“Characteristics of Effective Summer Learning Programs for Low-Income Youth”

According to Child Trends, effective summer programs can reduce summer learning loss among low-income youth, a leading cause of the achievement gap between low-income and more affluent students. This fact sheet summarizes a Child Trends review of the limited number of summer learning programs that have been rigorously evaluated. The review suggests that these programs are likely to have positive impacts when they engage students in activities that are hands-on, enjoyable and have real-world applications. It also finds that effective programs:

• are guided by grade-level curricular standards;
• led by experienced teachers;
• composed of 15 or fewer students and at least two teachers; and
• complement group learning with individual support.

The fact sheet includes a table that shows whether the evaluated programs were found to work, not proven to work, or had mixed findings for educational/cognitive, youth development, and career-development outcomes.
 

Read the report.