Authors: Sara McCallister & Rhea Almeida
Contributors: Natasha Berger, Lisette DeSouza, Joanna D. Geller, Wendy Perez, and Imani Wilson
Research shows that high-quality summer learning programs can improve academic outcomes for students across grade levels (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, 2019). Evidencebased summer learning programs provide academic acceleration — strong instruction in grade level content with tailored supports, rather than remediation focused on repeating skills and content from previous grades — coupled with rich experiences and a focus on creating a positive learning climate (Augustine, et al., 2016). A diverse set of districts across the country have built summer learning programs incorporating these evidence-based practices, but the availability of summer learning programs has remained far below demand (America After 3 pm, 2019). In uncertain funding climates, school districts have to work hard to sustain the quality and scale of summer programs.
Sustaining progress on high-quality summer learning requires resources and commitment. In many districts, summer learning has long been treated as an afterthought, separate from the core academic work of schools, with limited staff time and resources devoted to planning and implementation. Researchers have identified a set of core strategies for sustaining progress on summer learning (Augustine and Thompson, 2017; EdResearch for Recovery and TN Education Research Alliance, 2023; Fitz, et al, 2025): coordinating cross-departmental resources to institutionalize summer learning planning as part of the districts’ the district’s core work; using data on program outcomes and visits to summer learning sites to build buyin for summer learning; building diverse partnerships with organizations outside of the district; and pursuing a broad mix of public and private funding.
The district summer leaders in our study described efforts to sustain progress on summer learning that largely matched these research-based strategies. They organized district resources to support collaborative planning and leader and staff development for summer learning, and built a shared commitment to summer learning to advance district goals. They marshalled data on summer learning outcomes, brought leaders to see summer in action, and invited students and families to speak directly to decision-makers about their experiences. They built and sustained partnerships outside the district to enhance programming and broaden buy-in. While they did not have budgeting power in their districts, they worked to identify potential funding sources, pursued private grants, and made the case for continued investment in summer.
In this research brief we describe four key sustainability strategies used by district summer learning leaders in our study and provide examples of how leaders in different contexts implemented each one. Next, we describe trade-offs decisions that district leaders made to maintain summer programs in uncertain funding climates. We conclude with a set of recommendations for the field.