stemming the slide: how summer presents unique challenges and opportunities for underrepresented...
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Summer Starts in SeptemberNational Partnership for Educational Access
Conference
April 17, 2015
Dara Murray
Manager of Program Quality and Evaluation
On twitter: @summerlearning #summerlearning
NSLA seeks to:
• Improve the quality of summer learning opportunities
• Expand access to summer learning
• Increase demand for summer learning
Why am I here?
You are here because instructional quality matters.
WHY SUMMER MATTERS
Summer Learning Research
Why Summer Learning
What happens to a child when they are not engaged in positive, supportive activities in the summer?
Afterschool and Summer
Faucet Theory: learning resources are turned on for all youth during the school year because of equal access to public education.
Afterschool and Summer
During the summer, the faucet is turned OFFfor low-income youth.
A limited flow of resources in the summer has major implications for summer program quality.
The Effects of Summer Learning Loss
Since 1906, numerous studies have confirmed that children experience learning losses in math and reading without continued opportunities for skill building over the summer (White, Heyns, Cooper, Downey, Alexander)
More than half of the ninth grade achievement gap in reading can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities during the elementary school years (Alexander, Entwisle, & Olson, 2007)
Summer learning losses have later life consequences, including high school curriculum placement, high school dropout, and college attendance (ibid.)
“Virtually all of the advantage that wealthy students have over poor
students is the result of differences in the way privileged kids learn when they are not in school….America doesn’t have
a school problem. It has a summer vacation problem …”
Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers, pp. 258 - 260
Summer Learning and the Achievement Gap
What’s the reading gap look like in grade 9?
• 3.4 grade equivalents difference on average
• 6.6 grade equivalents difference between low-income youth who eventually drop out vs. higher-income who eventually enter college
New York Times, Feb 9, 2012, Education Gap Grows Between Rich and Poor, Studies Say, Sean F. Reardon, Stanford University, Whther Opportunity Rising Inequality and the Uncertain Life Chances of Low-Income Children.
Summer & College Enrollment
Arnold, Fleming, DeAnda, Castleman, and Wartman (2009)
Big Picture Longitudinal Study (BPLS)
• Significant support during high school for college application, financial aid, admissions and selection process (95-100% college acceptance rate)
Education pipeline breaks down the summer between HS graduation and college entrance for low-income youth (70% actually enroll in any college)
Relationships (parental ambivalence or hostility, peer pressure, thin college social networks)
Resources (financial to supplement the aid package)
Lack of knowledge (how to follow up with college, having the correct information about the college)
Summer & College Enrollment
During the summer before college, low-income youth need:
Continuing availability of expert guidance and support re: college admissions from both the HS and the college
Continuing assistance for students in finding the best possible pathway for their skills, interests, and postsecondary goals
Ongoing social and emotional supports for students and their families
Intensive and consistent financial guidance to interpret documents and make decisions among alternatives
Summer’s Influence on Teaching and Learning
In a survey of 500 teachers –
• 66% said it takes them at least 3-4 weeks to re-teach skills lost during the summer at the beginning of the school year
• 77% agreed or strongly agreed that students who participate in summer learning are better prepared for school in the fall
• 72% agreed or strongly agreed that PD from working in a summer program helps to improve school year practice
Why Summer Learning?
Compelling research base
Laboratory for innovation in teaching & learning
Support for working families
Spans transition periods
Growing importance in the education reform / time and learning debate
Significant opportunity for partnerships
The Good News
• High-quality programs can reduce summer learning loss and lead to achievement gains (McCombs, 2011)
• Gains can endure for two years after participation
• Summer learning programs can contribute significantly to young people’s health as well as learning
• Some evidence that summer reading programs, when coupled with supports, can also reduce learning loss and lead to gains. (Kim, 2004, 2006, 2008; READS Program)
Making Summer Count
Literature Review and Best
Practices from Summer Learning
Research
Getting to Work on Summer
Learning
Lessons learned from Summer
Learning Demonstration Project in
Five School Districts
Resources from RAND and Wallace
Characteristics of High Quality Programs
• Smaller class sizes (1:5- 1:8)
• Providing individualized instruction
• Involving parents
• ~150 hours per summer, at least two consecutive summers
• High-quality instructors (involve professional educators)
• Aligning school year and summer curricula
• Including content beyond remediation
• Tracking effectiveness
• Remove structural barriers (transportation, full-day programming)
• Entice students
Latest Research from The Wallace Foundation and the RAND
Corporation
Ready for Fall?
Features first set of findings from the
Summer Learning Demonstration
Project in Five School Districts
www.rand.org
In Math:
Attendance
Instructional time
In English Language Arts:
Instructional Quality
Orderly sites
Instructor teaching similar school-year grade
Wallace Study Report Key Findingsconducted by the RAND Corporation
Researchers Agree on What It Takes to Support DevelopmentThe National Research Council & Institute for Medicine list
the following key features of positive youth
development settings:
Physical and psychological safety
Appropriate structure
Supportive relationships
Opportunities to belong
Positive social norms
Support for efficacy and mattering
Opportunities for skill-building
Integration of family, school and community efforts- Community Programs to Promote Youth Development, 2002
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT CYCLE
Focus on Quality
The Basics: At the Program Level
Continuous Quality Improvement
Comprehensive Assessment of Summer Programs
Program Infrastructure Point-of-Service
PURPOSE
PROGRAMSUSTAINABILITY
PLANNING
STAFF
PARTNERSHIPS
INDIVIDUALIZED
INTENTIONAL
INTEGRATED
UNIQUE PROGRAMCULTURE
Weikart Center’s Pyramid of Program Quality
Transition:CASP SLPQA
The comprehensive Assessment of Summer Programs (CASP)
The Youth Program Quality Assessment (YPQA)
The new Summer Learning Program Quality Assessment (SLPQA)
DEVELOPING THE SUMMER LEARNING PQA
A partnership between the Weikart Center and the National Summer Learning Association
Organizational Expertise and Reach Weikart Center National Summer Learning Association
Exp
ert
ise
an
d R
eac
h
Research-based system-building model with an emphasis on quality and a manager-led quality improvement intervention
Valid, reliable metric & process for assessment and improvement at the point of service
80+ networks in 40+ states
Summer program system-building including tools and supports for designing, launching, and sustaining summer programming
Comprehensive rating scale for quality in program infrastructure and point-of-service
National leader and agenda-setter for summer learning; Deep footprint in CA with stakeholders
Purpose of Summer Learning PQA
Adapt tools to provide relevant, high-impact support to summer programs.
• Short schedule (4-8 weeks)
• Staff time shortage
• Youth in programs for longer hours
Connect summer process to ongoing school-year process.
Improve youth experience in summer programs.
Quality Construct: What is the SLPQA?
1. A measure designed to assess the quality of summer programs and identify staff training needs.
2. A set of items that measures youth access to key developmental experiences.
3. A tool which produces scores that can be used for comparison and assessment of progress over time.
4. Both a standard for instruction in summer learning program offerings and a measure of performance against that standard.
SLPQA Domains
1. Safe Environment
2. Supportive Environment
3. Interaction
4. Engagement
5. Supplemental Scales1. Math
2. Literacy
6. Project Director Interview
Safe Environment
Emotional Safety
Healthy Environment
Emergency Preparedness
Health and Nutrition
Supportive Environment
Warm Welcome
Program Flow
Active Learning
Skill-Building
Reframing Conflict
Managing Feelings
Interaction
Belonging
Collaboration and Leadership
Adult Partners
Breakthrough Collaborative
Engagement
Planning, Choice, Reflection
Learning How to Learn
Higher Order Thinking
Supplemental Scales
Math
Literacy
Project Director Interview
Planning
Staff Training
Family Connections
Individualization
Summer Learning PQA – Next Steps
Phase III:
Development of SLPQA Form B
Finalization of SLPQI Handbook
Integration into Online Scores Reporter
Finalization of Training and Technical Assistance Offerings
Summer 2014 Pilot Preliminary Evaluation Results
93% (n=14) site coordinators stated they were able to successfully implement SLPQI
77% (n=10) stated they felt the SLPQA provided an accurate assessment of their site
85% (n=11) said the scores on the interview portion were meaningful for PWD
67% of site coordinators stated the SLPQA did a better job of assessing academic practices than the standard YPQA
Summer Program ImprovementSome Steps to Consider After This Session…
Spend time reviewing materials more carefully!
Share the report and tool with colleagues!
Visit Weikart’s website (http://www.cypq.org/) in May 2015 to download the tool and guidebook!
Join us as partners as we continue this important work!
Order your copy at
SummerStartsInSeptember.com
Limited quantities available!
SUMMER STARTS IN SEPTEMBERSummer Program Planning Guide
The NSLA website contains great free resources!
www.summerlearning.org
Download
the guide:
www.summerbestpractices.org
Resource on Summer Funding
Download at summerlearning.org/funding
NSLA’s latest resource, Moving Summer Learning Forward: A Strategic Roadmap for Funding in Tough Times, includes:
Descriptions of and links to applicable federal, state, and local funding streams
Examples of how to use local partnerships and private funding to leverage public resources
Spotlighted strategies and examples of funding in action
Case studies of how high-quality district and community - based summer learning programs obtained funding
Lessons on Summer Learning
and More
52
Free
reports,
toolkits,
videos &
more
wallacefoundation.org
Follow us at
Twitter.com/
SummerLearning
Like us on
Facebook.com/
SmarterSummers
Subscribe to us at
Youtube.com/
SummerLearning
Find on social media to keep updated
#SummerLearning
NSLA
Thank You!
Dara Murray
Manager of Program Quality
and Evaluation
(410) 856-1370
www.summerlearning.org