Summer School Cuts Leave Students at Disadvantage

In response, volunteers from United Teachers of Los Angeles hosted a Saturday workshop in June, where 150 parents picked up basic skills and resources for providing alternatives this summer. "There was an initial anger at the district ... but overall it was mostly, 'Let's get down to work so we can figure out how best to sustain [the children's] education over the summer,' " says UTLA president A.J. Duffy.

Nationally, 22 percent of surveyed educational community organizations said they were reducing or eliminating summer programs, the Afterschool Alliance in Washington reports.

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Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has urged states and school districts to use some of the federal stimulus money for summer programs, citing "expanded learning time" as a strategy for closing achievement gaps.

Cincinnati is one city to tap such funds, along with regular federal money for low-income students, to create a more comprehensive program at struggling schools this summer. "Fifth Quarter" drew about 2,000 K-7 students, up significantly from traditional summer school participation. In the mornings, teachers targeted math and reading lessons to students' individual needs; in the afternoons, community partners offered field trips, science projects, and other activities that gave kids more incentive to participate.

Stimulus money also salvaged summer school for 80 high-schoolers in South Carolina's Anderson District One, located in a former mill area. The money even enabled officials to pay students a stipend to take a combination of academic and job-preparation classes. Normally summer school costs $300, and "without the grant, it would be a big hurdle for [these students] to stay on track to graduate," says Brian Couch, principal of Palmetto High School.

One physical science credit is all Trey Wood needs to get his diploma. When he heard about the stipend, he says, "I thought, it's not going to happen, it can't be that good." But soon he'll be able to use the money to fix his truck so he can work full time maintaining properties that banks have taken over.