West Virginia
Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
IA •
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VIR
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LIT
W EST
Creating a
20/20
Vision
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Extended Learning
Opportunities Toolkit
LEADERS
F
O
Tranformative System of Support
for Early Literacy
West Virginia Department of Education
Division of Teaching and Learning
Office of Early Learning
West Virginia Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Extended Learning Toolkit
WVBE Policy 2512: A Transformative System of
Support for Early Literacy
The provisions established by the refocusing of West Virginia Code §18-2E-10 have resulted in a repeal
and replace of WVBE Policy 2512 (currently on public comment) to ensure county boards of education are
provided a framework to support a transformative system of support for early literacy. This policy includes
key national and other researched-based components of a comprehensive system to support early literacy
development. The framework is inclusive of the components evidenced below:
West Virginia’s Campaign for Grade Level Reading:
A Transformative System of Support for Early Literacy
Measurement and Support of Children’s Trajectory
for 3rd Grade Literacy Proficiency
A Systemic, Comprehensive Approach
WV Early Learning Reporting System
• Data reporting based on the formative
assessment process
• Family communication resources
• Outcome resources for data-driven decision
making
• Comprehensive P-3 data profile
• 3rd grade achievement gap data analysis
High-quality, Standards-based instruction and
learning
• Personalized learning
• Standards-focused instruction
• Relationship between learning and teaching
Emphasizing high-quality school readiness efforts
Promoting early childhood school attendance
Providing supports to eliminate summer learning loss
Increasing family engagement
Ensuring high-quality instruction and learning
The infrastructure to develop and implement a state wide campaign to close the reading achievement gap is
found in WVBE Policy 2512:
• WVBE Policy 2512: Tranformative System of Support for Early Literacy
• WV Leaders of Literacy: Campaign for Grade Level Reading
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West Virginia Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Extended Learning Toolkit
A Comprehensive Approach to Reading Success
by the End of the Third Grade
School
Readiness
Too many children from low-income families begin school already far behind. The research shows that these
children are less likely to be read or spoken to regularly or to have access to books, literacy-rich environments,
high-quality early care, and pre-k programs. As a consequence, these children may hear as many as 30
million fewer words than their middle-income peers before reaching kindergarten. Research also shows that
such interactions are critical for language development, an important precursor to literacy.
61 percent of low-income children
have no children’s books at home.
The
Attendance
Gap
A child’s vocabulary as early as
age three can predict third grade
reading proficiency.
Too many children from low-income families miss too many days of school. Research has found that one in
10 kindergarten and first grade students nationwide misses nearly a month of school each year in excused
and unexcused absences. By fifth grade, children with chronic absences who are from low-income families
achieve lower academically.
One in ten kindergarten students
miss nearly a month of school
every year. In some districts it runs
as high as one in three.
Summer
Learning
Loss
Poor children hear as many as 30
million fewer words than their more
affluent peers.
Kindergarteners who miss 10
percent of school days have lower
academic performance when they
reach first grade.
Among children from low-income
families, who lack the resources to
make up lost time, chronic absence
in kindergarten translated into lower
fifth grade achievement.
Too many children lose ground over the summer months. Without access to the enriching activities available
to more affluent peers, research shows that children from low-income families lose as much as three months
of reading comprehension skills over the summer. By the end of fifth grade, they are nearly three grade levels
behind their peers.
Low-income students lose an
average of more than two months
in reading achievement in the
summer, while their middle income
peers tend to make gains in
reading.
By the end of the fifth grade,
disadvantaged children are nearly
three grade equivalents behind
their more affluent peers in reading.
Studies show 6-week summer
learning programs can produce
statistically significant gains in
reading performance.
Family
Engagement
Parents are the first teachers and most important advocates for their children. Research shows that students
are most successful academically and socially when their parents are involved and engaged in their learning.
Encouraging family engagement can help turn around the state’s achievement problems, starting with making
significant progress against the milestone of grade-level reading by the end of third grade.
Healthy
Readers
Learning begins at birth and healthy development greatly impacts children’s ability to learn. Children who
are on track in their physical, social and emotional, cognitive, and verbal development are more successful
learners from their earliest years, and they are more likely to become proficient readers by the end of the third
grade.
State Level
Outreach and
Professional
Development
The WVDE works with child and family advocates to help assure a seamless system of care, services, and
supports from birth through third grade. This includes policy and practice that promotes children’s optimal
social, emotional, and cognitive development; improves professional development for the early childhood
education workforce, and supports parents as their children’s first teacher and best advocate.
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West Virginia Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Extended Learning Toolkit
Overview of the Extended Learning Toolkit
The purpose of this toolkit is to provide support that encourages and assists counties in providing effective
extended learning opportunities which are a crucial component of the local Campaign for Grade-Level
Reading. This is one component of STEP 4 in the four step process of establishing a transformative system
of support for students to meet grade-level proficiency in reading by the end of third grade, targeting a
comprehensive system of support for early literacy in grades kindergarten through third grade.
STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Community
Engagement
Complete the
County Needs
Assessment
Submit an
Early Literacy
County Plan
Implement
and Support
Take the initial steps for
ensuring the right
partners are involved.
Determine your
community’s unique
strenghts, opportunities
and challenges
Identify what you aim to
achieve and the steps
needed for success
Embed a culture of
literacy in your
community to help
close the literacy
achievement gap
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West Virginia Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Extended Learning Toolkit
Summer Learning Loss, Which Is Disproportionate and Cumulative, Contributes Substantially to the
Achievement Gap
Research indicates that, on average, students lose skills over the summer; however, not all students
experience “average” losses, and summer learning loss disproportionately affects low-income students. Lowincome students lose substantial ground in reading during the summer, while their higher-income peers often
gain. Most disturbing is that it appears that summer learning loss is cumulative and that, over time, these
periods of differential learning rates between low-income and higher-income students contribute substantially
to the achievement gap in reading. It may be that efforts to close the achievement gap during the school
year alone will be unsuccessful. The loss of knowledge and educational skills during the summer months is
cumulative over the course of a student’s career and further widens the achievement gap between low- and
upper-income students. Students who attend summer learning programs can disrupt the educational loss
and do better in school than peers who do not attend the same programs.
Despite long-term efforts to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and advantaged students,
low-income students continue to perform at considerably lower levels than their higher-income peers,
particularly in reading. Instruction during the summer has the potential to stop summer learning losses and
propel students toward higher achievement.
Students Who Attend Summer Learning Programs Have Better Outcomes than Similar Peers Who Do
Not Attend These Programs
Rigorous studies of voluntary summer learning programs, mandatory summer programs, and programs that
encourage students to read at home in the summer have all found positive effects on student achievement.
The combined evidence from these studies suggests that all of these types of summer learning programs
can mitigate summer learning losses and even lead to achievement gains. Moreover, longitudinal studies
conclude that the effects of summer learning programs endure for at least two years after the student has
engaged in the summer program.
Strategies for Maximizing Quality, Enrollment, and Attendance Are Critical to Achieving Benefits
Not all summer learning programs result in positive outcomes for enrollees. Programming needs to be
high-quality, and students need to enroll and attend regularly. Research points to several practices that
are associated with program quality, including individualized instruction, parental involvement, and small
class sizes. For voluntary summer learning programs, providers need to adopt targeted strategies to build
enrollment and maximize attendance among enrollees. Several effective strategies were offered by the
program staff we interviewed. Notifying parents early before they make other plans for the summer was
important in maximizing enrollment. Offering engaging enrichment activities, providing transportation,
and offering full-day programs, which better suit the needs of working families, were noted as methods of
increasing enrollment and encouraging high attendance rates.
While a day of summer instruction costs less than a day of instruction during the school year, summer learning
programs are an additional cost. Research indicates that cost is the main barrier to implementing and
sustaining summer programs.
One way school districts can make summer learning programs affordable and more effective is by partnering
with community-based organizations. They are often less expensive than school district staff, and they offer
enrichment opportunities that are often similar to those experienced by middle-income youth during the
summer — such as kayaking or chess, for example — that encourage students to enroll and attend, both of
which are critical to program effectiveness.
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West Virginia Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Extended Learning Toolkit
Recommendations county and community leaders to plan and develop summer learning programs, include:
• Invest in highly qualified staff and early planning. The more-successful providers develop wellstructured programs that attract students to enroll and attend, and they recruit quality, dedicated staff
with time to devote to planning and programming.
• Apply “best practices” to summer learning programs, such as getting parents involved, giving
individualized instruction and promoting maximum attendance.
• Give strong consideration to partnerships, which enable the creation and sustainment of high-quality
voluntary summer learning programs. Various organizations offer different sets of resources and skills
that can bolster a summer learning program. Partners may include community-based organizations,
private summer learning providers, faith-based institutions, and city and local governments.
• Think creatively about funding sources such as hiring teachers who need administrative hours as
summer-site coordinators.
What are Summer Learning Programs?
Summer programs have been developed for students with wide-ranging interests and needs. Examples
include outdoor adventure camps, arts and music camps, sports camps, summer school, summer reading
programs, apprenticeships, and paid internship programs. Typically, summer learning programs are about six
weeks in duration and may be held at schools, places of worship, cultural centers, and youth-focused nonprofit organizations.
How do Summer Learning Programs Differ from Summer School?
Traditionally, summer learning programs differ from summer schools in various ways. Although there is a
growing movement to transform summer schools into learning environments that offer more engaging and
enriching learning experiences for students, summer school has typically had the following characteristics:
• Solely include academic instruction;
• Focused on remediation and review;
• Attended by low-performing students;
• Frequently mandatory; and
• Takes place over a half day.
Alternately, summer learning programs are more likely to:
• Engage students in recreational and enrichment activities, as well as activities focused on building
positive relationships with peers and adults;
• Blend remediation with enrichment activities and more advanced curricula;
• Be attended by students of varied skill levels;
• Be voluntary; and
• Be implemented with more intensity (6-8 hours per day, 5 days per week).
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West Virginia Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Extended Learning Toolkit
What Outcomes do Summer Learning Programs Target?
Summer learning and enrichment programs target a wide array of outcomes. Although most summer learning
programs evaluate a narrow set of outcomes based on core program goals, many expect to achieve a
broader range of outcomes – relating to child development, career development, and health and fitness –
in addition to educational outcomes. Programs that positively impact at least one child and/or adolescent
outcome shared several characteristics. These characteristics, due to the fact they are based on a limited
number of programs, may also be viewed as promising approaches.
In order for programs to produce these benefits, they must be of high quality. Research indicates that certain
program characteristics are associated with achievement gains. Important quality indicators include the
following: • Regular student attendance
• Individualized instruction
• Smaller class sizes
• Parent involvement
• High quality instructors • Alignment of school year and summer curricula
• Inclusion of content beyond remediation
• Tracking of effectiveness
Practices employed by high quality programs are listed below:
• Make learning fun. Successful summer learning programs supplement academic instruction with
enrichment activities that are relevant and engaging to children and youth. Some examples include
a debate on current events, use of technology, field trips, hip-hop dance, rap and spoken word,
improvisational comedy, art, drama, and storytelling. They also include time for sports and recreational
activities to offer students a chance to participate in the physical activities they enjoy.
• Ground learning in a real-world context. Consistent with an accelerated learning approach, academic
concepts are best learned when applying them in a real-world context, for example, by teaching
students about the difference between deciduous and coniferous trees by taking them on a hike
through the forest.
• Integrate hands-on activities. Didactic lectures may increase knowledge but are not very effective at
changing behavior. 25 Interactive forms of instruction such as immersion and experiential learning help
to keep students engaged in the material. Engaging children in games, group projects, field trips to
historic sites, nature expeditions, and science experiments are all ways in which to make learning more
interesting and applied.
• Content should complement curricular standards. Successful educational programs integrate learning
activities that complement what children are learning during the school year. Therefore, academic
content is aligned with statewide, grade-level curricular standards for English Language Arts and
Mathematics.
• Hire experienced, trained teachers to deliver the academic lessons. Programs that produced favorable
outcomes for reading and math achievement used experienced teachers who had at least a Bachelors
degree, whereas, 4 out of 5 programs resulting in mixed impacts hired college students and provided
them with training or, as with the I START intervention, did not rely on live instructors to deliver academic
content.
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West Virginia Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Extended Learning Toolkit
• Keep class sizes small. Class sizes of about 10-15 students tended to be most effective for small-group
instruction, with one lead teacher and one teaching assistant (or about a 1:5 adult-to-student ratio).
Individualized instruction is also helpful. For economically-disadvantaged students, who often miss
out on extracurricular activities such as sports and music during the school year, combining academic
instruction with youth development and physical fitness activities may be particularly effective.
Indicators of Successful Summer Learning Programs:
• Commit to having a summer program by the end of December, with early planning sustained through
regular meetings. • Develop a teacher selection process that encourages effective, motivated teachers to work in the
program. • During teacher training, provide teachers with resources and with opportunities to practice instructional
techniques such as mock run-throughs of the lessons.
• Consider enrichment activities and field trips that can help build skills and background knowledge and
provide students “camp-like” experiences similar to higher-income peers.
• Recruit students early, publicizing the goals of the program clearly to students and parents and
establishing clear attendance expectations.
• Consider ways to maximize academic time on task in the program.
Effective summer learning programs have followed diverse models for success, but they have in common a
focus on continuous planning and assessment and on seizing the summer setting and culture as a means
to helping students acquire and retain skills while keeping them engaged. They demonstrate the promise of
summer learning, often with community partners, to help educators and young people achieve performance
targets and ignite a passion for learning that can last all year.
1. Intentional focus on accelerating learning
2. Firm commitment to youth development
3. Proactive approach to summer learning
These attributes address the program’s intent to support holistic child development. The second section
covers the crucial role of program infrastructure to ensuring the organization achieves and maintains quality
programming. The last six characteristics are:
4. Strong, empowering leadership
5. Advanced, collaborative planning
6. Extensive opportunities for staff development
7. Strategic partnerships
8. Rigorous approach to evaluation and commitment to program improvement
9. Clear focus on sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
An effective program speeds up learning rather than allowing students’ knowledge to slip away over the
summer and employs positive youth development practices.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahhj3wxxkdM (Summer Slide Video)
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West Virginia Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Extended Learning Toolkit
National Partners and Resources
The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading • http://gradelevelreading.net/our-work/summer-learning-loss
Reading Recovery • http://readingrecovery.org/
National Summer Learning Association • http://www.summerlearning.org/
Making Summer Count Report • http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1120.html
State Partners and Resources
Energy Express • http://energyexpress.ext.wvu.edu/
WV Library Commission • http://www.librarycommission.wv.gov/Pages/default.aspx
WV Statewide Afterschool Network • http://www.wvsan.ext.wvu.edu/
Research
Summer Learning Loss Research • http://glrhuddle.org/resources/research#summer
Data First • http://www.data-first.org/data-center/
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