WHAT STRATEGIES ARE MOST EFFECTIVE FOR DELIVERING SUMMER INSTRUCTION?

Despite the recent growth in popularity, summer school programs enroll only about a tenth of the nation's schoolchildren. This smaller scale may work to students' advantage, yielding smaller class sizes, more individualized instruction, and greater flexibility for teachers to meet specific learning needs. Indeed, Cooper (2001) has found that small-group or individualized instruction during the summer produces the greatest benefits for student learning. Students who are at risk of academic failure may benefit from flexible summer programs. In a remedial summer program in Warrensburg, Missouri, students could contract to pursue independent learning goals, with teachers acting as resource persons. The mastery learning model and flexible scheduling allowed students to plan attendance around vacation and work schedules (Cale, 1992).

Effective summer and extended learning programs tend to share common features, including (Borman, 2000; Funkhouser, Fiester, O'Brien, & Weimer, 1995):

• Parent and community involvement
• Careful attention to program fidelity
• Substantial academic components aimed at teaching reading and math
• Coordination with learning goals and activities of the regular school year
• Cultural sensitivity
• Staff development
• Evaluation of program success

In their long-term study of children of diverse backgrounds, Baltimore researchers found that children from more advantaged families "did things in summer different from what they did during the school year—they attended day camps, took swimming lessons, went on trips, visited local parks and zoos, and played organized sports, to name a few" (Entwisle, Alexander, & Olson, 2001, p. 15). Effective summer programs can be designed to emulate such positive summer experiences by incorporating these strategies (Entwisle, Alexander, & Olson):

• Encouraging positive behavior
• Teaching problem-solving strategies
• Encouraging children to be self-directed learners
• Setting high expectations
• Providing necessary support so that children can meet expectations

Because children naturally equate the long days of summer with being outdoors and being active, effective programs incorporate physical activity and field trips into classroom work, balancing instructional and noninstructional time to keep students engaged (Denoya, 1998; Entwisle, Alexander, & Olson, 2001). Physical activity not only provides a break from more sedentary classwork, but also provides health benefits—especially for students who may spend their leisure time in front of television sets or computer screens.

Research from the related field of out-of-school time, including after-school and extended-day programs, suggests that effective programs also provide an opportunity to strengthen connections between students' school and home lives (Pederson, de Kanter, Bob, Weinig, & Noeth, 1998). A large-scale extended learning program called LA's BEST, which has tracked improvements in attendance, achievement, and grades for its low-income student participants, uses three strategies to guide programming: building on what students already know (rather than using a preset curriculum), helping students value their own ideas and experiences, and following students' interests when planning activities (Heckman & Sanger, 2001).

The research on out-of-school time programs also stresses the importance of providing students with a safe environment and giving them opportunities to develop relationships with caring, competent adults (Pederson et al., 1998). Effective after-school programs frequently offer students a choice of activities, provide individualized instruction, and create opportunities for experiential learning. These may be effective strategies for engaging students in summer learning, as well.

Although many questions remain about the most effective approaches for summer instruction—including the optimum program length—certain strategies are indicated by existing research. Especially if the goal is to prevent summer learning loss, an effective program design will (Borman, 2000):

• Begin in the early grades
• Be offered over multiple summers
• Focus on prevention and development rather than remediation

When the summer goal is remediation—such as the mandatory programs many urban districts now provide for students who have failed to pass high-stakes tests—strategies to boost student results include staff time for collaborative planning and the use of certified teachers for summer staffing. A study of New York City's summer school program recommended a number of strategies relating to teachers (Metis, 2002):

• Begin teacher recruitment early
• Differentiate professional development based on teacher background
• Increase the number of professional development days for teachers
• Develop compact curriculum guides, including pacing charts
• Create more continuity between the regular school year and the summer school program

In addition, Minneapolis Public Schools draws on experience to recommend these strategies for building a successful summer program:

• Clearly communicate summer session goals and student responsibilities
• Provide a rigorous curriculum that helps students meet individualized learning goals and state standards
• Provide meaningful, ongoing home communication regarding student attendance, behavior, and progress (Minneapolis Public Schools, 2002)