School’s out, but should it be?

But experts say extended school year would avoid “summer slide”

Smiling Asbury Elementary students hugged one another, stuffed their backpacks and barely contained their excitement as the final minutes of school came to an end Thursday.

“It’s fun, but it’s also bittersweet,” said Anita Theroit, principal at the southeast Denver school.

If a growing number of reformers — including the U.S. education secretary — get their way, Theroit could avoid those mixed emotions and be surrounded by students all year.

A movement is underway to lengthen the school year, or at least provide students with year-round academic enrichment to prevent “the summer slide.”

But districts continue to cut programs as budgets have shrunk.

Research shows most students fall more than two months behind in math over the summer break. Low-income children fall behind two to three months in reading while their middle- and upper-income peers make slight gains, according to the National Summer Learning Association.

“Summer learning loss . . . it’s devastating,” said U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan in an interview posted on the U.S. Education Department’s website. “We need to do something about it.”

Duncan is urging states to create and fund summer learning programs and favors extending the school year beyond the 180-day academic calendar, citing competitive countries that send students to school 20 to 30 days longer.

“I want to level the playing field,” Duncan said. “Our academic calendar is based on the agrarian economy. That’s why summers are off. For the overwhelming majority of our country, (kids) are no longer working in the fields.”

Congress is expected to vote on a bill that would authorize $23 billion in emergency education funding to pay for jobs and programs, including summer- enrichment classes.

Many districts do offer programs — some that are privately funded or supported by temporary stimulus funds.

Jefferson County has six-week programs for struggling students that cost $175 per pupil. The district also is providing books to every student at a Title 1 school for summer reading.

Aurora offers a fifth block of instruction through June 25 for students who have shown academic growth during the school year and who could benefit from additional learning time.

Denver Public Schools will use $5.2 million in stimulus funds over three years for summer programs, including two- week preparation academies for incoming sixth-graders and ninth-graders.

A private donor also has contributed $400,000 a year to DPS for a month-long program for English-language learners that focuses on developing English speaking and math skills.

In addition, the Summer Scholars program at 18 DPS schools runs every weekday for six weeks through July, providing literacy and recreation enrichment.

DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg said the district should do more.

“More than half of our kids (are) below grade level,” Boasberg said. “Having that additional time is clearly a critical opportunity to allow those kids to catch up. “

One additional day of school, however, would cost as much as $3 million just for personnel, he said.

And half of DPS schools don’t have central air conditioning, which makes summer classes intolerable.

The district estimates it would cost $500 million to retrofit schools with air conditioning.

“Ultimately, it is a conversation for us as a state to have,” Boasberg said. “If we are going to reduce the dropout rate and get kids back on track, one key part of that is having a longer school day and year.”

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