Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Traditional Summer School vs Enhanced Summer Learning
Consider how the focus for summer learning could shift beyond traditional goals. Below are detailed recommendations for enhanced summer learning opportunities.
Traditional Summer Learning:
- Intervention and remediation
- Credit recovery
- Prevention of regression
- Provide ELLs with supports to address any English language development instruction
- Provide ESY services in compliance with IEPs
Enhanced Summer Learning:
- Focus on grade-level content and instructional rigor to maximize learning acceleration
- Frontload the next school year’s learning to give students a jumpstart to the 2022-2023 school year
- Implement high-dosage tutoring aligned to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) to accelerate learning
- Focus on depth of instruction rather than the pace; prioritize the content and the learning
- Ensure the inclusion of all learners, when and where possible
- Identify and address specific gaps in learning through instruction, rather than grouping students with similar ability
- Maintain social and emotional connections and academic opportunities for students, particularly at-risk students
- Utilize funds from the Mental Health Services and Supports Grant and the NJTSS Mental Health Support Staffing Grant for additional counseling services during summer programs
- Utilize ARP ESSER funds to develop the content of summer programs by hiring and training staff or providing transportation to students as needed
- Provide English Language Learners (ELLs) with supports to address any English language development instruction
- Provide dual enrollment, structured learning experiences, and/or advanced coursework opportunities for students to earn credit toward a college degree or industry-valued credential
Traditional Summer School:
- Students who are furthest behind
- Secondary students who need to meet promotion requirements or complete graduation credit(s)
- Students with disabilities who experience significant regression
- English Language Learners (ELLs)
- Students experiencing homelessness, particularly those who have experienced moves or have been chronically absent
Enhanced Summer Learning:
- Students who are at risk socially or emotionally and need connections with peers and adults
- Students who are furthest behind academically in one or more subjects, based on internal assessment and state requirements, including secondary students who need to meet promotion requirements or complete graduation credit(s)
- Students with disabilities who experience significant academic regression
- Students experiencing homelessness, particularly those who have experienced moves or have previously been chronically absent who need ongoing academic enrichment
- Students who need ongoing academic enrichment
- Early learners who have not yet mastered foundational reading skills
- Students who have had poor attendance since spring 2022
Traditional Summer School:
- Written communication to keep family members informed of student progress
Enhanced Summer Learning:
- Regularly communicate with families in ways that have proven successful (e.g., email, phone call, text, mail, social media, etc.). Be mindful of the needs of your school community and develop methods for communicating in all languages spoken throughout the school community with consideration of literacy levels
- Assist families with supporting student use of online platforms and devices
- Assist families with supporting student learning
- Conduct regular check-ins to support students and online parent/family meetings
- Utilize ARP ESSER funds to provide training programs for parents and care-givers regarding ways a student’s family can help support the development of a growth mindset
Traditional Summer School:
- Assessment for evaluation or summative purposes
- Frequent assessment to inform grading
- Progress monitoring to measure response to interventions
Enhanced Summer Learning:
- Establish competencies for English language arts (ELA) and mathematics, aligned to prerequisite concepts and skills for the upcoming grade
- Capture and analyze qualitative information about a student’s progress with particular skillsets rather than using traditional grade measures; provide professional development for staff on such uses of qualitative information
- Emphasize low-stakes formative assessment of mathematics and ELA competencies aligned to focused work of prior and upcoming grades, while recognizing that summative assessments may be necessary in some cases for credit recovery
- Monitor progress to measure response to intervention and share acquired data with teachers in the new school year.
- Utilize funds from the Learning Acceleration Grant and the Accelerated Learning Coaching and Educator Support Grant to provide professional development to staff on how to design or enhance formative assessments to inform instruction
Traditional Summer School:
- One day in advance of summer school opening for classroom set up
- Limited professional learning opportunities designed to enhance summer school programming
Enhanced Summer Learning:
- Grade- and curriculum-specific training in instructional design in conjunction with formative assessment and accelerated learning strategies
- Regular common planning time for grade-alike teachers. As applicable, include outside partners, ELL/bilingual, special education, and intervention teachers to plan differentiated lessons that address academics and social emotional learning
- Regular faculty check-ins to ensure staff wellness and opportunities for problem-solving
- Engagement of clinical interns (e.g., student teachers) whose clinical practice or experience was interrupted or novice teachers who are starting in the fall
- Utilize ARP ESSER funds to provide professional development for educators focused on how to leverage extended learning time through summer programs to support student learning
Traditional Summer School:
- One-on-one or small group instruction is traditionally not included
- Students are grouped according to general academic ability and not specific to identified learning gaps
- A strong focus on remediating gaps existing from the past years or previous grade-level's content
- Academic enrichment is not prioritized as much as remediation; higher-performing students are often excluded from summer programming
- Programs are not designed to align with associated school year activities or experiences for continuity of learning
Enhanced Summer Learning:
- High-dosage tutoring is recommended in tandem with identification of learning gaps within NJSLS-aligned curriculum for the most vulnerable students
- Students receive individual or small group supports to address gaps needed to attend to content of summer coursework
- Summer Bridge/Summer Learning Acceleration Academies develop foundational content knowledge and skills to accelerate learning in advanced coursework in the next school year
- Planning for additional extended day learning and/or afterschool during the school year is coordinated with the content of summer programs to ensure continuity of learning
- ARP ESSER and Learning Acceleration funding can be used to leverage the planning and delivery of these components