In a holistic outline for academic success in summer school, the Southern Regional Education Board, emphasizes that reading and math proficiency rates should be prioritized through the creative and individualized response of specific student needs and achievement, and the rigorous evaluation of teacher and student performance. At no other time did I feel I was part of a system that was operating on those success aligned precedents than during summer school last year. It is within the board's articulation of what a successful summer school must necessitate in order to “help struggling students improve their performance,” -that I may look ahead to this summer school with complete confidence that MTC comes equip to deliver this type of summer school.
Although I thoroughly appreciate summer vacation, the very fundamentals through which summer school is derivative, entirely supports the Board’s recommendation that, “Summer school should not be something that is added on at the end of the school year to help struggling students. Summer school should be a required part of year-round program of extra time and special help for struggling students.” As an integral part of the academic year, rather than the school year, it is imperative that teachers maximize opportunities for differentiated instruction by providing what the board calls, “the use of instructional materials and strategies that are different from those that have failed during the school year.
Their final recommendation, “all summer-school programs should include rigorous evaluation of teaching strategies and student achievement,” is one that preserves the caliber of instruction by vigorously assessing the competency of the instructor and one that is mirrored and consistently implemented in MTC summer school. Furthermore, student progress, a critical indicator of teacher effectiveness, may be evidenced by an entrance and exit exam and projects that reflect the higher DOK levels and serve as a blueprint to inform the teacher of each student's strength and weaknesses.
While summer school is often and most traditionally considered remediation, with the resources, planning, innovation and initiative that the MTC classes of 2008 and 2009 will inevitably bring to Holly Springs, summer school will be every part enrichment as it is remediation. To this end, planning becomes much more than logistics, but is moreover imperative in order to accommodate the board’s fourth recommendation, to “provide clear, reasonable standards for the length of summer programs and scheduling of classes and allow enough flexibility for innovation, creativity and responsiveness to community needs.” By “developing benchmarks to determine promotion and interventions during the school year to continue supporting the students who need it,” (Denton, 2001; Harrington-Lueker, 2000; Eisner, 2000) summer school is much more than the ends to a mean, but is much more a catalyst for enduring student-centered learning and productivity that will be actualized throughout the academic year.
