org/gaming/nyc-haunts
Digital Media Production
Mozilla Webmaker offers free authoring toolsand software:
From supercharging web video with Popcorn,to exploring and remixing with the X-RayGoggles, to making your own web pageswith Thimble.
“Like a Swiss Army knife or ‘superhero utilitybelt’ for webmaking.”
Order your copy atSummerStartsInSeptember.com
Limited quantities available!
SUMMER STARTS IN SEPTEMBERSummer Program Planning Guide
KDK-Harman Foundation’s Summer STEM RFP
Expand summer learning opportunities by increasing:
the number of high-quality STEM programs
the total number of STEM program seats for K-12 students
the total funding for K-12 Summer STEM programs
Prevent Summer Learning Loss and Close the Achievement Gap
Encourage students to choose STEM-related fields for higher learning throughfun, engaging, and academically rigorous summer STEM camps
Increase the percentage of students entering STEM fields in Central Texas
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Summer 2011 Summer 2012 Summer 2013
Summer Programs Application Growth
# STEM Apps # Funded
858
703
1435
718
590
1317
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1600
2011 Total # students (per app) infunded programs
2012 Total # of students (per app) infunded programs
2013 Total # students in fundedprograms
2011-2013 Student Attendance ofSummer STEM Programs
Attendance Forecast Actual Attendance
Findings
Wide range of evolving programs
Similar organizational and systemic challenges/opportunities
attendance
teacher recruitment and training
classroom/lab space
parent engagement
competing priorities summer school
travel
Share Your Expertise
Table discussions
Capture ideas and best practices
Share short- and long-term solutions forSummer STEM programs in Central Texas
2014 Summer STEM RFP
$500,000 to be awarded from KDK-Harman Foundation
RFP opens January 16 - TODAY!
Rolling Approval of Applications
Final Deadline: February 21