Better Together:
Supporting Summer and Out of School Learning and Enrichment Access for All
Supporting Summer and Out of School Learning and Enrichment Access for All
State education leaders, working to safely deliver education to students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, are implementing summer and out-of-school learning programs connected to broader accelerated learning efforts to support students. Summer programs can offer critical mental health and well-being supports to students and teachers in addition to providing opportunities for academic enrichment.
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) in partnership with the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) and with support from The Wallace Foundation, provide universal technical assistance and supports to states through informational webinars and are working with a small network of states, the State Summer Learning Network, to support education agency leaders and their partner organizations committed to implementing a broad vision for equity in summer learning. Together, states are working to advance summer quality program standards and positive youth development practices that can be applied across districts and integrated into the school year and elevating best practices in summer learning to ensure a focus on equity and excellence. You can learn more about how some states are using federal COVID relief grants to create and expand summer learning in Using COVID Relief to Support Summer Learning: A 7-State Snapshot. States are also leveraging community partnerships as evidence-based components of quality summer programming. The groups are making resources available more broadly, outside of the network, to anyone interested in advancing summer programming. More on that below.
The State Summer Learning Network (SSLN), is committed to moving summer programming beyond remediation and credit recovery and engaging more children and youth and community partners to boost academic achievement, social and emotional learning goals and influence teaching and learning throughout the year. The network, collaborated over a two-year period and has consisted of Alabama, Arizona, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia.
Members of the SSLN (state education agencies and external partners) receive support to:
– Use strong data to develop community system-based strategies for summer learning;
– Elevate exemplars of teaching practices;
– Leverage summer months for positive, effective teacher education and induction experiences;
– Identify and disseminate model policies that provide states with key policy and regulatory conditions that support successful summer ecosystems;
– Advance summer quality program standards and positive youth development practices that can be applied across districts and integrated into the school year; and
– Elevate best practices in summer learning that ensures a focus on equity and excellence.
CCSSO has supported states as they navigate ongoing COVID-19 pandemic impacts on schools and as they work to accelerate learning and ensure all students have an equitable educational opportunity. Read about how some states are using federal COVID relief grants to create and expand summer learning in Using COVID Relief to Support Summer Learning: A 7-State Snapshot.
States in the Summer Learning Network are leading the way in expanding the mission of summer programs to reach more students and provide educational opportunities that are just as effective and impactful as what happens during the traditional academic year. These spotlights provide examples of innovative approaches and best practices for building support, expanding access and delivering high-quality programming that promotes learning and wellbeing for all students. Other state spotlights will be added as they become available.
Alabama: Moving Behind the Mandate for Summer Learning
Arizona: Making Summer as Important (and Impactful) as the Rest of the Year
Michigan: Making Summer Learning a Priority
Ohio: Ohio’s Community-Centered Approach to Summer Learning
Oregon: Creating Equity-Driven, Joyful Summer Learning Programs
Tennessee: A Framework for Summer Learning Focused on Student Acceleration in Tennessee
Utah: Refocusing Summer Learning Efforts
State Summer Learning Universal Technical Assistance Webinar Series
In March 2021, CCSSO and the NSLA launched an informational webinar series to provide universal technical assistance and support. The State Summer Learning Universal Technical Assistance webinar series focuses on sharing resources, policies, and best practices with all states. The webinars have been used as a tool to disseminate knowledge about what’s known about effective summer learning programs; identify and disseminate model policies that provide states with key policy, funding and regulatory conditions that support successful summer ecosystems; and to create a system for state peer-sharing and learning through existing NSLA-CCSSO convening opportunities. Information for upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars can be found below.
Past webinars
–Summer Starts in September (September 2023)
– Data and Sustainability (August 2023) (Passcode: C%Va0h%s)
– Using ESSER Funds To Strengthen High-Quality Out-Of-School Time Learning (July 2023) (Passcode: gMM$Mj?4)
– Data and Collaboration (June 2023) (Passcode: 5bb+L$&r)
–Data and Communication (May 2023) (Passcode: l=8i*Wj^)
–Data Deep Dive (April 2023) (Passcode: KPy+8CJ*)
–Summer Learning – A National Perspective (January 2023) (Passcode: %I6kyz2z)
– Summer 2023 Has Already Started (September 2022) (Passcode: pQ*gz71b)
– Best Practices in Summer Learning (July 2022)
– The House is on Fire: Staffing Shortages (April 2022)
– Supporting the Whole Child in Out of School Learning (January 2022)
– Rethinking Data (October 2021)
– Collaboration with the Department of Education on Summer Learning (June 2021)
– Navigating Education Recovery Funding and Keys to Successful Program Recruitment, Attendance, and Retention (May 2021) (Passcode: c5^7Tz@b )
– Whole Learner Approach to Accelerating Learning in Literacy and Math (April 2021) (Passcode: *4sh=aB3)
– SSLN Introduction Meeting (March 2021) (Passcode: PZ4mR.e8)
Resources
CCSSO, NSLA and the Wallace Foundation also curated resources to support states as they navigate summer programming. Resources for all states include:
–Student Snapshots: Experiences in Summer Learning Programs
–Better Together: Lessons from the State Summer Learning Network
– A Hot Time for Summer Learning: Empowering States to Leverage Summer Learning: A Network Approach (Wallace Podcast)
–Community Indicators of Effective Summer Learning Systems (CIESLS) Self-Assessment
– Community System-Building Framework
– Summer Starts in September Module
– The Wallace Foundation’s Summer Planning Toolkit
– Developing Effective Guidance: A Handbook for State Educational Agencies
– COVID-Relief Funding for Public Schools (FAQ)
– Working Together: Social and Emotional Learning and a Multi-Tiered System of Supports
– NSLA Summer Learning in 2020 Talking Points
State Resources
– Arizona Summer Learning Webpage
– Michigan Summer Learning Toolkit
– Oregon Summer Learning Toolkit
