Skip to page content

Summer Learning

Featured

Research shows that summertime can widen the achievement gap between students from low-income families and their more-affluent peers. Summer learning programs are a promising way to narrow the gap. RAND researchers examine approaches and strategies for summer learning initiatives and their effects on student outcomes.

Report

Summer Learning Programs Benefit Low-Income Urban Students

Sep 7, 2016

Low-income students lose ground in the summer relative to their wealthier peers. High-quality voluntary summer learning programs can help disadvantaged students catch up and succeed in school, but consistent attendance is crucial.
Report

How to Establish and Sustain Effective Summer Learning Programs

Dec 4, 2018

High-quality summer learning programs improve the academic, social, and emotional outcomes of low-income students, but several components are needed to make a program successful. New guidance on best practices can help districts and their community partners implement and operate effective summer programs.

Explore Summer Learning

Research Brief

Research Brief

Supporting Summer Programs: Navigating Federal, State, and Local Program Support Opportunities

This research brief summarizes how policy environment affects school districts' attempts to scale and sustain quality summer programs.

May 12, 2020
Report

Report

Getting Support for Summer Learning: How Federal, State, City, and District Policies Affect Summer Learning Programs

The authors consider how policy environments affect school districts' attempts to scale and sustain quality summer programs. This report, the sixth in a series, is intended to help program leaders navigate local, state, and federal policy contexts.

Apr 13, 2020
Report

Report

The Big Lift Descriptive Analyses: Progress Across Three Kindergarten Classes

In this report, the authors present results describing early learning outcomes of children from three kindergarten classes who were eligible to participate in The Big Lift, a preschool-third-grade initiative that aims to boost reading proficiency.

Jan 13, 2020
Tool

Tool

Putting Data to Work for Young People: A Ten-Step Guide for Expanded Learning Intermediaries

This ten-step plan should help expanded learning nonprofits address challenges related to data collection and management and therefore make after-school and summer programs better and more accessible for students.

Oct 15, 2019
Blog

Truth Decay, Principals, Augmented Reality: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on media literacy education as a way to fight "Truth Decay," turning screen time into outdoor time, the importance of school principals, and more.

Jul 12, 2019
Report

Report

Investing in Successful Summer Programs: A Review of Evidence Under the Every Student Succeeds Act

This report, which provides a systematic review of the evidence supporting summer programs and descriptions of evidence-based programs, is intended to provide guidance regarding the effectiveness of summer interventions.

Jun 5, 2019
Research Brief

Research Brief

The Big Lift Preschool, Two Years In: What Have We Learned So Far?

The Big Lift preschool-third-grade initiative aims to boost children's reading proficiency. This second in a series of descriptive analyses shares follow-up data on 2016-2017 kindergarten class participants and initial data on 2017-2018 participants.

Dec 12, 2018
Blog

Opioids, Summer Learning, Immigration: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on heroin-assisted treatment and supervised consumption sites, helping schools build better summer learning programs, America's overwhelmed immigration system, and more.

Dec 7, 2018
Blog

Military Spouses, Exercise Incentives, Libraries: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on a scholarship program for military spouses, a wellness program that uses the Apple Watch, how libraries can improve public health, and more.

Nov 30, 2018
Journal Article

Journal Article

SUCCEED: Summer Center for Climate, Energy, and Environmental DecisionMaking

Conference paper describing an annual summerschool held at Carnegie Mellon University that was started by Kelly Klima.

Nov 28, 2018
Commentary

High-Quality Out-of-School-Time Programs Are Worthy of Investment

High-quality out-of-school-time programs can benefit youth, and tend to produce outcomes linked to program content. Funders and policymakers could maximize benefits of these programs by providing adequate resources and funding to support quality programming. It could be a wise investment for America's youth.

Nov 19, 2018
Report

Report

The Big Lift Descriptive Analyses: Kindergarten Readiness and Elementary School Reading Outcomes for the 2016–2017 and 2017–2018 Kindergarten Classes

The Big Lift initiative aims to boost children's reading proficiency in San Mateo County, California. This second in a series of descriptive analyses shares follow-up data on the 2016-2017 kindergarten class and initial data for the 2017-2018 class.

Oct 10, 2018
Report

The Big Lift Implementation Study: Final Report

The Big Lift, a learning initiative extending from preschool to third grade initiative in San Mateo County, aims to increase third grade reading proficiency in the county. As part of a Big Lift evaluation, this report focused on collective impact design and activity pillars.

Jun 25, 2018
Infographic

Infographic

Enriching Kids: The Benefits of Using Public Funds to Pay for Out-of-School (OST) Time Programs

This infographic provides an overview of the opportunity and attainment gaps between high-and low-income students and how public funding for after-school programs can help address these gaps.

May 31, 2018
Research Brief

Research Brief

Big Lift Participation and School Entry Indicators: Early Findings

This brief summarizes results from RAND's descriptive analysis of participation rates and school readiness outcomes for children served in the first year of the Big Lift collective impact initiative.

Nov 28, 2017
Report

Report

Big Lift Participation and School Entry Indicators: Findings for the 2016–2017 Kindergarten Class

The Big Lift is a learning initiative extending from preschool to third grade in San Mateo County, California. This report provides descriptive analyses of participation in Big Lift programs along with measures of kindergarten-readiness at school entry.

Nov 28, 2017
Report

Out-of-School Time Programs Are Worthy of Public Investment

Children need safe places, caring adults, and enriching activities when not in school. Out-of-school time programs build human and cultural capital and develop kids' interests and skills. Public funding helps low-income youth have experiences that may provide lasting developmental benefits.

Oct 23, 2017
Report

How to Sustain Summer Learning Programs

Summer learning programs can provide academic support to students who need it the most. But they tend to be threatened when budgets are tight. Can integrating these programs into school districts' core priorities and operations improve their sustainability?

Oct 23, 2017
Report

Summer Learning in Pittsburgh: Exploring Programming Gaps and Opportunities

This report investigates summer program opportunities in Pittsburgh, focusing on free or low-cost programs that provide academic instruction for at least five weeks during the summer.

Sep 6, 2017

1
2
3
Next

Research conducted by

RAND Education and Labor