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.

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Cover ; Title Page ; Table of Contents ; Foreword ; Introduction ; Background ; What Follows ; Part I-Summer Learning and Summer Learning Loss: Theory and Research ; Chapter 1: Schools, Families, and Inequality ; The Faucet Theory ; Conclusion ; Chapter 2: Summer Setback in Baltimore ; The Foundational Studies: Heyns and ECLS-K ; Concluding Comments ; Chapter 3: School's Out ; Existing Evidence on Summer Learning Loss ; Data and Methods ; Results ; Conclusions ; Chapter 4: Contextualizing Summer Learning Inequality ; The Canadian Context of Education Stratification. The Ontario Summer Learning Project Conclusions ; Chapter 5: Summer Learning and the Opportunity Gap ; What is the Opportunity Gap? ; Public Funding for Summer Programs ; Conclusions and Recommendations ; Policy Considerations ; Chapter 6: A National Review of Summer School Policies and the Evidence Supporting Them ; Best Practices in Summer School Legislation ; Developing Summer School Best Practices ; Results ; Conclusions ; Implications for Developing Best Practice Legislation in Education ; Part II-Drivers of Differential Summer Learning: Family Advantage and Family Disadvantage. Chapter 7: The Sunny Home Advantage Conceptualizing Social Class ; Conclusion ; Chapter 8: Learning Outside of School ; Shadow Education ; What Does Shadow Education Look Like in the United States? ; Shadow Education and Seasonal Learning Patterns ; Discussion and Conclusion ; Chapter 9: Selecting Summer ; Research Design ; Context: Summer Learning Opportunities in Baltimore City ; How Do Low-Income Families Make Choices About Summer Learning Programs? ; Conclusion ; Implications for Research and Policy ; Chapter 10: The Roles of Summertime in Child Obesity. Contributing Factors to Summertime Weight Gain Effects of Structured Summertime Programs on BMI and Obesogenic Behaviors ; Future Research Directions ; Addressing Obesogenic Behaviors in Programs ; Policy Implications ; Chapter 11: Summertime and Youth's Psychosocial Well-Being ; Self-Perceptions ; Delinquency ; Psychological Distress ; Future Directions ; Policy Implications ; Part III-Stemming Summer Learning Loss: Lessons from and About Research ; Chapter 12: Best Practices in Summer Programming ; Effectiveness of Summer Learning Programs. Variation in Effectiveness of Summer Learning Programs Components of Quality Summer Learning Programs ; Conclusions ; Chapter 13: Year-Round School Calendars ; What is a Year-Round Calendar? ; Why Do Schools Adopt Year-Round Calendars? ; Effects of Year-Round Calendars ; Politics of Year-Round Calendars ; Conclusion ; Methodological Appendix ; Chapter 14: Summer Learning and Programming in Rural Settings ; Reading is Fundamental (RIF) ; Conclusion: Implications for Policy, Practice, and Further Research.