Boston Public Schools Smarter Summers Partnership Report 2014

Summer Learning Partnership Report BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2014

experienceBELL.org

Smarter Summers: Expanding Learning Time to Increase Student Achievement Partnership Design

784 4-8 144 86%

BELL is a Boston-based nonprofit organization that partners with schools and community organizations to expand learning time for students in grades K-8. Since 1992, BELL has worked to transform the academic achievements, self-confidence, and life trajectories of children living in under-resourced, urban communities.

Summer learning activities play an important role in a child’s academic success, as well as their social, physical, and emotional development. Without structured summer learning activities children lose two months of reading and math skills. By the time a child completes the 8th grade, this summer learning loss is responsible for approximately 66% of the academic achievement gap between children from low-income families and their higher-income peers. In addition, children who lack structured summer learning activities tend to gain weight and be more likely to engage in negative social behavior, exacerbating the community need for more and better summer learning opportunities for at-risk children.

Boston Public Schools (BPS) and BELL have a history of partnering to expand learning time in the summer and after school. From 2011 – 2013, BPS and BELL worked together to expand summer learning opportunities for struggling middle school students. Encouraged by 3 years of consistent and strong outcomes, BPS and BELL extended our partnership to serve 4th and 5th graders in 2014, replacing the district-led summer promotion program (summer school) with BELL’s program model.* In addition, BELL piloted an 8th grade summer program designed to prepare at-risk scholars for high school.

The Smarter Summers partnership served scholars at 11 BPS school sites at no cost to families. Through combining resources and expertise, BPS and BELL delivered a summer learning experience that improved scholars’ academic and social skills and self-confidence, while encouraging healthy lifestyles and engaging parents in their child’s education.

Smarter Summers helped students strengthen the foundational academic skills they need to advance to the next grade and begin the new school year ready to excel.

Scholars Served Grades Served Total Hours of Summer Learning Average Daily Attendance

+3.1

Average Grade-Equivalent Reading Gain, in Months, Underperforming Scholars**

+5.9

Average Grade-Equivalent Math Gain, in Months, Underperforming Scholars**

77%

Teachers reporting that scholars increased their self-confidence

89%

Parents reporting that scholars enjoyed their summer learning experience

89%

Parents reporting they became more involved in their scholar’s education

*

BELL also partnered with Boston Public Schools to strengthen summer learning opportunities for English language learners in 2014.

**

“Underperforming” scholars score in the lowest quartile on STAR assessments at the start of the summer: Urgent Intervention (1-10th percentile) or Intervention (11-25th percentile).

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Before coming to BELL Summer, I thought summer school was going to be, like, really bad, just being in a classroom all day. But now, I just think of BELL Summer as something like a fun school, where you can do fun stuff, but you have to also do your work.

- Francisco, 6th Grade (2nd from left in photo, above) Orchard Gardens K-8 School

✎ PROGRAM GOALS BELL partnered with BPS to create a summer learning experience that narrowed the achievement gap by accelerating scholars’ reading and math achievement.

Additional goals included:  Delivering a high-quality learning experience for 780 scholars.  Increasing scholars’ literacy and math skills.  Strengthening their self-confidence & social skills.  Increasing parental engagement.  Preparing scholars to succeed in school.

✎ PROGRAM MANAGEMENT BELL collaborated with BPS to recruit, select, and train program leadership teams. Each site was led by a Site Coordinator, responsible for setting and fulfilling program goals, supervising staff, and engaging parents. Site Coordinators also served as the primary academic officer, overseeing assessment and ensuring instruction remained consistent with curricula and program goals. Site Coordinators were supported by Program Assistants. One day per week, an English Language Arts or Math Instructional Coach provided support to help teachers use data to drive instruction.

BELL supported site management by leveraging our capacity for program planning, curriculum design, scholar data management, quality assurance, technical support, payroll & finance, distribution of program materials, fundraising, and information systems.

✎ PROGRAM STAFFING & TRAINING BELL collaborated with BPS and school leaders to recruit and hire certified teachers to lead academic instruction. BELL also recruited enrichment instructors, as well as teaching assistants from colleges, universities, and the school community to support classrooms and enrichment activities.

Site Coordinators participated in BELL’s comprehensive leadership training including classroom-based training, online e-learning (BELL University), and webinars. With assistance from BELL, Site Coordinators took the lead in training program staff, including teachers and teaching assistants, who also completed e-learning courses. Training focused on the summer learning program model, utilizing assessment data to drive instruction, effective teaching practices, collaborative teaching, and behavior management. In partnership with local non2 profit PEAR, teaching assistants received an additional morning of training in behavior management.

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Partnership Checklist Summer Program Management



Academic Curricula & Supplies



Enrichment Curricula & Supplies



Student Enrollment & Attendance





Staff Recruitment





Staff Hiring & Training





Field Trips & Community Service



Parent Engagement



Assessment & Evaluation







Classrooms & School Facilities



Snack & Meal Service



Philanthropic Funding

 

Public Funding & In-Kind Contributions ✎ SCHOLARS SERVED BPS suggested criteria for scholar enrollment to principals, who then selected scholars in grades 4-8 based on attendance, MCAS scores, and risk of gradelevel retention. BELL facilitated enrollment efforts by collecting enrollment forms, creating scholar files, clustering scholars, and maintaining communication with parents.

Scholars were assigned to schools located in their neighborhoods, so the majority of scholars were dropped off by their parents or walked to and from the summer program each day. BELL applied BPS’ transportation policy of providing reduced-price Charlie Cards to be used on public transportation for scholars who were unable to walk or secure other transportation.

✎ FAMILY ENGAGEMENT Family involvement is always a key component of Smarter Summers. At each site, the program leadership team worked diligently to engage parents and guardians, as well as share our program model, goals for scholars, and requirements for adult involvement. Program staff members provided regular updates to parents on their children’s progress and challenges through phone calls, progress reports, and mid-program parent-teacher conferences. Parents were invited to join scholars at school for “Bring Your Parent to School Day.” Parents were also invited to attend a Closing Ceremony celebration, at which scholars presented on their summer learning experience, as well as creatively expressed their thoughts and feelings about their summer experience through skits, presentations, displays of writing and artwork, and songs.

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Scholars Served

Average Daily Attendance

Harvard Kent Elementary School

24

87%

Hennigan Elementary School

87

82%

Jackson Mann K-8 School

30

69%

Condon Elementary School

23

86%

Lee Elementary School

108

88%

Mattahunt Elementary School

81

85%

McCormack Middle School

83

87%

McKay K-8 School

69

85%

Orchard Gardens K-8 School

119

83%

Quincy Elementary School

81

89%

Tech Boston Academy

79

88%

784

86%

Scholar Enrollment & Attendance

Total

Program Design ✎ SUMMER LEARNING CORE ESSENTIALS & VALUES The Smarter Summers program design is guided by the principals of effective summer learning, which are (1) a culture of high expectations; (2) partnerships to magnify impact; (3) an exceptional learning environment, including a 2:20 staff to scholar ratio; (4) teaching excellence; and (5) relevant & engaging learning experiences that broaden scholars’ educational horizons while developing 21st Century skills. Scholars and staff are always expected to model core program values: Quality, Empowerment, Respect, Courage, and Sacrifice.

✎ THEMES All summer long, scholars were encouraged to Be Extraordinary, the program’s motto. The theme I Am The Future was woven into the program through activities focused on college- and career-readiness and healthy lifestyles. During College Pride Week scholars learned about the college experience and how success in school is connected to success in life. On Field Day, designed in partnership with Playworks, they participated in active team-building games.

✎ PROGRAM SCHEDULE The program operated 6 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 5 weeks. In sum, the program expanded learning time by a total of 144 hours. The program started July 7 and concluded on August 7. The daily schedule started at 8:00 am and ended at 2:00 pm.

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BELL SUMMER PROGRAM: SAMPLE DAILY SCHEDULE (Monday - Thursday) 8:00

BREAKFAST & COMMUNITY TIME Scholars enjoy a nutritious breakfast provided by the school. After breakfast, scholars participate in team-building activities to build social skills and strong relationships with peers and staff.

8:30

LITERACY INSTRUCTION Certified teachers lead 90 minutes of literacy instruction using Pearson curriculum. My Sidewalks is tailored for elementary school students and focuses on the priority skills critical for student success: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. It provides teachers with highly specific instructions and explicit, consistent, easy-to-follow lessons.

For middle school instruction, teachers use The Reader’s Journey curriculum from Prentice Hall / Pearson. It is an anchor book-based language arts program that spans fiction and non-fiction, poetry, drama, and the research process.

10:00

MATH INSTRUCTION Certified teachers lead 90 minutes of math instruction using the curriculum developed by Pearson. Math Navigator (Common Core Edition) uses targeted intervention modules to build conceptual understanding, problem solving, and mathematical skills. It is designed as a supplemental program for scholars in grades K-8, supporting all eight of the Common Core’s Standards of Mathematical Practice.

LUNCH

Scholars enjoy a healthy lunch provided by the federal Summer Food Service Program.

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES 11:30

12:30 12:00

After lunch and recess, scholars rotate through a series of fun, hands-on enrichment activities. Partners such as Playworks and the Massachusetts Cultural Council supply some of the staff, training, and enrichment curricula. Activities are designed to foster critical 21st Century skills like teamwork and leadership, while boosting scholars’ selfconfidence and exposing them to new subjects and opportunities.

FRIDAY FIELD TRIPS & FIELD DAYS 1:00

2:00

Each week culminates in field trips and special events. Scholars visit scientific and cultural institutions and participate in a Field Day of physical and team-building activities at the site. Volunteers from Junior Achievement support community engagement activities.

STEM

Nutrition

Music

Dance

Creative Writing

Ocean Exploratorium

Peabody Museum

Squashbusters

Trolley Tour

State Street

MIT Museum

Arboretum

Dreams of Freedom Museum

Rock Spot Climbing

State House

Concord Museum

JFK Museum

Boston Duck Tour

MIT Reactor

Ernst & Young

Boston Sports Museum

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Tenacity

Blue Hills Reservation

Cubist Pharmaceuticals

ICA Museum

Museum of Science

Freedom Trail

Boston Harbor Cruise

Franklin Park

Impact Measurement Smarter Summers significantly exceeded all of the following outcome targets: • Students who are underperforming at the start of the summer will gain at least one month of gradeequivalent skills instead of experiencing the average two months summer learning loss.

• At least 75% of scholars will demonstrate improved self-confidence and social skills.

• At least 75% of parents will report that they became more engaged in their child’s education.

✎ COMPUTER-ADAPTIVE ASSESSMENTS Teachers used a computer adaptive assessment and evaluation tool called STAR Enterprise Assessments,

by Renaissance Learning, on a pre- and post-program basis. STAR assessments are built for measuring progress against Common Core standards. Scholars completed the STAR Reading and STAR Math multiplechoice assessments via computer, laptop, or tablet.

The assessments adapted to scholar answers; if a scholar selected the correct answer, the next question became more difficult, if the scholar answered incorrectly, the next question became easier. The adaptive quality of these assessments enabled staff to hone in on the specific learning needs of each scholar. It also allowed staff to group scholars according to common needs and deliver data-driven instruction.

✎ ATTENDANCE DATA BELL managed scholar enrollment and tracked attendance data in an online Scholar Management System powered by Salesforce.com. Scholars were expected to attend at least 80% of the time. In addition, scholars were only allowed three absences, given the strong positive correlation between learning time and academic and social outcomes. Program leaders integrated enrollment and attendance data with staffing and quality indicators to optimize the learning environment. Program staff also used fun, positive incentives to encourage attendance.

✎ TEACHER SURVEYS BELL used a teacher and teaching assistant survey instrument to assess program implementation and efficacy from the perspective of instructional staff.

Teachers and teaching assistants completed the anonymous survey at the end of the program, which included questions regarding scholars’ progress, training, curricula, program staff and service, and parent engagement.

✎ PARENT SURVEYS BELL employed a parent survey instrument to assess parent observations of scholar improvement, program quality, and parent satisfaction. Parents completed the anonymous survey on-site during the final week of the program.

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Scholar Achievement ✎ GRADE-EQUIVALENT GAINS Grade-equivalent gains are an important indicator of student success because they provide an absolute measure of how much a student has progressed up the proficiency ladder at a time when most children are not engaged in structured learning activities. A full grade level contains ten months of grade-equivalent skills development (i.e., based on an average school year of learning from September – June). In other words, a gain of 1 grade-equivalent month is equal to what an average student learns in 10% of a school year.

At the start of the Smarter Summers, STAR results provided teachers with baseline indicators of scholar performance along with individualized learning plans.

Approximately 72% of scholars started the program underperforming in reading, and 58% were underperforming in math.*

Assessment data from the end of Smarter Summers show that scholars gained significant grade-equivalent reading and math skills. Gains were greatest for scholars who were furthest behind at the start of the summer. On average, underperforming scholars gained 3.1 months of reading skills and 5.9 months of math skills. All scholars – including scholars who started the summer at or near grade level, achieved average gains of 1.4 months of grade-equivalent reading skills and 3.8 months of math skills.

BELL scholars’ grade-equivalent academic growth shows that participating Smarter Summers had a positive impact on reading and math achievement.

The return on investment was greatest for scholars who were struggling academically and who had the most to gain from high-quality summer learning opportunities.

GRADE-EQUIVALENT GAINS IN BELL SUMMER VS. SUMMER LEARNING LOSS -2

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Average Grade-Equivalent Gains, in Months

3.1 Average Gain in Reading Skills, Underperforming* Scholars

1.4

Average Gain in Reading Skills, All Scholars Average Gain in Math Skills, Underperforming* Scholars

5.9

Average Gain in Math Skills, All Scholars

3.8

Average Summer Learning Loss, Disadvantaged Students without Summer Learning Opportunities**

-2 -2

*

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Underperforming scholars score in the lowest quartile on STAR assessments: Urgent Intervention (1-10th percentile) or Intervention (11-25th percentile)

** Sources McCombs et al. (2011). Making Summer Count: How Summer Programs Can Boost Children’s Learning. Rand Education & The Wallace Foundation.

Cooper, Harris (2003). Summer Learning Loss: The Problem & Some Solutions. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary & Early Childhood Education.

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✎ PARENT & TEACHER ENGAGEMENT & SATISFACTION

✎ SELF-CONFIDENCE & SOCIAL SKILLS Scholars’ academic success is rooted in their selfefficacy skills, determination, and social skills, including their ability to communicate clearly and work well with others. Teachers and parents consistently reported that scholars’ participation in Smarter Summers helped them make important gains in these areas. Such a positive impact can be attributed to a culture of high expectations, high-quality staff, a small staff to scholar ratio, and an individualized learning environment.

Teachers and parents consistently reported that the BELL Summer program was of high quality and met or exceeded their expectations. Teachers reported that the program structure and resources helped scholars achieve the goals set forth for them. They also reported that Smarter Summers helped them develop their professional skills. Parents reported that the model boosted their involvement in their child’s education – an outcome that is proven to have significant long-term impact on student achievement in school and beyond.

PARENT & TEACHER SURVEY RESULTS Parents report: 87%

Scholars are more confident in their abilities

76%

Scholars have a more positive attitude about school Scholars enjoyed the BELL Summer program

89%

The BELL Summer program helped me become more involved in my child's education

89% 86%

I am highly satisfied with my BELL Summer experience

88%

I recommend the BELL Summer program to other parents

Teachers report: Scholars have more confidence in themselves

77%

I recommend the BELL Summer program to parents

77% 83%

Program staff are diverse and reflect scholar diversity

72%

Working with BELL helped me develop my professional skills

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

8

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Public & Private Funding BELL and BPS share responsibility for program costs.

This year, approximately 45% of program-related expenses were covered by the school district, 35% by local contributions to BELL, and 20% from national contributions.

✎ BELL BELL worked diligently to raise philanthropic funding from local and national sources to cover a portion of program expenses. A local Leadership Council supported fundraising in Boston. Donors supporting this summer learning partnership include: Associated Grant Makers’ Summer Fund Anonymous Bain Capital Children’s Charity The Baupost Group BJ’s Charitable Foundation Charles Hayden Foundation Cradle to Career – The Philanthropic Initiative Cogan Family Foundation Cubist Pharmaceuticals Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation Ernst & Young Grand Circle Associates’ Fund Harbus Foundation Reebok Foundation Robert Treat Paine Association State Street United Way of Mass. Bay and Merrimack Valley

BELL raised additional funds from individual donors, anonymous sources, and from national sources including the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation and The Wallace Foundation. Events such as our I Am The Future Gala also support BELL’s partnership with BPS.

✎ BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS BPS and its schools contributed public funding and inkind resources to support program costs, including classroom space, utilities, janitorial services, and breakfast and lunch each day.

✎ BOSTON OPPORTUNITY AGENDA A coalition of donors supporting Boston’s Summer Learning Project, an initiative of Boston After School and Beyond, also provided resources for this partnership.

✎ MA LEADERSHIP COUNCIL Paul Reville, Chair Francis Keppel Professor of Practice and Educational Policy & Administration, Harvard Graduate School of Education Tracy Brown Vice President of Compliance, Fidelity Investments William Huff Former President, Boston Globe Lynne Palmer BELL Event Committee Co-Chair Dr. Robert Peterkin Professor Emeritus, Harvard Graduate School of Education Jeff Simmons Partner, Raphael & Raphael, LLP Michelle Wilver Former President and CEO, Dynavox

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We all know that learning is important, but the BELL Summer approach really takes the time to help scholars understand why learning is so important. In the BELL Summer program, we are not just making students who can do problems; we’re helping build students who are going to be teachers and learners for their whole life.

- Ms. Ronga, BELL Summer teacher

✎ CONTACT US Sue Bonaiuto Executive Director (Massachusetts) (617) 462 - 4779 Sue.Bonaiuto@experienceBELL.org

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