Florence Elementary School is using learning check-ins in an effort to keep kids on track during summer break in lieu of traditional summer school, Principal Ryan Burch said.
He said the summer learning sessions are used as a voluntary alternative to traditional summer school, mainly due to transportation and funding challenges created by a lack of funding.
The check-ins consist of six two-hour sessions. Students can attend one or more session on a voluntary basis to work on their iReady learning pathways, see teachers, read in the library and record their progress for a chance to win prizes.
Burch said attendance “hasn’t been quite what we were hoping, but we’ve had between 15-20 regulars who show up at each check-in.”
The alternative to summer school has been implemented after “There was less funding for summer school due to ESSR funds drying up,” Burch said.
That funding, called Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, is federal funding granted through the nation’s COVID-19 relief plan. Sometimes referred to as American Rescue Plan Funds, or ARPA money, both funds originate from the pandemic relief plan.
In previous years, the school relief funds allowed for robust and innovative summer school programs as schools fought to bring students up to speed after falling behind due to remote learning and missed school during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Kentucky received more than $2 billion in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds to distribute to schools, according to the plan approved by the U.S. Department of Education. That plan lists two key points of investment for summer learning, which include “accelerated learning summer programs” and professional development for educators.
Boone County Schools received $13.3 million in funds, according to its publicly available report, and dedicated at least 20% of those funds to combat learning loss through after school and summer programs – a requirement from the Kentucky Department of Education.
For these summer check-ins, Burch said data is collected and evaluated at the end of break to determine the students’ greatest needs.
“We will take a look at these students’ beginning of the year benchmark assessment to see if they have experienced less of a ‘summer-slide’ than the students who did not check-in,” Burch said. “That data will help us decide if we do something similar next year, go back to traditional summer school, or try something else.”
While the program is voluntary, the school tries to entice students to attend with fun activities.
Family Resource/Youth Services Coordinator Lindsay Chappell has incorporated attractions like inflatables, mini golf, a dunking booth, and visits from first responders like the Florence Fire Department. A summer check-in planned for Aug. 8 will feature a magic show, Burch said. The first day of school is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 17.