Why are summer & afterschool programs important?

Summer and afterschool programs, commonly referred to as out-of-school programs, offer opportunities for students to continue learning or engaging in enrichment activities outside of the regular school day. Research shows that students can experience “learning loss” or fall behind academically during the summer months when they are not supported with these types of programs. High-quality summer programs help to mitigate these declines.

Due to school delays, hybrid and remote learning, and the unknowns related to schooling during the pandemic, COVID-19 drastically exacerbated learning loss. Studies have found that students will need about 4.5 additional months of learning time to make up for pandemic learning loss. Students of color and students living in poverty are likely to have experienced more learning loss, putting them further behind their peers. Out-of-school programs can reduce this academic loss in reading and math and help students make important gains.

High-quality examples of these programs have these major components:

  • High-quality STEM and reading instruction
  • Engaging enrichment activities to ensure the program does not feel like a normal school day and allows for learning outside of the classroom
  • Partnerships between schools & community-based organizations to meet the unique needs of the students in their communities
  • Data-based decision making and continuous improvement to ensure that the program is improving students’ academic outcomes, including reading and math achievement

Additional Reading

More Research

In the News

The Big Idea:

It is critical that students have access to high-quality learning opportunities outside of the traditional school day to accelerate and support their learning.

Key Terms:

Out-of-School Programs: programs that happen outside of the normal school day and have both academic instruction and enrichment opportunities for students to improve their reading and math skills, reduce learning loss, and stay engaged.

Learning Loss: The phenomenon that occurs when students are out of school or not receiving instruction. Students can “lose” academic gains from their previous school years, causing them to start the next school year behind.

Enrichment Activities: Fun and engaging activities provided to students during their out-of-school program that give students new experiences while keeping them engaged in and excited about attending the program.

Continuous Improvements: When programs use data to ensure students are making academic progress throughout their participation, there is continuous improvement. Includes pre- and post-assessments and regular progress monitoring to make any necessary adjustments in instructional delivery. Data collection allows the state to identify best practices and scale up programs that work.

 

Out-of-School Programs: programs that happen outside of the normal school day and have both academic instruction and enrichment opportunities for students to improve their reading and math skills, reduce learning loss, and stay engaged. Learning Loss: The phenomenon that occurs when students are out of school or not receiving instruction. Students can “lose” academic gains from their previous school years, causing them to start the next school year behind. Enrichment Activities: Fun and engaging activities provided to students during their out-of-school program that give students new experiences while keeping them engaged in and excited about attending the program. Continuous Improvements: When programs use data to ensure students are making academic progress throughout their participation, there is continuous improvement. Includes pre- and post-assessments and regular progress monitoring to make any necessary adjustments in instructional delivery. Data collection allows the state to identify best practices and scale up programs that work.  

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