As American educational reformers continue to find innovative ways to address the global achievement gap, many experts seem to agree that increasing instructional time is a viable option. In addition to extending the school day, some educational leaders have looked to modifying the traditional academic calendar to address some of the academic losses that occur when students have 8-10 weeks of summer vacation each year. Re-examining how students spend their summer vacation, although considered by many to be a cultural taboo, may be the answer to addressing global competition and decreasing the national achievement gap. The need for a two month break from schools harkens back to a pre-industrial time that no longer is pertinent for our students. Although an answer may be staring us in the face, are we willing to give up on the American tradition of summer vacation all in the name of reform and student success?

People have varied opinions when it comes to summer school. Some think it’s an important education option, while others think that summer is meant to be spent outside of the classroom with friends and family. What do you think? Consider both sides and then share your own opinion. How will you answer the question: summer school, yes or no? Featuring engaging reading activities and relatable content, the simple-to-follow book, Summer School, Yes or No?, allows young learners to construct their own persuasive statements. The Seeing Both Sides series encourages young learners to research and support their own conclusions on a variety of long-debated topics. Readers will explore the pros and cons of each specific topic and gain a better understanding of differing opinions and why it is important to look at all the facts before making a decision. Each 24-page book features a teaching focus, before- and after-reading activities, writing tips, a glossary, and more, to effectively engage young learners and prompt them to explain their understanding.

This book is an authoritative examination of summer learning loss, featuring original contributions by scholars and practitioners at the forefront of the movement to understand—and stem—the “summer slide.” The contributors provide an up-to-date account of what research has to say about summer learning loss, the conditions in low-income children’s homes and communities that impede learning over the summer months, and best practices in summer programming with lessons on how to strengthen program evaluations. The authors also show how information on program costs can be combined with student outcome data to inform future planning and establish program cost-effectiveness. This book will help policymakers, school administrators, and teachers in their efforts to close academic achievement gaps and improve outcomes for all students. Book Features: Empirical research on summer learning loss and efforts to counteract it. Original contributions by leading authorities. Practical guidance on best practices for implementing and evaluating strong summer programs. Recommendations for using program evaluations more effectively to inform policy. Contributors: Emily Ackman, Allison Atteberry, Catherine Augustine, Janice Aurini, Amy Bohnert, Geoffrey D. Borman, Claudia Buchmann, Judy B. Cheatham, Barbara Condliffe, Dennis J. Condron, Scott Davies, Douglas Downey, Ean Fonseca, Linda Goetze, Kathryn Grant, Amy Heard, Michelle K. Hosp, James S. Kim, Heather Marshall, Jennifer McCombs, Andrew McEachin, Dorothy McLeod, Joseph J. Merry, Emily Milne, Aaron M. Pallas, Sarah Pitcock, Alex Schmidt, Marc L. Stein, Paul von Hippel, Thomas G. White, Doris Terry Williams, Nicole Zarrett “A comprehensive look at what’s known about summer’s impact on learning and achievement. It is a wake-up call to policymakers and educators alike” —Jane Stoddard Williams, Chair, Horizons National “Provides the reader with everything they didn’t know about summer learning loss and also provides information on everything we do know about eliminating summer learning loss. Do your school a favor and read this book and then act upon what you have learned.” —Richard Allington, University of Tennessee

Excerpt from The Summer School: Beginning June 20th and Ending July 29th at the College Park The instruction in the Summer School, which is an integral part of the University work, is free to all students of Maryland. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.