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Summer programs are often seen as just supplemental work, but they have the potential to help teachers and students grow and develop, preparing them for the school year and giving them skills to succeed.

During the edLeader Panel “Summer as a Launchpad to Build Teacher Capacity and Strengthen Student Readiness,” Blake Obi, M.Ed., former teacher and current Associate Director of Summer Learning Programs at Lavinia Group, and Charlynn Bowers, former teacher and current Director of Summer Learning Programs at Lavinia Group, shared their expertise on how summer learning programming can benefit teachers and students.

They were joined later by Jazmin Sanders, Senior Director of Innovative Learning at The Mind Trust, and Maysam Alie-Bazzi, Executive Director of Staff and Student Services and Title IX Coordinator at Dearborn Public Schools (MI), who discussed what this looks like in action.

The Problem

Summer programs are often disconnected from the school year, focusing on closing gaps without aligning to fall classes. As a result, students’ academic needs go unrecognized. Traditional summer programs focus on remediation and enrichment over grade-level achievement and academics, lack dedicated learning curricula and standardized assessment tools, and have insufficient teacher onboarding and support.

Addressing these issues requires mindset shifts. Schools must move from seeing summer programs as remediating what students missed to giving them skills, confidence, and momentum. Teacher development needs to move from something outside of class to occurring during time with students, with high-quality support. Finally, summer instruction should be used to gather student data to inform fall decisions.

What Makes an Effective Summer Program?

The most effective summer programs run approximately five weeks, three hours a day, with daily opportunities for hands-on learning. They have curricula that connect teachers and students, provide opportunities for practiced professional development, and have clear instructional expectations.

Programs have pre- and post-program assessments with benchmarks throughout the summer, with teachers given professional development in scoring assessments. Data is immediately available for analysis and planning. Pre-program assessments let teachers know where students start and plan accordingly, while post-program assessments show student growth and how to address remaining gaps. Assessment data lets teachers throughout the school year individualize student experiences, ensuring continuity of learning.

Professional development in summer programs works best when it’s grade level, content specific, and led by content specialists. Teachers work in teams to prepare lessons that meet the needs of diverse groups of students. Preparation is paired with model lessons and in-classroom coaching, with systems in place to improve teacher quality and give students and educators hands-on learning opportunities. Leaders work alongside educators, model what they want to see in classrooms, and coach in real time, accelerating teacher development, building community, and creating a shared instructional vision.

In practice, summer curricula are highly beneficial. Professional development boosts teacher planning and summer instruction. A set curriculum gives teachers clear instructional expectations, resulting in consistent learning. Lessons run at a steady pace. Teachers have time to plan and collaborate before summer programs start, letting them build on prior knowledge and experience. They can use what they take away from professional development and collaboration to create structured lessons with clear objectives and checkpoints, and connect summer lessons with the school year.

Summer programs and professional development can be used to onboard new teachers and give older ones boosts, with time for practice opportunities and feedback. Leadership provides on-site coaching support and classroom walkthroughs to ensure instructional practices are properly implemented and to provide and receive feedback. Pre- and post-summer data show greater student growth in programs that use a set curriculum than those without.

Good summer programs strengthen both teachers and students, using a clear roadmap to guide educators through a scheduled curriculum. Early planning ensures programs build teacher capacity and strengthen student readiness, and solid plans help leaders design schedules that provide growth opportunities and support instructional priorities.

Summer isn’t a standalone learning opportunity; it’s a chance to empower students and educators, preparing them for fall. By listening to feedback from and providing support to teachers, schools can design summer programs that enrich educators and raise student achievement, ensuring a bright school year for everyone.

Learn more about this edWeb broadcast, Summer as a Launchpad to Build Teacher Capacity and Strengthen Student Readiness, sponsored by Lavinia Group, a division of K12 Coalition.

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Accelerate Learning is a free professional learning community that supports educators in meeting students where they are and helping them make meaningful, confident progress.

At Lavinia Group, a division of K12 Coalition, we inspire transformative change by offering a full suite of services to support academic growth in math and literacy. We’re passionate about creating equitable opportunities for all students and developing the skills needed to tackle grade-level content. Our services include consulting and instructional coaching, math and literacy curricula (core and supplemental), professional development institutes, and our comprehensive, ready-to-implement RISE Summer Learning Program. Our team works to build capacity that is sustainable long after working with Lavinia Group and our approach to working with school leaders and teachers offers hands-on, immersive, side-by-side support.

Article by Jon Scanlon, based on this edLeader Panel