Digital safety involves protecting oneself, and one's personal information to mitigate the risks that are inherently associated with using digital technologies. This study employed a multi-method design to explore 26 inservice and preservice elementary teacher experiences from attending a professional development on digital safety and facilitating…

Summer school programs have been a part of national, state, and local education systems' instructional programming for decades. These programs exist in varying forms and rarely have a prescribed way in which they should be implemented. There is little to no research about teacher and administrator perceptions about these summer programs. The…

The Center for Gifted Education (Center) at William & Mary has provided diverse enrichment programs for high-ability students since 1988. With an aspiration to serve financially disadvantaged students, the Center developed and hosted a summer residential enrichment program in STEM areas. Camp Launch, for low-income, high-ability middle school…

Even before the COVID-19 crisis and its deep economic effects, over a million New Yorkers struggled with food insecurity--particularly in low-income communities of color. Because many families with children rely on meal programs provided to students during the school year, rates of food insecurity tend to increase sharply during the summer months.…

This study sought to better understand how schools were addressing U.S. state policies targeting summer reading interventions for students not meeting accountability standards. Survey data were gathered from 580 public and private elementary schools in one state (67% response rate) regarding the barriers to offering summer programs,…

Summer reading is correlated with improved reading scores and a decrease in summer learning loss. This educational leadership portfolio (ELP) was designed to address summer learning loss as a way to improve reading achievement for elementary students in the Phoenixville Area School District (PASD) in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. More specifically,…

While civic participation is a crucial component of healthy and sustainable democracies, young adolescents may perceive or experience barriers that limit their civic action. This study draws from focus groups and surveys during a week-long summer civics camp to explore ways in which 47 young adolescents entering Grades 6-9 described barriers they…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to analyze a First Grade Summer Jumpstart program after the first year of implementation to evaluate the effectiveness of the program to positively impact academic achievement in reading and math for first grade students. In order to achieve this overall objective, the following research questions framed…

The 2019-2020 school year began with business as usual. Most students attended traditional brick and mortar schools, congregated with friends during class changes and attended sporting events to cheer on their school's teams. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the "fourth quarter" quickly shifted to remote learning at varying degrees of…

The activities of the students during the summer holidays, learning losses or the forgetfulness of the return of the holidays have been discussed in the educational sciences for a long time. However, very little research is being done and has little place in educational policies. This is especially important in applications and continuity courses…

Many district-led summer learning programs are at the intersection of in-school and out-of-school time (OST) learning. These summer programs play a critical role in providing students with academic supports and enrichment during the summer months. Districts offer a range of program types, but most are motivated by district and state policies…

For many students, the summer is a time for family vacations, new friendships, new adventures in camps and summer learning programs, or taking summer classes to catch up or get ahead in school. For some families, affordable summer programs and camps can be a lifeline, while other families who may not be able to afford summer programs or activities…

Data analysis inherently requires problem solving, yet it is the most understudied mathematical skill for individuals with extensive support needs. The current study taught elementary students with extensive support needs (i.e., autism and intellectual disability) to solve math word problems requiring analysis of scaled pictographs through…

Prior to the pandemic, close to 8 million young people in kindergarten through 12th grade were in afterschool programs where they had the opportunity to engage in academically enriching activities, take part in physical activities, build friendships, gain confidence, learn how to make responsible decisions, and seek advice and support from caring…

NGSS Early Implementers is a six-year initiative created to help eight California school districts and two charter management organizations, supported by WestEd's K-12 Alliance, implement the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Administrators need learning opportunities if they are to adequately understand the substantial shifts of the Next…