The Summer Slide

This book is an authoritative examination of summer learning loss, featuring original contributions by scholars and practitioners at the forefront of the movement to understand—and stem—the “summer slide.” The contributors provide an up-to-date account of what research has to say about summer learning loss, the conditions in low-income children’s homes and communities that impede learning over the summer months, and best practices in summer programming with lessons on how to strengthen program evaluations. They also show how information on program costs can be combined with student outcome data to inform future planning and establish program cost-effectiveness. This book will help policymakers, school administrators, and teachers in their efforts to close academic achievement gaps and improve outcomes for all students.

Book Features:

• Empirical research on summer learning loss and efforts to counteract it.
• Original contributions by leading authorities.
• Practical guidance on best practices for implementing and evaluating strong summer programs.
• Recommendations for using program evaluations more effectively to inform policy.

Karl L. Alexander is director of the Thurgood Marshall Alliance in Baltimore and John Dewey professor emeritus of sociology at the Johns Hopkins University. He is coauthor of The Long Shadow which received the 2016 Grawemeyer Prize in Education. Sarah Pitcock is CEO of the National Summer Learning Association. Matthew Boulay is founder of the National Summer Learning Association.

"One would be hard-pressed to read Summer Slide and not be moved, in some capacity, to take steps to ensure that all children are provided with opportunities to participate in high-quality summer learning programs."

—Teachers College Record

“If we intend to renew our reform agenda, as we must, summer learning should be a top priority. This volume provides a clear rationale for investment in summer learning as well as a balanced analysis of the ways and means of assuring effective implementation.”
—From the foreword by Paul Reville, Harvard Graduate School of Education, former Massachusetts secretary of education

“A comprehensive look at what’s known about summer’s impact on learning and achievement, this work is an important contribution to the field and a wake-up call to policymakers and educators alike. The authors’ analysis reinforces the need for many more high-quality, well-evaluated summer programs and reminds us all that to ignore summer is to accept the staggering opportunity and achievement gaps we now have.”
—Jane Stoddard Williams, chair, Horizons National

"The Summer Slide provides the reader with everything they didn't know about summer learning loss and also provides information on everything we do know about eliminating summer learning loss. Do your school a favor and read this book, and then act upon what you have learned."
—Richard Allington, University of Tennessee