Summer school helps counter learning loss
By KREMENA SPENGLER Journal Staff WriterNEW ULM - More than 200 students participated - or are still involved - in summer school in District 88 schools this year, said Superintendent Harold Remme.
At Jefferson Elementary School (grades K-3) and Washington Elementary School (grades 4-6), students enroll in summer school by teacher referral and parent approval. One hundred and four out of 108 kids referred signed up for classes at Jefferson this summer. At Washington, the participation rate is 46 our of 49 referred students.
Secondary classes are offered for credit recovery - students must have failed a class. In grades 7-8, 14 students took part in math and social studies classes (seven students in each course). In grades 9-12, 62 out of 79 eligible students participated in 10 courses - including American history, journalism, world history, algebra, family living, geography and biology. Twelve of the students, however, failed to receive credit.
Summer school at the elementary level starts after July 4 and runs till August. Classes meet 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. three days a week. Summer school at the secondary level runs over three weeks in July and meets 8 a.m. to noon four days a week.
Remme quotes research that shows that a learning loss occurs over the summer if children are not academically stimulated. Research has measured a decrease in retained knowledge from the time school is dismissed in May until the new school year starts in September, he said. For middle to lower-income students, there is a risk of losing up to four-tenths of a school year's growth over summer.
Summer school reduces the learning loss and allows the student participants to get off to a faster start in the new school year, says Remme.
Secondary programs are designed to help students master curricular items they failed during regular class sessions and to meet any graduation standards, said Remme.
Elementary programs are designed to strengthen basic skills that the students are lacking, so their performance could be brought up to grade-level standards. The focus is on reading, writing and math skills.
Testing done by the district is very helpful in identifying areas that need attention, says Remme. Because of new technology, student needs are identified more accurately and timely than in the past. "It's a real-time turnaround," says Remme.
Despite a more compressed timeframe, teachers address the same standards in summer school courses as they do in regular classes during the school year, says Remme. The time difference is made up by the fact students work in smaller groups receiving more individual attention and also by the fact that students can focus on specific coursework and smaller curricular segments.
District 88 keeps summer school class sections at a minimum of seven, and a maximum of 12, students. (The minimum of seven is so the school district can take full advantage of funding.)
Unlike summer school some years ago, currently, summer school is exclusively focused on remedial courses. Because of funding constraints, enrichment courses for more advanced students are not provided.
The District 88 summer school program is built around available funding, says Remme. To collect the maximum available funding, in line with state regulations, the district runs the program, accounting-wise, through the River Bend Area Learning Center. But it is taught by District 88 teachers.
Funding constraints have also affected the provision of transportation. Unlike in past years, busing is no longer provided by the school district.
Sunday school is generally taught by repeat teachers. That ensures consistency, says Remme. The returning teachers are much more in tune with the curriculum scope and sequence.
Summer learning loss can be reduced for students not attending summer school if parents keep their children engaged in learning activities over the summer, said Remme. Activities involving reading and math skills greatly impact the potential learning loss over the summer months.
