8/3/04 - This summer, nearly 1,400 students signed up for summer enrichment classes in Palo Alto, Calif., and most were happy to do so. They wanted to go to summer school.
And why shouldn't they? Their local schools offered them the chance to spend the summer participating in fun and interesting activities, such as classes in creative writing, film studies, gourmet cooking, marine biology, and the study of the Harry Potter books and The Lord of the Rings.
Such summer fare is far more entertaining to students than sitting around watching TV all day - and parents love it, says Associate Superintendent Cynthia Pino. "Many parents want students to have something enriching - a little different - to do during the summer, something that has educational value but is not like regular school."
This is a model for summer school that local school boards can expect to see gain in popularity, predicts Ron Fair-child, executive director of the Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University. Educators see enrichment courses as a way to keep students academically engaged during the summer and help them remember more of what they learned during the school year.
"We're seeing more and more schools recognize the importance of summer programs - and not just for remedial purposes, but to give students an extra opportunity to engage in enriching educational opportunities," he says.
That's not to say remedial coursework is in danger of disappearing anytime soon from the summer curriculum. Far from it. Despite serious budget shortfalls, the student performance goals of the No Child Left Behind Act have made summer school an important tool in giving low-performing students a "leg up" on the next academic year.
Indeed, more than 5 million students will attend summer school this year - and a sizable number is enrolled in remedial programs. Several large school systems also have tough promotion policies that encourage remedial summer school for low-achieving students.
But more educators are noting research that shows even good students lose ground in math and reading skills during the idle summer months - and that enrichment classes can offset this loss in a way that makes summer learning "fun."
Summer school "isn't just an issue for low-income kids," Fairchild says. "Everybody should have a high-quality learning experience over the summer."
In Wisconsin, the Menasha Joint School District enrolls more than a third of its 3,000 students in summer school, says Chris Otto, the district's summer school coordinator. The district offers remedial classes for older students, but younger students have the opportunity to explore the "fun" side of art, science, and other academic subjects.
Classes in specialty subjects, such as "the science of slime," allow students to approach learning in a more interesting and entertaining way - something time doesn't always allow during the regular school year.
"I think it's just great," Otto says. "We try to make an enrichment class more of an adventure class, rather than a summer school where you have to be there."
That approach has helped Menasha reach out to Hispanic students learning English, he says. This year, students who attended classes for English learners were allowed to participate in enrichment classes - an offer that doubled attendance among these students.
Unfortunately, recent budget cutbacks are hurting efforts to expand summer enrichment programs in some corners of the nation. In California, many school systems were forced to restrict summer school to remedial courses after state funding for summer programs was cut by $100 million.
Where funding is available, school systems are pressing ahead with summer enrichment programs. Others, such as Palo Alto, have discovered parents will pay tuition to ensure summer classes are available. Local and state money ensure that disadvantaged students are not left out.
At California's Hart Union High School District, a tight budget forced officials this year to limit summer school to remedial courses. But the district's regional occupational program tapped separate state funds to offer courses in automotive technology, drafting, interior design, and nursing.
Other school systems are using Title I or 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants to expand enrichment opportunities during the summer. Schools also are forming partnerships with community colleges, recreation centers, and other local organizations to fund classes.
"School boards can do a lot if they leverage different sources of funding," Fairchild says. "That's the direction people are moving."