Summer Impact Report 2014

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9,377 Scholars Enrolled

K-8 Grades Served

86% Average Daily Attendance

+2.4 Average Grade-Equivalent Reading Gain, in Months, Underperforming Scholars*

+3.5 Average Grade-Equivalent Math Gain, in Months, Underperforming Scholars*

91% Teachers reporting that scholars increased their self-confidence

96% Parents reporting that scholars enjoyed their BELL Summer experience

92% Parents reporting they became more involved in their scholar’s education

Summer Impact Report 2014

BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life) exists to transform the academic achievements, self-confidence, and life trajectories of children living in under-resourced, urban communities.

BELL pursues its mission by partnering with schools to expand learning time. Summer learning opportunities, in particular, play an important role in a child’s academic success, as well as their social, physical, and emotional development. Without them, studies show that children tend to lose reading and math skills, gain weight, and face increased risks of negative social behavior. By the time a child completes the eighth grade, summer learning loss has been shown to account for up to 2/3 of the academic achievement gap between children from low-income families and their higher-income peers.

In BELL’s summer learning programs, scholars in grades K-8 participated in data-driven, small-group academic instruction in reading and math, afternoon enrichment activities, field trips, and community service. Programs operated for 5-10 hours per day, 4-5 days per week, for 5-7 weeks.

During the summer of 2014, 9,377 scholars participated in BELL programs at 79 school- and community-based sites in CA, MD, MA, NJ, NY, NC, OH, AL, CO, CT, DC, FL, MN and TX. BELL and its partners prioritized enrolling students who were struggling in school and who lacked access to summer learning programs.

Program staff measured program outcomes against three major goals:

•  Students who are underperforming at the start of the summer will gain at least one month of grade-equivalent skills instead of experiencing summer learning loss.

•  At least 75% of scholars will demonstrate improved self-confidence and social skills.

•  At least 75% of parents will report that they became more engaged in their child’s education

* “Underperforming” scholars score in the lowest quartile on STAR assessments at the start of the summer: Urgent Intervention (1-10th percentile) or Intervention (11-25th percentile)

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2.4

1.2

3.5

1.8

-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4

-2

-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4

GRADE-EQUIVALENT GAINS IN BELL SUMMER VS. SUMMER LEARNING LOSS

Average Grade-Equivalent Gains, in Months

Average Gain in Math Skills, Underperforming Scholars*

Average Gain in Reading Skills, Underperforming Scholars*

Average Summer Learning Loss, Disadvantaged Students without Summer Learning Opportunities**

Average Gain in Math Skills, All Scholars

Scholar Achievement

✎  GRADE-EQUIVALENT GAINS Teachers used STAR Enterprise Assessments, by Renaissance Learning, on a pre- and post-program basis. The assessments are built for measuring progress against Common Core standards. Scholars in grades K-2 completed the STAR Early Literacy Assessment, while scholars in grades 3-8 completed the STAR Reading Assessment, and all scholars completed STAR Math assessments.

Assessment data was used to calculate scholars’ grade-equivalent gains, which are an important indicator of student success because they provide an absolute measure of how much a student has progressed up the proficiency ladder at a time when most children are not engaged in structured learning activities. A full grade level contains ten months of grade-equivalent skills development (i.e., based on an average school year of learning from September – June). To put it another way, a gain of 1 grade-equivalent month is equal to what an average student learns in 10% of a school year.

At the start of the BELL Summer program, formative assessments provided teachers with baseline indicators of scholar performance along with individualized learning plans. Approximately 69% of scholars started the program underperforming in reading, and 54% were underperforming in math.*

* Underperforming scholars score in the lowest quartile on STAR Reading and STAR Math assessments: Urgent Intervention (1-10th percentile) or Intervention (11-25th percentile)

** Sources

McCombs et al. (2011). Making Summer Count: How Summer Programs Can Boost Children’s Learning. Rand Education & The Wallace Foundation.

Cooper, Harris (2003). Summer Learning Loss: The Problem & Some Solutions. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary & Early Childhood Education.

According to STAR assessments, scholars who were underperforming in reading and/or math at the start of the summer tended to gain the most skills:

•  Underperforming scholars gained 2.4 months of reading skills

•  Underperforming scholars gained 3.5 months of math skills.

All scholars – including scholars who entered the program at or above grade level – gained grade-equivalent reading and math skills (on average):

•  Scholars in grades K-2 gained 1 month of grade-equivalent reading skills, while scholars in grades 3-8 gained 1.2 months of skills.

•  Scholars gained 1.8 months of grade-equivalent math skills.

Scholars’ grade-equivalent academic growth shows that participating in the BELL Summer program had a positive impact on their reading and math achievement. The return on investment was greatest for scholars who were struggling academically and who had the most to gain from high-quality summer learning opportunities.

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Average Gain in Reading Skills, All Scholars

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89%

89%

96%

92%

93%

93%

91%

95%

94%

95%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Scholars are more confident in their abilities"

Scholars have a more positive attitude about school"

Scholars enjoyed the BELL Summer program"

The BELL Summer program helped me become more involved in my child's education"

I am highly satisfied with my BELL Summer experience"

I recommend the BELL Summer program to other parents"

Scholars have more confidence in themselves"

I recommend the BELL Summer program to parents"

Program staff are diverse and reflect scholar diversity"

Working with BELL helped me develop my professional skills"

✎  SELF-CONFIDENCE & SOCIAL SKILLS

Scholars’ academic success is rooted in their self-efficacy skills, determination, and their social skills, including their ability to communicate clearly and work well with others. According to surveys completed at the end of BELL’s summer programs, teachers and parents consistently reported that scholars’ participation helped them make important gains in these areas. Such a positive impact can be attributed to a culture of high expectations, high-quality staff, a small staff to scholar ratio, and a data-driven learning environment.

✎  PARENT & TEACHER ENGAGEMENT & SATISFACTION Teachers and parents consistently reported that their BELL summer program was of high quality and met or exceeded their expectations. Teachers reported that the program structure and resources helped scholars achieve the goals set forth for them. They also reported that working the program helped them develop their professional skills. Parents reported that the model boosted their involvement in their child’s education – an outcome that is proven to have significant long-term impact on student achievement in school and beyond.

Teachers report:

Parents report:

PARENT & TEACHER SURVEY RESULTS

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Evaluation Advisory Board BELL’s assessment activities are guided, advised, and endorsed by an external, interdisciplinary group, BELL's national Evaluation Advisory Board. The Board oversees the application of principles and standards established in the educational evaluation and assessment fields.

Dr. Duncan Chaplin, Senior Researcher Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

Dr. Leslie Goodyear, Senior Research Associate Educational Development Center, Inc.

Ms. Priscilla Little, Research & Evaluation Consultant

Dr. Beth Miller, Director of Research & Evaluation Nellie Mae Education Foundation