Engaging Students in

Learning Beyond the

Classroom
A Discussion about
the Effectiveness of
RAS Summer School
Programming

Goal 1: Implement
Policies and
Practices that Open
Pathways to
Academic
Excellence for All
Students

Guiding Questions

How does Robbinsdale Area Schools

implement an effective system of
engaging students in learning
beyond the regular classroom, year
round?

What is the student outcome we

desire?

Structure

Where should we deliver teaching?

How long should it be delivered?
What logistical issues need to be
addressed?

Strategy

Sample

How will we teach?

How will we know theyve learned?
How will we build on student strengths?
How will we provide appropriate challenge and supports
for learners?

The Five Levers

of Change

Who should have access?

Where should specialized services be delivered?
Who should be grouped with whom?

Self

What do teachers believe to be true about their students?

What do students believe to be true about teachers?
What do teachers believe about their capacity to meet
student learning needs?
What do students believe about their capacity to learn?

Standard

What should be taught?

How good is good enough?

Source: Five Levers to Improve Learning, Tony Frontier & Jim

Rickabaugh 2014 ASCD

Where should we deliver teaching?

How long should it be delivered?
What logistical issues need to be
addressed?

1.

STRUCTURE

Current Reality
Elementary, Middle School
4 week program x 5 days per
week x 4 hours = 80 hours
High School
3 week programs x 5 days
per week x 4 hours = 60
hours
Shared sites in elementary and
high school
Challenges:
Longer bus routes with shared sites
Reduced instructional time at
many sites due to
breakfast/snack/lunch service

Who should have access?

Where should specialized services be delivered?
Who should be grouped with whom?

2.

SAMPLE

Current Reality

Summer programming offered to students in

grades 1 through 8 who are eligible under the
Graduation Incentives Program

Credit recovery offered to students who meet one

or more of the Graduation Incentives guidelines
and are a High School student under the age of 21

Applications sent home with elementary families

at Spring Conference time based on academic
data and teacher referral

Students placed in classes by grade level

Sometimes combined due to low

enrollment

Extended School Year (ESY) offered to some

students receiving Special Education Services
based on academic regression data

Students who do not qualify for ESY can be

considered for General Education Summer
Programming
Challenges

Lack of consistent criteria for qualification

Over-representation of students of color

Students with perceived behavior problems often

not invited to attend

What should be taught?

How good is good enough?
Current Reality

3.

STANDARD

Elementary
Reading: Targeted Reading Intervention program

Diagnostic assessment used for pre & post

assessment
Math:

District created, Standards-based math

curriculum

Weekly pre & post assessments

Middle School
High School

Credit Recovery

Compass Learning
Challenges

Gaps in curricular coherence

One size fits all curriculum

Lack of materials

Lack of time to analyze data to inform

instruction

Lack of paid prep time (4 hours total for

elementary)

How will we teach?

How will we know theyve learned?
How will we build on student strengths?
How will we provide appropriate challenge and
supports for learners?
Current Reality
Elementary:

Whole group, small group, 1:1

Pre and post assessments for reading and math

Intervention Specialist for Reading and Math

support teaching and assessment in a variety
of ways

Deficit-based model

4.

STRATEGY

Challenges

Lack of paid prep time

Lack of access to books

Remediation models do not build upon student

strengths

What do teachers believe to be true about their

students?
What do students believe to be true about teachers?
What do teachers believe about their capacity to meet
student learning needs?
What do students believe about their capacity to learn?

5.

SELF

Current Reality
We do not have data to support
any assumptions that would or
could be made in this area.
It is necessary to examine this
lever more closely.
A question: If there is a
disproportionality of students of
color in our summer school
enrollments, how does that
represent our beliefs about
students of color?

Summer School
Enrollments
Middle

Elementary

High School*

Grade

Average
Class Size

Grade

School

#
Enrolled

Grade

#
Enrolled

1st

15

7th

PMS

45

9th

144

2nd

16

RMS

77

10th

113

3rd

17

PMS

54

11th

158

4th

14

RMS

71

12th

166

5th

13

8th

*HS also included 44 additional students who are considered

super-seniors. Students who should have graduated but were
short credits

6th

11

Summer School
Robbinsdale Area Schools offers summer school learning opportunities for elementary,
middle, and high school students that have not demonstrated adequate academic progress
due to one or more education risk factors. Students are provided instruction in core academic
subjects and task management skills in an environment that supports appropriate emotional
and social development. High school students are given an opportunity through credit
recovery to complete courses necessary for progress toward graduation. Students are
recommended for attendance by classroom teachers or counselors.
Robbinsdale Areas Schools website

Summer School Broad

Programmatic Data

Summer School
Demographics

Summer School
Achievement Data
Math Reading

Summer School
by Gender

The Data:
Summer
School

Summer Activities
We have a large variety of summer opportunities available for
students in the Robbinsdale Area School District. There are
options designed to appeal to students of every age and
interest, as well as to the varied needs of families including:
Summer Activities and Summer Music Academy (hereafter
called Summer Activities), Adventure Club, Swimming
Lessons and more. See you in the schools this summer!

Robbinsdale Area Schools Community Education website

Summer Activities
Broad Demographics

Summer Activities Enrollments

by City

Summer Activities Enrollments

by Gender

The Data:
Summer
Activities

Characteristics of Effective Programs

Make learning fun.

Ground learning in real-world context.
Integrate hands-on activities.
Content should complement curricular standards.
Hire experienced, trained teachers to teach academic lessons.
Keep class sizes low.
Combining academic instruction with youth development and
physical fitness activities.

Effective and Promising Summer Learning Programs and Approaches for Economically-Disadvantaged Children and Youth,
A White Paper for the Wallace Foundation

John Hattie--Visible Learning

Summer School = .23 ES
Enrichment = .39 ES

The
Research

Questions
and Next
Steps