Summertime and School Isn't Easy

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Summer school has traditionally helped close the gap. In tight-knit classes staffed with veteran teachers, students polish the sort of basic reading and math skills that often trip them up during the year. In more than 85% of summer-school evaluations, students who attended summer classes outperformed those who did not, according to a study by University of Missouri psychology professor Harris Cooper. The benefits can be lasting: 85% of students who spent their sixth-grade summer in Chicago's program, with classes at 15 students maximum, will be promoted to high school this fall. "The intimidation factor is not there," says Blondean Davis, who runs Chicago's program. "It's the ideal teaching environment."

That is, if the students show up. Some districts have been plagued by high numbers of absentees. In New York City, only 50% of high-schoolers scheduled for summer school have made an appearance--despite calls home from the superintendent's office. Those who do come to summer class are likely to find a change in focus. Because students in many cities must retake standardized exams at summer's end, those classes have morphed into all-day test-prep sessions. The merits of such cramming are unclear. Last summer only 40% of New York students who failed the city's exam managed to pass on a second try. Seattle canceled its summer "academic boot camp" after many students made only meager gains on tests.

In other districts, the spike in enrollment has driven once cozy classes up to regular capacity. Overcrowding was so severe in one St. Louis district that some students had to be turned away. So two years ago, the district extended the school year five weeks across the board, dedicating the bonus hours to intensive reading instruction. The shift paid off at test time. The four schools on the new calendar raised their scores, and one landed among the state's best performers. The longer year is so popular, reports principal JoAnn Bester Clay, that some parents and children want to abolish summer break. "I don't have a real vacation, since all I do is sit home," says sixth-grader La'Chet Henderson. "This gives me something to do."

Scholarly reviews of extended-school-year programs, while scant, are encouraging. A four-year study by Purdue University found that students on a 210-day calendar outscored peers who had fewer days even if they came from households with little education. Also promising are schedules that stick to the 180-day norm but replace the three-month summer with several three-week respites throughout the year. The shorter vacations cut down on learning losses and allow teachers to intervene when students start lagging.

Opponents contend that such gains can be pricey. While parents may be shocked at the rising costs of day camps and child care, the estimated tab to extend public education just one day is $1 billion to $1.5 billion. So far, mainly poor schools, which dip into federal Title I funds, and privately run charter schools manage to foot the bill.

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