Summer is a time for relaxation, fun, and a well-deserved break from school. However, many students might experience a significant loss of academic skills and knowledge, known as “summer slide.” The Extended Learning Collaborative (ELC) helps Tarrant County students combat summer slide by providing summer programming that aligns with classroom instruction, supports students in maintaining their academic progress, and better prepares them for the upcoming school year.
The ELC is a coalition of over 30 community partners that provide after school and summer programming for Pre-K – 6th grade students across nearly 250 sites throughout Tarrant County. While the 30 community partners offer a diverse range of missions and programming, they share a commitment to incorporating effective literacy practices, aligning instruction students receive in and out of school, monitoring student progress, and creating a forum for continuous improvement. The ELC summer programming meets students where they are and is proven to be beneficial in preventing the loss of valuable academic skills throughout the summer.
Studies have shown that students can lose up to two months of reading and math skills during the summer. Learning skills need to be practiced, even during out-of-school time, and the ELC works to ensure that this learning loss is not a snowball effect that impacts future academic performance.
Last summer, 95 percent of students who participated in the ELC’s summer programming grew or maintained literacy levels, with 63 percent demonstrating growth and 32 percent maintaining. There are currently over 2,400 students enrolled in the ELC’s summer programming. This means that over 2,400 students are on the right track for the new school year.
Summer registration is still open! For a full list of summer programs, click here.
Since 2011, these community partners have delivered impactful literacy solutions for students, and their efforts are far from over. The ELC will expand its efforts by launching a math pilot in January 2025. In 2023, 44 percent of Tarrant County students met the 4th grade math benchmark, meaning over 14,000 Tarrant County students are at risk of falling behind academically. Using lessons learned from their proven track record of success with literacy, ELC partners have a tremendous opportunity to impact students’ math performance and help them succeed in academics and beyond.
Summer vacation is full of fun and relaxation, but we should never take a vacation from learning! Summer slide can be minimized, or even eliminated, by encouraging learning and reading into daily activities and enrolling your child in an ELC summer program. By doing so, parents can encourage their children to maintain their academic progress and be ready for the new school year!
Sources:
Source: TEA, TPEIR, PreK Enrollment Report, Reporting Year 2022 & 2023; TEA, TAPR, Kindergarten Readiness Report, Reporting Year 2023; TEA, STAAR Report, Reporting Year 2023; TEA, TAPR, CCMR Report, Reporting Years 2023; TEA, TAPR, High School Graduation Report, Reporting Years 2023; THECB, PS Enrollment Report, Reporting Years 2023
Summer Scholars Analysis, 2023.
“Seize the Summer: Keep Kids Active & Engaged in Learning.” Seize the Summer: Keep Kids Active & Engaged in Learning | U.S. Department of Education, www.ed.gov/content/seize-summer-keep-kids-active-engaged-learning. Accessed 11 July 2024.
Staff, Scholastic Parents. “How to Prevent Your Kids from Losing What They Learned in School during Summer Vacation.” Summer Slide Statistics and Prevention, Scholastic Parents, 2 Aug. 2022, www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/raise-a-reader-blog/summer-slide.print.html.
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