Transforming Summer Learning

The final weeks of school are often a blur, filled with year-end activities, exams, and events designed to close out the year. As schools across the country approach this period in the next several months, I challenge my AASA colleagues to harness this year-end energy to transform the “summer slide” into a “summer launch."

The Literacy Crisis by the Numbers

The urgency is clear. On the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), only 30 percent of eighth graders were proficient in reading. Most alarming, the scores for the lowest-achieving students plummeted 19 points over the past decade. Prior to the pandemic, some schools required summer reading or activities designed to keep students engaged. As Liz Cohen noted in her article for The74, a survey of school districts in the D.C. area found that few high schools assigned books to incoming ninth graders.

To combat this, we need a bold shift in summer learning strategy. Rather than just suggesting summer reading for some, we should consider assigning every student in our schools a book study or independent research project before they leave school in May or June.

This could be used as the official introduction to a new school year, a new grade, and a new class – bridging the two academic years – and possibly serving as their first recorded grade of the first quarter.

Bridging the Gap with Accountability

“Summer slide” is more than a dip; it is an equity crisis. While high-achieving students often remain engaged through extracurriculars, struggling readers face setbacks without structure. By formalizing a summer task as the introductory learning experience for the new grade level, we shift the paradigm.

This should not be seen as “extra work” – it should be seen as the foundation of a new school year. When students and families know summer learning may be part of their next grade tasks, the optional nature of summer reading or research evaporates. This is particularly powerful when we allow students to personalize their learning by selecting a book title or research topic that aligns with their passions, from genealogy to scientific inquiry.

Transforming the Model

This approach aligns with AASA’s The Public Education Promise, most notably Principle 1: Prioritize Student-Centered Learning. This is about engaging students with meaningful learning opportunities – inside and outside the classroom – that ignite joy, curiosity, and confidence.

•  Counteracting Decline: Research shows that low-income students can lose two months or more of reading skills over the summer – a gap which can quickly add up to several years by the end of the sixth grade. Structured paths ensure our most vulnerable students maintain their skills.

• Instant Diagnostic Data: When students submit a book study essay or research project during the first week, teachers receive an immediate, authentic look at their writing, research, and critical thinking skills. This allows for targeted intervention much earlier in the school year. Likewise, students discussing what they read or researched over the summer shows what they learned.

• Building a Shared Culture: Starting the year with a "Symposium Week" – featuring student presentations and Socratic seminars – eliminates the "fluff" of the first week of school. It signals that your students’ summer efforts are valued and the new school year starts with high expectations.

Implementing the Summer Launch
A successful assignment must be an inquiry-based “bridge” rather than a simple task.

Some may argue that students need a break, the data however suggests otherwise. The summer may be both a time to recharge, and a time to learn about a topic that learners are passionate about. It should not be a vacation from learning. By treating the summer months as a “launch” rather than a “break,” which can become a summer slide, we can empower students to start the new school year with success.

We are not just asking them to read or research a topic and stay engaged in their learning, we are resetting expectations and providing them with a means to spark their curiosity and provide a strong foundation for a new school year. Ultimately, investing time over the summer in a valuable learning experience – in addition to summer school and camps – can pay dividends for the months and years ahead.