The Mind Trust’s Post

RAND's findings on summer programs in 2023 highlight several significant trends: Prevalence of Summer Programs: 81% of districts offered summer programs 📚, catering to both elementary and secondary grade levels 🎒. Urban District Participation: Every urban district surveyed provided summer programming 🌆, with many offering four or more different programs 📈. Characteristics of the Largest Programs: Typically free of charge 💸. Ran for four weeks 🗓️. Offered about four hours of academic instruction per day ⏰. Employed district teachers for at least some, if not all, academic instruction 👩🏫. https://lnkd.in/gxhgkgic

Less than half of eligible #K12 students enrolled summer school last year. A nationally representative RAND survey finds, in 2023, 81% of schools offered summer programs that provided academic instruction for part of the day, typically to both elementary and secondary grade levels. Every urban district surveyed offered programming, and these districts were more likely to offer additional services like transportation and free meals in addition to academics. Despite robust programming, districts’ largest summer schools typically enrolled less than half of eligible students and less than one in five districts’ largest elementary summer programs met the minimum recommended hours of academic instruction found to academically benefit students. Additionally, districts’ COVID-19 relief funds – which have been the main source of districts’ summer programming funding – are set to expire in September 2024. This could lead to scaled back summer programming in 2025. https://lnkd.in/eAsZVWES #summerschool #summerlearning #education

I'm really struggling to understand how the CEO is promoting the company, Varsity Tutors, when the website is in dire need of bug fixes. I've been trying to get support to pay attention and roll back the latest update since May. They broke the opportunities mechanic and your students are not able to get the help they need. Please fix this! I've messaged you on LinkedIn, commented on posts, emailed customer support over and over again, and nothing is changing. Customer support emails just get automated responses of my message sent back to me. There are multiple pain points within this workflow. I hope none of this comes across disrespectfully, I greatly appreciate the business I get from VT and I enjoy the platform! The in-session tutoring white board features are really great! Please focus on your current customers/clients and fix the experience before trying to grow the company before you're ready. That goes for any business! Hire me to fix your website! Your programmers are.... not fixing it.

There are #STEAM topics all around us! Exploration and interesting hands-on discovery can begin in preschool and can help boost student learning through the following elementary, middle and high school years. Read on to learn more: https://lnkd.in/eqZ2Nez7

Play-based learning isn't an additional to do in the schedule. It's a better way to deliver literacy, math, and science learning to K-2 students. Play is how they learn! https://lnkd.in/gCMVwVd3

Example 1: A dear friend of mine, whom I’ve known since we were in the same kindergarten class, never participated in gifted programming in elementary school. He has a degree in medicine, graduated in the top 20 of his high school class, and comfortably works with multiple languages. Example 2: It was time for second graders to re-test for the gifted program. Second-grade Tim was told he could bring a book. I thought the book was more interesting than the test, so I read “The Hobbit” instead of filling in bubbles. I’m not exactly sure who was in charge of the testing, but the assumption was that I was no longer as ‘gifted’ as I was a year ago, so I didn’t participate in the gifted program for third grade. I retook the test in 4th grade, and I guess I became ‘gifted’ again! Students have a broad range of skills across the content we teach, and we ought to be ready to support a wide range of social, emotional, and academic needs. However, schools are notoriously bad at identifying students for gifted programming, leaving many students without access to appropriate instruction. A more inclusive approach to assessing readiness is essential to equitable access. Why might this matter to schools implementing #PBIS? Students who are ready for rigor tend to behave predictably when they are bored, and student behavior is frequently used to disqualify students from programs that would actually support their social, emotional, and academic achievement. #gifted #equity

"Millions of children in the U.S. will be able to share what they are learning and doing in their out-of-school time programs. Unfortunately, many more could talk about what they wish they were doing, if they had access to quality OST opportunities." A new piece from Forbes takes a deep dive into how communities can harness widespread support for afterschool to ensure access for all. https://lnkd.in/eGWr9sWP

Summer worries for NYC special needs parents? You're not alone! School's out, but the need for support doesn't disappear. Are you worried about a summer program that can keep up with your child's IEP? We hear you! NYC public schools may have limited options for summer programs with proper Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) in place, leading parents to scramble for alternatives. Here is some more information on the NYC Public School's Summer Rising program: https://lnkd.in/erYNvvYS #IEP #SummerStruggles #SpecialEducationLaw #SpecialNeedsStudents

Our approach to fostering student literacy is a willingness to engage partners wherever they can be found. Our Mid-Atlantic Executive Director explains: ⬇️ "Districts can be great partners in our work by deeply involving partners in their schools and districts, in their long-term planning around strategy to support their students over many years, and in any continuous improvement work that they're doing. Springboard Collaborative knows that schools and districts value partners, and we believe that we can really help them shape their priorities because, often, we are the ones working in concert with their frontline staff on the ground, working with students and families. And we can lift up those priorities, concerns, and hopes from our constituents to ensure they are deeply involved in any long-term plans to support students." "I think families can be great partners to us in this work by being open about all the wonderful and unique things that we should know about the child. You are the experts on your children, and we are thrilled to get to know them through the course of programming. But what helps us do really great programming and customized programming is when we know so much more about your child, how they learn, what interests them, and what activates them, so that we can ensure that they get the most out of any opportunities with us." #Education #K12Education #StudentSuccess

Summer worries for NYC special needs parents? You're not alone! School's out, but the need for support doesn't disappear. Are you worried about a summer program that can keep up with your child's IEP? We hear you! NYC public schools may have limited options for summer programs with proper Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) in place, leading parents to scramble for alternatives. Here is some more information on the NYC Public School's Summer Rising program: https://lnkd.in/erYNvvYS #IEP #SummerStruggles #SpecialEducationLaw #SpecialNeedsStudents