Communities Across Texas Avoid Summer Learning Loss

This month's blog is by guest blogger, Molly Wofford, executive director of the Texas Partnership for Out of School Time, a statewide network dedicated to increasing the availability and quality of out-of-school time opportunities for Texas youth. She comments on the realities of summer learning loss and the efforts across Texas to avoid set backs in student learning. In addition to her work in quality afterschool programming, Ms .Wofford led efforts to address college and career readiness, family financial stability and disaster recovery in communities across the state as the Vice President of Statewide Initiatives for United Ways of Texas. Ms. Wofford holds an MBA from the University of Manchester (UK) and a B.A. in Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin.

School is out for summer and millions of children are hitting the parks, pools, and video game consoles across Texas. Every parent remembers the pure joy that comes from three months of no teachers and no classes. Every parent also dreads the worry and expense of finding quality child care once school is out. But despite the challenges involved, parents and communities have an opportunity and a responsibility to address the vacuum of learning during long, hot Texas summers.

Recent research confirms that there is an academic cost to be paid during the summer months. Many students lose ground on reading and math over the summer and return to school far behind where they left off in May. This “summer learning loss” has tremendous consequences for the future success of students.

Low-income students are particularly susceptible. According to a recent study commissioned by the Wallace Foundation, summer learning loss exacerbates the achievement gap between poor kids and their wealthier classmates. The negative impact of this annual drop in academic performance compounds itself year after year, making it harder for students to catch up.

Summertime has health implications for kids on top of the academic impact. A new report from the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) and United Way shows that children gained body mass two to three times faster during the summer as compared to the school year.

This month’s parental scramble for safe and developmentally-appropriate summer programs was made all the more difficult by cuts to state and local budgets. Nonprofit organizations, city parks departments, school districts and faith-based programs that provide quality summer programs are struggling to serve a fast-growing population of school-aged children.

"Summer learning loss is not an insurmountable problem,"

Molly Wofford, executive director of TXPOST

Research by NSLA in 2009 explored strategic partnerships between summer programs, school districts and community based organizations across the country that were successful in leveraging minimal resources to produce maximum results.

There are also some great examples of high quality summer programming right here in Texas. Organizations like Dallas AfterSchool Network are linking the business community, parents, and program providers to boost the quality of summer and other out of school time services. Grantees of the Texas ACE 21st Century Community Learning Centers, the largest funding stream in Texas designated for afterschool programs, are taking advantage of opportunities to expand their summer programming. You can support these organizations by getting involved with regional out of school time networks in your area or by encouraging school boards and local nonprofits to collaborate on summer program offerings.

Naturally, parents are critical partners in fighting the summertime academic slide. Encourage your children to turn off the television or video game and read for at least thirty minutes per day. Make a family trip to the library to stock up on free books. Integrate basic reading and math into everyday activities like shopping and driving to grandma’s house. Because the connection between physical fitness and academic achievement is so clear, urge your kids to move their bodies and to eat right.

Summer learning loss is a huge challenge, but it is also preventable. As the percentage of low-income children in Texas public schools continues to increase, Texas must do all it can to ensure that the academic progress of our students continues unabated year round – even when the pools are full and the playgrounds call their names.