The Impact of Summer Learning

Summer learning loss disproportionately affects low-income students and therefore likely contributes to the achievement gap between these students and their higher-income peers. Until now, however, research has not demonstrated whether voluntary school district summer learning programs offered to large numbers of urban, low-income students can actually make a difference.

In this seminar, Catherine Augustine presents early findings from a study that seeks to answer one key question: Can such programs in urban districts improve student achievement and social-emotional outcomes for low-income and low-achieving students?

The study is designed as a randomized controlled trial that assesses student outcomes in three waves: in the fall after the 2013 summer program, at the end of the school year following the program, and after a second summer program in 2014 (to show the cumulative effects of two summer programs). This talk will focus on the results from the first wave.

Speaker:

• Catherine Augustine, Senior Policy Researcher, RAND Corporation