Key Takeaways

Declining Summer Enrollment: APS’ Summer program over the past two years has seen a significant decline in student enrollment. This decline is not only a result of failing to offer enrichment classes, but it is also seen in declining enrollment of students in strengthening classes, EL students and special education students. APS’ summer program this last year served a smaller percentage of its student body than any of our neighboring districts.

Modest Performance. The APS summer program delivered modest results. In reading, scores improved a modest 2% to 3.3% for middle and elementary students respectively. In math, students showed a slightly greater, but still modest, improvement. Indeed, for two categories of students, those who did not attend summer school improved their performance by more than those who did attend summer school. APS characterized its summer program of 20 half-day classes, as “low efficacy.”

Need to Improve Efficacy. Aside from more pro-active recruiting of teachers, APS did not identify improvements it expected to undertake. The research suggests that for summer programs to be effective, they must be full-day, for five to six weeks. They should be staffed with high-quality teachers, should have small class sizes, and should focus on attendance.

Arlington Parents for Education urges Improvements: APS should implement a longer full-day summer program (5-6 weeks). It should proactively and aggressively recruit high-quality teachers, and it should consider partnering with the Department of Parks and Recreation to provide more appealing programs to students. Although a renewed focus this summer on math, literacy, and strengthening services seems appropriate, we urge APS to go back to offering summer enrichment classes in the 2022-2023 school year.