The Effectiveness of a Summer Remediation Program on the Academic Growth of Elementary Students

School districts are always exploring different ways to develop programs and activities for students in an attempt to provide opportunities for academic growth and achievement. One area of particular focus has been programs offered during the summer months to try to minimize and/or eliminate the "summer slide" that some student experience with the retention of the concepts and skills that they learned in the previous school year. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the implementation of a summer learning program within an elementary school has an impact on the academic growth of students. Comparisons were made between students that did and did not participate in the program, specifically students that have been identified to receive support services through an individualized education plan (IEP) versus those in a regular education setting and students that come from different socioeconomic backgrounds. A mixed-methods approach was utilized as the format for this study. Benchmark assessment data from a three-year period was analyzed as part of the quantitative portion of this action research project. Qualitative data was collected through surveys that were provided to both the families of students that participated in the summer program and the individuals that served as both instructors and assistants in the program during the summer of 2021. Findings from this study will be utilized during the planning for programming that will take place within the school district in subsequent years as part of a continued effort to provide opportunities for students to grow and develop academically.