Now that most school districts in Colorado have resumed a certain level of personal learning, questions are heading into how much students have lost their learning this year and how to catch up. One idea that is gaining traction is summer school.
President Joe Biden’s $ 130 billion education plan specifically allocates $ 29 billion for guidance and summer school. Public schools in Orange County, Orlando, Florida, have told teachers to expect a five-day work week through the summer.
In a statement, Denver Public Schools spokeswoman Winna MacLaren told Denver7 that the district “is in the early stages of summer school planning and is addressing any loss of learning for students.”
DPS collects community feedback by March, but will announce a loss of learning and a summer school plan by April. MacLaren said DPS will implement the plan in the spring and “by the summer,” with an emphasis on acceleration rather than remediation.
The district has launched a plan that includes the following:
- Improved instruction with a laser-like focus on classroom content and just-in-time student support
- Available extended learning that reinforces basic content, is culturally relevant and involves students in groups of eight to 12
- Intensive education for students with the greatest need through individualized instruction for one or two students who meet them where they are and connect to what is taught in the classroom
- Social-emotional learning that supports students’ social-emotional needs and is incorporated into basic training
Cameron Bell, a spokesman for JeffCo Public Schools, said the district typically offers summer school at four high schools and allows schools to choose to offer summer programs as well. The district has not said whether it intends to expand its summer school offerings this year.
The Boulder Valley School District will present a school board meeting on Tuesday night.