By Rhea Almeida, Natasha Berger, Sara McAlister, Elise Wilkerson, and Imani Wilson

By giving high school students fun, hands-on learning opportunities like creating podcasts for English credits or applying geometric equations to a leatherworking project, some school districts are reimagining summer learning programs that have previously relied on a traditional model of credit recovery.

In 2021, two million US students dropped out of high school; pending credits and course failures are key risk factors for leaving high school without a diploma (Balfanz, et al., 2010). Keeping students on track and ensuring that they complete high school is a key equity challenge, given that Black and Brown students, multilingual learners, and students experiencing poverty graduate at lower rates than the national average (Irwin, et al., 2023). This makes summer a crucial opportunity for getting and keeping students on track.

Traditional credit recovery models enroll students in condensed, pared-down versions of classes in which they need to earn credits. These courses are increasingly offered online or in hybrid models, with students working through coursework individually. But in the postpandemic world, online and hybrid recovery models have exacerbated absenteeism, increased mental health concerns, and lowered performance, particularly for students from low-income communities (Dorn, et al., 2021). Further, typical credit recovery models don’t address the underlying challenges that prevent students from accumulating credits on time, including gaps in foundational academic skills, disengagement from coursework, mental health challenges, and limited opportunities to develop socioemotional and life skills that support school achievement, among others (Gourley, 2009; Mac Iver, 2013).

School districts have an opportunity to re-envision summer as a time for engaging, relevant, well-rounded programming that can set students up for future success while ensuring they stay on track for graduation. By designing summer learning programs that embrace students’ interests, needs, cultures, and identities, districts can inspire a greater love of learning and foster a sense well-being (Bang, et al., 2021). And some districts are actively rethinking the design of their programs with this in mind.

The DSLN Approach to Summer Learning

Districts within the District Summer Learning Network (DSLN) are shifting away from the traditional “summer school” remediation model to offer enriching programming that accelerates learning and fosters student well-being. DSLN has helped more than 100 school districts and six states design, implement, and sustain high-quality, evidence-based summer learning programs that prepare students for academic success and support their wellbeing.

Funded by The Wallace Foundation, DSLN is designed and led by FHI 360, with NYU Metro Center's Policy, Research and Evaluation (PRE) team as the research partner.

Expert coaches help DSLN districts maximize the potential of summer programs with a focus on evidence-based practices, academic quality, whole child development, strong community partnerships, and intentional program design that supports all students. Particularly for high school students, this means going beyond traditional credit recovery models to more innovative and enriching summer programs.

In this Summer Snapshot, we provide practical examples of how two DSLN districts, one small and one large (see Appendix A), have re-invented summer learning to prepare high school students for future success. They have incorporated youth voice in summer learning design, offered highly engaging project-based learning experiences focused on skill and subject mastery, and exposed students to career and college readiness opportunities.

Much of what is known about designing summer learning programs focuses on elementary and middle school. By highlighting Manchester Public School District’s Flight School and Oakland Unified School District’s Summer HAcK program, we hope to show what innovative summer learning for high school students can look like.