Cuts to Summer Programs: About More than Childcare

With the school year winding down in schools across the nation, parents and families are now left to answer an important question: How will they keep the children in their lives occupied for the next 10 weeks or so?

Parents and grandparents relying on summer programs, including those typically operated by cities and school districts, may be in for a rude awakening.

Many school districts have eliminated or dramatically scaled back summer school this year. In some cases, programs that were once open to all students are now only available to youngsters who are behind one grade level or more.

City-run summer programs, which have long been a safe place for youngsters and also a primary employer for many teens, also are being slashed as part of efforts to deal with budget shortfalls.

Middle and upper class families are less likely to be affected by such cuts, either because they never used such programs or because if they did, their disposable income makes it possible for them to take advantage of other options.

We already know that how young people spend their summers matters.

According to information from Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Summer Learning,

middle-income students typically experience slight gains in reading performance during the summer, while low-income students generally experience a summer learning loss of about two months in reading.

Many low-income students also lose ground in math, dropping more than 2.5 months of grade level equivalency during the summer.

These summer losses are believed to contribute to the achievement gap that exists between low-income students and their more affluent peers.

This is because research shows both low-income and middle-income students seem to gain ground at similar rates during the school year, but then low income students post summer learning losses during the elementary years, while middle class children often make moderate gains.

The elimination of summer school and summer youth programs is certainly a childcare issue for many. But we shouldn’t kid ourselves: It’s also an important academic issue as well, and cuts now could lead to a broader achievement gap between our most affluent and poorest children later.

Leaders who make the decision to cut such programs should be aware of these implications and not take their decisions lightly.