Overview

Started in 1999, Summer Bridges serves 30,000 prekindergarten through sixth-grade students at risk of academic failure by providing a 90-hour concentrated curriculum in reading and writing during the summer. Through a partnership of the Illinois State Board of Education, the governor's office, and 120 public school districts, the program not only serves students but also provides 30 hours of professional development for participating teachers.

Academic Program Design and Curriculum

The curriculum framework requires each teacher to provide daily instruction in reading comprehension, fluency, word study / vocabulary, and writing, in a literacy-rich learning environment that emphasizes individual and small-group instruction.

Funding/Costs

In 2000, $26 million in state funds were provided; cost per child is under $500.

Assessments of Academic Student Needs

All students are pretested and posttested, using an individual reading inventory aligned to state standards.

Staffing

Staff members are certified teachers; preference is given to those with reading training.

Class Size

For prekindergarten and kindergarten, maximum is 1:10; for Grades 1–6, maximum is 1:15.

Communication Between Extended and School Day Staff

In their applications to the state, districts are asked to explain how a student's Summer Bridges progress will be reported to the student's regular classroom teacher at the start of the upcoming school year.

Achievement Results

The 2001 evaluation report showed that more than two thirds of the sample of students assessed by their districts and submitted to the state education agency gained at least one grade level. Ninety-two percent of the students originally recommended for retention were able to meet criteria for promotion by the end of the program. Ten percent or more of the students in each grade gained two or more grade levels. These results are similar to those of the first two years of the program.