15 Critical Facts Everyone Should Know About Summer Learning Loss

[I was asked to re-post this article and am pleased to do so. It has some great links with additional information included.]
http://www.onlinecollege.org/2012/05/15/15-critical-facts-everyone-should-know-about-summer-learning-loss/

Summer vacation is a long entrenched tradition for American schoolchildren and their families, but new research is showing that this practice may not be the best when it comes to helping kids get the most out of their educational experience. In fact, for some kids, a few months off in the summer can lead to major setbacks in school, including loss of knowledge and lowered test scores. Many schools, aware of the growing body of evidence that points to the educational problems summer vacations pose, are switching to year-round schedules, but there are many more around the nation that are finding it hard to make the switch due to resistance from teachers, students, and parents alike. Here, we share some facts that can help make understanding why extended summer vacations should be a thing of the past for modern students, especially those who are in high-risk communities where every moment in the classroom counts.

1. Students score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do at the beginning of summer vacation

While having a few months off for rest and relaxation might seem beneficial to students, it can actually have some serious consequences. The traditional long summer vacation often results in serious learning loss, something researchers have known for more than 100 years now. A century of study has shown that students routinely score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they did just a few months earlier, with low-income and at-risk students seeing the biggest drops, the exact groups so many schools are trying so hard to push to have better test scores.

2. Students will lose about two months of math computational skills over the summer

When it comes to summer learning loss, math takes one of the biggest hits. On average, students lose about 2.6 months worth of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills during their summer break. With many schools struggling to meet state and federal standards in math, these kinds of losses aren't doing anything to help matters.

3. Reading and spelling abilities are also affected

Math isn't the only subject that takes a knock over summer vacation. Losses in reading and spelling abilities may also occur, though income may play a significant role in how severe these losses are, or whether or not they occur at all. While middle-income students usually see a rise in reading performance during the summer months, lower-income students may lose two or more months worth of reading achievement. Students at all income levels, however, were likely to lose a month or more of spelling learning skills, the second highest loss in any area.

4. Students with the biggest losses over the summer are in already higher-risk low income groups

Sadly, the students who see the biggest drops in test scores and educational achievement are those who are in lower-income groups. Income plays a major role in determining just how much learning loss will occur over the summer, with students from middle- or upper-class families undergoing much lower levels of learning loss than their poorer counterparts.

5. Summer learning loss can follow students through high school, college, and beyond

Summer learning loss isn't a temporary phenomenon. Losses can accumulate over years, eventually resulting in students who perform below their grade level. Low-income students, those who lose the most from time away from school, see the biggest impact, not only reporting lower test scores but higher drop-out rates and lower numbers of students who head to college.

6. Only 9.2% of America's 48 million students attend summer school

Today, just under 10% of students nationwide participate in summer school or attend schools with non-traditional calendars. That means that more than 90% of students in America will be at risk for potentially damaging summer learning loss.

7. Parents play a key role in filling in the gaps over the summer

When it comes to helping stanch summer learning loss, parents have a key role to play. Learning loss is much less pronounced, if there at all, in families that enrolled children in classes, took trips to local libraries, participated in reading programs, or took advantage of other, often free, learning opportunities. Numerous studies have shown that children have much better reading outcomes when parents are involved in learning about and helping their children with literacy.

8. The current 9-month school calendar was established to suit demands that no longer exist [sorry, this link didn't work]

Having a nice, long summer vacation may be an American tradition, but it isn't one that really reflects the needs and demands of the modern world. The traditional academic calendar used in most schools was developed when most families worked in agriculture and air conditioning systems had yet to be invented. Since neither of these are realities in much of America these days, many have argued that long summer breaks simply aren't necessary anymore, especially because they take such a hefty toll on test scores and academic performance.

9. Much of the achievement gap between disadvantaged youths and their peers can be explained by summer learning loss in elementary school

Because students who are from low-income families have unequal access to summer learning opportunities, many fall behind in their studies and cannot keep up with their wealthier peers. While it might not seem that the summer months would have a big impact on students, it's estimated that as much as two-thirds of the achievement gap is the result of summer learning loss. As a result of these early losses, low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or to enter college.

10. Many parents and students want to engage in summer learning programs but do not have access to them

A 2010 report by the Afterschool Alliance found that, while only 25% of students were currently participating in summer learning programs, many more would like the opportunity to do so. A full 83% of parents supported spending public funds on summer learning programs and 67% of low-income parents said their children would enroll in a summer program if they could.

11. What students lose in knowledge, they often gain in weight

Students get more than book learning from time spent at school; they also learn to eat a healthy diet. Many depend on the nutritious meals given to them by their school to be able to maintain a healthy diet. When these federally subsidized meals are no longer available to them, students often make poorer food choices, especially when left unsupervised by working parents. Currently, only one in five of the 15.3 million children who participate in the free or reduced lunch program get federally sponsored lunches over the summer. A 2007 study found that most children, especially those already at risk of obesity, gain weight more rapidly over summer break.

12. Research shows that teachers typically spend between four to six weeks re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer

Summer learning loss isn't just bad for students, it also makes things more difficult for educators. In order to come back from losses caused by an extended time away from school, teachers must spend a month or more re-teaching or reviewing material students have already been taught. It goes without saying that this is a huge waste of valuable classroom time that could be better spent teaching students new material.

13. More than 11% of children between the ages of 6 and 12 care for themselves over the summer months

This means that they are unsupervised, a situation that is not only dangerous but that often leads to greater summer learning losses, as children are not being guided through learning opportunities like trips to the library, museums, or educational vacations. Low-income children are much more likely to be left unsupervised (likely due to the high costs of childcare), a fact that is reflected in greater levels of learning loss.

14. Out-of-school time can be dangerous for unsupervised children and teens

Students who are alone for most of the day over summer vacation aren't just losing important educational information, they're also being put at a higher risk for dropping out altogether. Unsupervised children and teens are more likely to use alcohol, drugs, and tobacco; engage in criminal and other high-risk behaviors; receive poor grades; and drop out of school than those who are supervised and engaged by adults over the summer months and after school during the school year.

15. Most summer learning programs are remedial

Sadly, students today have few options for federally- and state-sponsored summer school programs. Summer school has a negative connotation which can make students reluctant to take classes and parents unwilling to enroll them. Why? More than 90% of summer school programs are remedial, targeting only students who are not performing at grade level. While these kinds of programs can be positive for students, studies have shown that year-round education programs and extended school years are far more effective methods of stemming the summer learning loss phenomenon.

May 15th, 2012 written by Site Administrator

Yough seventh-graders best in nation at math

A group of seventh-grade students from Yough Middle School have proven that commitment and hard work pay off.

They were recently informed that they were ranked first in the nation in the Study Island Academic Math Spirit competition.

Placing first out of 157 schools who took part in the competition nationally is quite a feat for the 100 students of Bonnie Egeland's math classes. The students worked for a one week period submitting math answers for the competition.

"It's amazing," Yough Middle school principal Anthony DeMaro said. "These students showed the power of inspiration and the power of motivation."

Study Island is a standards-based online learning program used by millions of students.

This was the first year that Study Island, founded in 2000, held the competition that was offered to students in 23 states.

Working both in class and at home, the students, who number about 100, spent many hours during the week of April 16 -20 on the competition.

The students at the middle school won the gold medal prize in the middle school division by correctly answering the highest average number of Study Island math questions per student. Students answered 77, 364 correct math questions for an average of 730 questions per student. Over the course of the four-week contest, Yough Intermediate Middle School finished in first place nationwide.

"We were 'in it to win it,'" laughed teacher Bonnie Egeland. "That was our motto."

Students worked in class and also on their own at home during the week, racking up as many math problems as they could.

"I went to bed early so I could get up," student Josh Esch said. "I worked on this whenever I had time. Whenever I was at home on the computer I'd just say 'maybe I'll go on Study Island' and I would."

Egeland said that the contest also became a completion between the students in some cases, and also between schools.

"One of the students heard that someone at Hempfield had 10,000," Egeland said. "These students were just so motivated and excited to do this."

John McClaren had over 15,000 math questions answered correctly and said that he worked hard to get the high numbers.

"I wanted to see how many I could get," McClaren said. "I didn't think that I had over 13,000 so I was happy."

In addition to the school award, Abbie Filapose was contacted that she ranked number one in the middle school division by correctly answering an incredible 23,823 math questions.


"I was really excited," Filapose said when she was told that she had ranked first out of the 23,918 middle school students across the nation who were part of the competition. "I ran up my driveway and screamed."

For winning the competition, the school will be awarded $1000 worth of Study Island Learning Products and Filapose will receive a $100 Amazon gift card that was also matched by her parents and by Egeland.

"We were told that Yough blew all the other schools out of the water," Egeland said. "I think its such an amazing accomplishment for our little school. It shows you how determined these students really were."

But most of the students did not do it only for themselves.

"I predicated in the Study Island contest because I wanted to try for my teacher Mrs. Egeland and to help set a goal for my school," student Hunter Lash said.

"What these students did was nothing short of incredible," DeMaro said. "They didn't have to do this. It was all volunteer. They did this for themselves, for their teacher and for their school."

by Marilyn Forbes
Last Modified: May 11, 2012 02:00AM
Copyright © 2012 — TribLIVE.com

More Awards for Archipelago Learning's Study Island and Reading Eggs products!

We are pleased to announce that Archipelago Learning has recently won two 2012 Best Education Software Awards (BESSIEs). Study Island was recognized with a BESSIE Award for “Best Lesson Planning” (upper elementary), and Reading Eggs was recognized with a BESSIE Award for the “Best Early Learning Website”. The 18th Annual BESSIE Awards targeted innovative and content-rich programs and websites that provide parents and teachers with the technology to foster educational excellence.

Study Island was also just awarded a 2012 CODiE Award for “Best Assessment Solution”. The CODiE Awards were presented by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), and recognizes outstanding products and services in education technology.

Language Demands to Grow for ELLs Under New Standards

Archipelago Learning NOTE: ESL ReadingSmart is very much in line with these higher ELL standards since it is already aligned to the Common Core, it meets many of the WIDA initiatives, and offers differentiated instruction through “My Path”.

From: EDUCATION WEEK   April 24, 2012    By Lesli A. Maxwell

 Putting the common-core standards into practice in classrooms is a monumental change for teachers in the nation's public schools, but for educators who work with English-language learners, the shifts in instruction are expected to be even more groundbreaking.


That's because the new academic expectations for English/language arts and mathematics now adopted by all but four states require much more sophisticated uses of language than the mishmash of standards that have been in use for years across the states, say language-acquisition experts.


Grammar and vocabulary, for example, are often the primary focus of instruction for English-learners, as is teaching students to master certain language functions, such as suggesting or complimenting. Under the standards developed through the Common Core State Standards Initiative, however, instruction for English-learners will have to move far beyond those fundamental components of learning the language to include instruction on how to read and comprehend complex texts and to construct and convey arguments in writing across the content areas.


"For the most part, the profession has focused on bits and pieces of language," said Aída Walqui, the director of teacher professional-development programs for WestEd, a San Francisco-based education research firm. "The common core is really going to require teachers to move from understanding language as form or function to understanding it as activity and giving students the supports they need to participate in academic activities using language.


"Vocabulary and grammar are still important, but at a lower level of importance," she added. "That's going to be a momentous change."


This work will no longer be just the province of English-as-a-second-language teachers. The common core demands that teachers across all content areas teach literacy skills and the so-called "academic language" that is at the heart of their area of expertise.


As some states and districts—such as the Miami-Dade County school system in Florida, where 58,000 students are English-learners—push ahead on an early timeline with turning the standards into actual classroom instruction, language scholars, policymakers, advocates, and educators around the country continue to wrestle with important questions about how the language needs of English-learners will be met under the more-rigorous standards. A number of small- and large-scale efforts are taking shape to develop tools, resources, and instructional supports to help ensure that English-learners—the fastest-growing subgroup of students in the nation—will have the same access to the rigorous instructional levels of the common core as their peers who are native English speakers.


'Academic' vs. Everyday


Helping English-learners surmount the higher expectations of the common standards will depend largely on how well teachers get them to understand academic language, in contrast to the informal, everyday English they use outside the classroom.


One of the most far-reaching efforts under way to help teachers in that vein is a project led by the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment consortium, a group of 27 states that currently share a common set of English-language-proficiency standards. Using broad input from member states, language experts at WIDA are working to finalize a new edition of the consortium's five English-language-development standards that will show clearly the connections between the content standards of the common core across every grade level and the academic language that will be necessary to teach across the varying levels of English proficiency.


For example, in 1st grade, the common core calls for pupils to "write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure." The WIDA edition clearly spells out the grade-level vocabulary words and expressions that teachers should use—such as fact, paragraph, topic sentence, main idea, detail—while teaching that writing standard to students at all levels of English development. The WIDA edition also offers example topics that are pulled directly from a content standard in the common core and provide teachers with the types of support and scaffolding of academic language that they need depending on students' proficiency.


The new edition is also more explicit in showing teachers the cognitive demands required of the core-content standards and how to adjust instruction in line with English proficiency.


"I am hoping that teachers can see how to differentiate their instruction, so that even if you are a level-one English-learner, your teacher is going to have the tools to help you access the content even though you don't have much English," said Margo Gottlieb, WIDA's lead developer of common assessments for English-learners.


The final version of WIDA's English-language-development standards should be published by June, and, starting in late summer, the group will hold four regional conferences around the country to provide training to teachers and school administrators on the new edition and its connections to the common standards.


WIDA is also leading the effort of a group of 28 states to design new assessments of English-language proficiency that will measure the language demands of the common standards.


Readying Exemplars


Another major initiative unfolding to craft an array of free instructional resources for teachers of English-learners is centered at Stanford University, where Kenji Hakuta, an education professor and an expert on English-learners, is co-chairing a project with María Santos, a former director of English-learner programs for the New York City school system, that will map out the English-language demands of the common standards. Ms. Walqui of WestEd is also on that team of experts.

 Earlier this month, the team launched its Understanding Language website with a dozen papers related to the common core and ELLs, along with a collection of practice and policy briefs that will address key issues.


The project is well-funded, with separate, $1 million grants from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. (Both foundations also support some areas of coverage in Education Week.)


Ms. Walqui said the group is hard at work devising "exemplars" to demonstrate to teachers what planning a unit for ELLs under the common core would look like. The first exemplar, she said, is scheduled to come out in June and will focus on middle school English/language arts, because "it's a critical transition point for English-learners."


The key for lesson planning is that the goals for students must be the same, Ms. Walqui said, but that there are multiple pathways for students of varying developmental levels of English to achieve the goals.


"The differentiation is within the activities or versions of the activities for students," she said.


As the team publishes its exemplars, it will host webinars to train teachers, Ms. Walqui said.


The Council of the Great City Schools—which represents 67 urban school systems that are home to 30 percent of the nation's English-learners—is involved in a multitude of initiatives to help its member districts implement the common standards as thoughtfully and carefully for ELLs as they do for students who are not learning English. The rigor of the common core is also providing a prime opportunity for some districts to improve their services for English-learners, said Gabriela Uro, the manager of English-language-learner policy and research for the Washington-based council.


"The English-language-learner programs in many of our districts need ramping up anyway, and now they understand that if you are going to improve those programs, you needn't bother improving to the current standard," Ms. Uro said. "You need to design it for the common core."


For nearly two years, the council has offered sessions on the common core during the regular meetings Ms. Uro conducts with district directors of English-learner programs. Part of that has included bringing in language-acquisition experts to explain the implications of the new standards for ELLs and to show explicitly, for example, how to teach complex texts to English-learners.


The council is also coordinating a project to help districts provide information to parents of ELLs by writing guides on the new standards in Spanish, Chinese, and up to eight additional languages that are represented in urban school systems.


Ms. Uro is also serving on the steering committee of the Stanford project to keep "the district perspective in the mix and to make sure that we bring all of this down to a greater applicability at the district level."


Districts Adapt


In the 345,000-student Miami-Dade school system, teachers and school administrators are largely forging ahead on their own to adapt the new standards for English-learners, said Karen Spigler, the administrative director of language arts/reading and bilingual education/world languages for the district. This year, the common-core standards are already implemented in kindergarten and 1st grade, with 2nd and 3rd grades on tap to begin in the fall, she said.


The district offered teams of teachers in those early grades a two-day training to focus on how to bridge instruction—especially in reading—from the state standards they have been using to the common core, Ms. Spigler said.


A major component of that training, she said, was explaining to teachers how they must incorporate more nonfiction into the curriculum and how to figure out ways to judge the complexity of those texts for students.


"Our early-grade teachers think about children reading 'stories,' but we have to shift our thinking to how do we prepare them to read a science piece or something about the environment," she said.


Another big shift for teachers—especially those working with ELLs—will be letting students struggle with difficult texts.


"That's huge," Ms. Spigler said. "We have been very focused on making everything readable for kids, and they haven't been as successful in independently reading difficult texts."


The vast majority of English-learners in public schools are native Spanish-speakers. That reality has led to at least one large-scale, formal undertaking to translate the common standards into Spanish and provide "linguistic augmentation" to account for the differences between the two languages when necessary.


Called Common Core en Español, the project is being led by ELL practitioners in San Diego, in collaboration with San Diego State University, the California education department, and the Council of Chief State School Officers.


"We are staying very aligned with the common core. It's the same content," said Silvia C. Dorta-Duque de Reyes, a bilingual-services coordinator in the San Diego County office of education. "But because of the challenges that English-learners face in accessing academic content as they learn the language, one of the ways to differentiate for them is to provide the access through their primary language."


The content standards have already been translated, Ms. Reyes said, and now the team is in the midst of providing the "augmentation" to show, for example, that in Spanish, students must learn accentuation and accent rules.


After a peer-review process over the summer, the goal is to publish the translations and make them available to all states and school districts by the end of the year, she said.


Ms. Reyes is also serving on a key panel of experts in California who are charged with revising the state's English-language-development standards so that they are in line with the common core. And she is providing professional-development seminars to school administrators and leaders to help them prepare for implementation in another year or so.


Many frontline teachers in California, however, aren't at the point of being trained for the shift to the common core. The new assessments for common core will roll out during the 2014-2015 school year.


"These teachers are still being held accountable for results on the [state test]," Ms. Reyes said.


Vol. 31, Issue 29, Pages s34,s36,s37,s38