MELISSA KAY DILIBERTI, SAMANTHA E. DiNICOLA, HEATHER L. SCHWARTZ
Districts Continue to Invest
in Summer Programs
Selected Findings from the American
School District Panel
S
ummer programming has historically been a staple in school districts’ arsenals to help stu-
dents keep up academically and recover from summer break–related academic setbacks (i.e.,
the “summer slide”). In addition to academic support, summer programs may have a posi-
tive impact on students’ physical and mental health, development of interests, and develop-
ment of social and life skills (McCombs et al., 2019; Schwartz et al., 2018). The importance of quality
summer programs has intensified in recent years because they have been one of two main ways
(along with tutoring) that districts across the United States have used to help students recover from
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic–related academic setbacks (Diliberti and Schwartz,
2022; Diliberti and Schwartz 2024;
Schwartz et al., 2018).
To help at least elementary-age
students reap the benefits of district-
run summer programs, the National
Summer Learning Project (NSLP) has
recommended that districts do the
following (Schwartz et al., 2018):
• plan for five to six weeks of pro-
gramming, with three to four
hours of academic instruction
each day
• include both enrichment and
academic activities
• hire effective and experienced
district teachers with expertise
in specific content areas
KEY FINDINGS
■ Eighty-four percent of school districts nationally offered programs
in summer 2024—a percentage that is on par with the percentage
of districts that offered programs in summer 2023.
■ Although districts’ largest summer programs were typically free
for families and offered at least three hours of academic instruc-
tion daily, only about one-third of districts’ largest summer pro-
grams met the other recommended academic quality indicators
(e.g., district-prepared lesson plans, instruction delivered by
district teachers who taught the same grade level and subject as
they taught during the school year).
■ In both 2023 and 2024, urban districts offered more summer
programs than their suburban and rural counterparts and offered
programs that met more quality indicators.
■ About one-half of districts (56 percent) anticipate a decrease in
funds for programs in summer 2025.
Research Report
