Rand: Getting to Work on Summer Learning
Recommendations
- Planning
Conduct early, robust planning Plan for both enrichment activities and academics Engage in a continuous improvement process - Teacher Selection and Professional Development
Recruit and hire the district's most hightly effective teachers. Provide teachers with sufficient professional development prior to the program - Suffiecient Time of Task
Operate the program five to six weeks with three to four hours of academics per day Provide time for transition in the master schedule Schedule academic classes to occur in one continuous block Minimize the loss of instructional time by attending to summer site logistics Communicate the importance of maximizing instructional time to site leaders Provide teachers with strategies for maximizing instructional time - Student Recruitment and Attendance
Establish consistent attendance and a clear policy Develop accurate, timely recruitment materials Personalize recruitment of students and their families Establish a firm enrollment deadline Track the numbers of both attendees and never attended - Academic Curricula and Their Instruction
Engage experts to anchor the program in written curricula that align with school-year standards and student needs Encourage instructional leaders to observe instruction of the curriculum and provide feedback Serve students in small classes or groups - Enrichment Activities and Their Implementation
Select a model for providing enrichment activities Ensure that enrichment instructors have strong content knowledge Train enrichment instructors in behavior management strategies and monitor their implementation Plan lessons to include sequenced activities Plan carefully if enrichment is integrated with academics Keep class sizes small - Positive Summer Climate
Train all staff on the importance of positive adult engagement with students throughout the day—not only in classes Develop a clear, positive message about the summer site culture and ask staff to convey it consistently to students Ensure that site leaders observe instructional and noninstructional periods If resources allow, consider hiring staff to support positive student behavior -Summer Cost and Funding
Hire staff to achieve desired ratios based on projected daily attendance, not the initial number of enrollees Consider cost-efficiencies in the design of the program, but weigh them against potential impacts on program quality Read RAND’s full set of recommendations in Getting to Work on Summer Learning: Recommended Practices for Success, 2nd Edition
Covid Relief Playbook
Covid Relief Playbook: Smart Strategies for Investing Federal Funding
www.future-ed.org/covid-playbook/
Program Design
View the following resources and tools to help design high-quality Summer Learning programs:
Summer Learning Roadmap - Admisitration Support
Summer Learning Toolkit - Wallace Foundation (wallacefoundation.org)
Summer Planning Calendar - Comprehensive to-do list by month and topic paired with expert guidance - Companion Guide (.pdf), Tool (.xlsx)
Key District Practices for Successful Elementary Grade Summer Learning Programs
Summer Learning Recruitment - Wallace Foundation (wallacefoundation.org)
Summer Learning Recruitment Guide (.pdf)
Classroom Resources
If you are working directly with students in Summer Learning Programs, the following resources can help you provide high-quality learning experiences for students.
Valley of the Sun United Way Summer Learning Curriculum
Summer Learning Activity and Entertainment Guide
Discovery Education - Free for all AZ public and Charter Schools
STEAM in the classroom!
Pixar in a Box - Behind-the-scentes look at how Pixar artists do their jobs
Code.org - Providing every student the opportunity to learn computer science as part of their core K-12 education
Professional Development
Summertime is also a great opportunity to deepen your practices as an educator.
Please visit the professional development page to learn about upcoming opportunities for the Arizona Department of Education and our stakeholders.
Interested Summer Part-Time Work Opportunities
Are you looking for a part-time summer job opportunity?
ASU Preparatory Academy is hiring Part-Time Tutors.