Summer Learning

Discover more about student learning during the summer, including summer school and summer camps
Michelle Ayala, 18, plays with building blocks with campers at LASOS summer camp at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on July 24, 2025.
An 18-year-old plays with building blocks with campers at LASOS summer camp at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on July 24, 2025. High costs prevent nearly half of children whose parents want them in summer programs from attending.
KT Kanazawich/AP
Curriculum High Costs Keep 12.6 Million Kids Out of Summer Programs, Report Finds
The Afterschool Alliance report recommends greater public and private funding of summer programs.
Mark Walsh, August 3, 2026
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3 min read
The desktop of a student at the Wells Preparatory Elementary School reflects the literature they are studying in Charlotte Owens' fifth grade class on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. In Chicago Public Schools, the average reading score went up by the equivalent of 70% of a grade level from 2022 to 2023. Math gains were less dramatic, with students still behind almost half a grade level compared to 2019. Chicago officials credit the improvement to changes made possible with nearly $3 billion in federal relief.
The desktop of a student at the Wells Preparatory Elementary School reflects the literature they're studying in Charlotte Owens' fifth grade class on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. Research supports children reading over the summer—but not specifically assigning reading lists or holding kids accountable for completing them.
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo
Reading & Literacy Is Required Summer Reading a Good Idea? What the Research Says
Studies show benefits for summer reading in general. But little evidence supports assigning specific books.
Sarah Schwartz, July 30, 2026
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4 min read
SummerReading
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty
Reading & Literacy Why Mandatory Summer Reading Doesn’t Work—and What Teachers Prefer Instead
Summer reading shouldn’t be prescriptive, most teachers say.
Olina Banerji, July 23, 2026
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1 min read
dipalermo esy illinois 12
Dominic Di Palermo for Education Week
Special Education Video Inside a Summer School Program for Special Education Students
Academic support offered between school years is especially important for students with learning differences.
Marvin Joseph, July 17, 2026
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1 min read
Chromebooks, to be loaned to students in the Elk Grove Unified School District, await distribution at Monterey Trail High School in Elk Grove, Calif., on April 2, 2020.
Chromebooks, to be loaned to students at a high school in Elk Grove, Calif., on April 2, 2020. Students are taking laptops home during the summer and assistant principals share how their schools use this strategy to combat the summer slide.
Rich Pedroncelli/AP
Classroom Technology Do School Laptops Help Students With Summer Learning?
School-provided computers can extend learning in the summer, but educators are weighing the best use.
Jennifer Vilcarino, June 30, 2026
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6 min read
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Panelists from left: Carlos Gonzalez, superintendent of the Roma Independent district in Texas; John Skretta, superintendent of Lincoln, Neb., schools; Joe Gothard, superintendent of Madison, Wis., schools; Ben Master, a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corp. speak on summer learning and student success at the National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tenn. on Feb. 13, 2026.
School superintendents, from left, Carlos Gonzalez, of Roma Independent in Texas; John Skretta, of Lincoln, Neb., and Joe Gothard, of Madison, Wis., along with Ben Master, a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corp., discuss summer learning and student success at the National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tenn., on Feb. 13, 2026.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Student Achievement These Districts Turned Summer School Into an Inviting Destination for Students
Community partnerships helped with scheduling challenges. Themed programs heightened student interest.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 2, 2026
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6 min read
Children participate in math activities during the East Providence Boys and Girls Club Summer Camp at Emma G. Whiteknact Elementary School on Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Providence R.I.
Children participate in math activities during the East Providence Boys and Girls Club Summer Camp at Emma G. Whiteknact Elementary School on Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Providence, R.I. Studies show post-pandemic summer programs led to small gains in math achievement.
Sophie Park/AP
Student Achievement Summer School Can Boost Learning Gains—Even When Programs Aren't Perfect
Research on 10 districts' post-pandemic summer programs show student improvement in math.
Sarah Schwartz, January 14, 2026
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3 min read
This summer, the ACLU expanded to three weeklong sessions of 300 students each, with participants coming from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and, for the first time, Guam. Maddie Clements, 16, a rising junior at West Creek High School in Clarksville, Tenn. (center, ink hair) listens during Anu Joshi’s immigration rights keynote which packed an auditorium at American University.
This summer, the ACLU expanded to three weeklong sessions of 300 students each, with participants coming from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and, for the first time, Guam. Maddie Clements, 16, a rising junior at West Creek High School in Clarksville, Tenn. (center, with pink and purple hair), listens during Anu Joshi's immigration rights keynote.
Melissa Lyttle for Education Week
Social Studies A Hands-On Lesson in Civics Sees Surging Student Interest in the Age of Trump
The American Civil Liberties Union sees interest spike in its student advocacy institute, while conservative groups have their own programs.
Mark Walsh, August 1, 2025
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10 min read
Image of a parent and child reading together at home.
iStock/Getty
Reading & Literacy Fewer Parents Are Reading Aloud to Their Kids. Why That Matters
Pleasure reading is the best way for emerging readers to maintain their skills in the summer. Getting parents on board can be challenging.
Elizabeth Heubeck, June 12, 2025
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5 min read
A principal watches her multilingual student leaders present a supportive buddy system to a room full of educators on May 29, 2024 in New York City.
A principal watches her multilingual student leaders present a supportive buddy system to a room full of educators on May 29, 2024 in New York City. The district boasts school-based teams called Dream Squads that conduct outreach to immigrant families over the summer.
Courtesy of New York City Public Schools
School & District Management How Schools Are Reaching Immigrant Families Over Summer
Experts advise district leaders to stay up to date on immigration policy changes.
Ileana Najarro, May 30, 2025
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4 min read
A front view of a teacher and some of her young pupils in the sunshine outside. They are pointing and interacting with the teacher as she reads and encourages them to join in.
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School & District Management What Superintendents Say About Summer School, in Charts
Districts have to find new ways to pay for summer programs they started or expanded with pandemic aid. Largely, they plan to do just that.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 25, 2025
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4 min read
Photo of high school students walking into class.
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School & District Management What the Future Holds for Summer School as Federal Aid Dries Up
Summer programs have been a go-to strategy to catch kids up and accelerate their learning. Will districts keep them with no more relief aid?
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 19, 2025
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5 min read
Diverse elementary students reading in the classroom
iStock/Getty Images
School & District Management Q&A This City Can Claim a NAEP Distinction No Other City Can. Here's What Happened
While American students saw another decline in 4th grade reading scores on the Nation's Report Card, this city was an exception.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, February 10, 2025
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6 min read