Scaling Up Summer Learning: The Impacts of Summer Boost Across Seven Cities

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 7:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Designing and Evolving Programs for Continuous Educational Improvement

Abstract

Launched in New York City in 2022, Summer Boost scaled to 35,000 students across 453 urban charter schools in seven cities in 2024. The four-week program specifies at least three hours daily of English Language Arts (ELA) and math instruction, a maximum 25:1 student-teacher ratio, and a 70% attendance goal. Our quasi-experimental evaluation showed statistically significant gains for participants, equivalent to five weeks of additional learning in math and two weeks in ELA, relative to non-participating comparison students. We found stronger outcomes associated with higher attendance, class sizes under 21:1, and an academic focus. Longitudinal data from 2023 and 2024 suggest cumulative benefits for two-year participants. These findings underscore the potential of sustained summer learning investments to advance academic growth.

Authors

• Geoffrey D. Borman, Arizona State University

• Jaymes Pyne, Stanford University

• Jeremy Pyne, Pyne Research Associates

• Erin McGoldrick, MGT of America, Inc.

• Caitlin Day-Lewis, MGT.US

• Jessica Rosner, MGT of America, Inc.

• Tanya Pramatarova, MGT of America, Inc.

• Leah Weissburg, MGT of America, Inc.

• Alex Sanchez, MGT of America, Inc.

• Keanu McDonough, MGT of America, Inc.

• Alicia Yang, MGT of America, Inc.

• Julia Horwitz, MGT of America, Inc.

• Lawand Yaseen, MGT of America, Inc.

• McKain Williams, MGT of America, Inc.

• Grace Thompson, MGT of America, Inc.

• Erica Wilson, MGT of America, Inc.