Parents can help ensure post-pandemic summer school programs are evidence-based and

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The pandemic has had a wide-ranging effect on every aspect of our lives, and education is near the top of the list.

An in-depth analysis of 2021 state test results completed by The Ohio State University’s Vladimir Kogan and Stéphane Lavertu found that Ohio students lost anywhere from a half to a whole year’s worth of learning in math and between one-third and one-half of a year’s worth of learning in English language arts compared to prior years. Disadvantaged student groups on average lost more learning than their peers. These losses have both serious short-term consequences, such as students struggling to meet grade-level standards, and longer-term ill effects, such as being less prepared for college and the workforce.

Schools face big challenges as they try to help students get back to where they need to be. The upcoming summer months are a huge opportunity, as schools can use this time to implement programs that directly and systematically address pandemic-caused learning gaps. The hundreds of millions of dollars that schools currently have at their disposal thanks to federal relief efforts could pay for a wide array of evidence-based interventions, like high-dosage tutoring and rigorous project-based learning.

Even under normal circumstances, such opportunities are critical. It’s well-documented that “summer slide” can rob many students of the achievement gains they made during a school year. Declines can be particularly sharp for students who lack access to opportunities that are readily available to their more affluent peers. In the wake of a pandemic that hit underserved communities particularly hard, quality summer school can help minimize and even erase gaps.

Several Ohio districts have already recognized the value of summer school. Last summer, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District offered students two four-week sessions with programming from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Elementary and middle school students received instruction in math or English language arts, participated in project-based learning, and had the option to participate in activities that were often conducted by a community partner. High schoolers had plenty of opportunities, too. According to the district, over 8,000 students signed up to participate.

Cleveland’s program is back for a second year, and registration has already started. Similar programs are cropping up in other districts across Northeast Ohio, and that’s good news. But to get students back on track, it’s vital that summer programs offer meaningful academic intervention and instruction alongside engagement and enrichment opportunities. Signing kids up and getting them into school buildings to participate is only half the battle. To mitigate learning loss, kids need to learn, too.

That’s where families and community members come in. By asking the right questions and holding schools accountable for the answers, they can ensure that this summer isn’t wasted. Some questions they should ask of local schools include: How substantial is the learning loss in my community? How does learning loss vary between student subgroups, neighborhoods, and schools? What evidence-based interventions are schools implementing this summer to support students? And, how is growth being tracked so that parents and educators know whether summer programming helped to diminish learning loss?

The pandemic robbed students of a plethora of experiences, but educationally speaking, the most significant one was missed instruction. Summer school is an ideal way to recover some of that time. And thanks to three federal relief acts, Ohio schools have received more than $6 billion in extra funding since the start of the pandemic.

That means that this summer, schools have the money and the time to take a serious crack at supporting the many thousands of students that COVID has knocked off track. But the ad hoc summer school offerings of yesteryear won’t be enough. It’s vital that schools offer something bigger and better — and parents and community members can help make sure that happens.

Jessica Poiner is the senior education policy analyst for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

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