When does summer school start and end?
Summer school can start as early as the end of May and can go until the last week of August. For traditional schools not on year-round schedules, the first day of school resumes after Labor Day in September. In some instances, summer school sessions can end the week before the academic year begins.
Summer school is commonly broken up into sessions during the summer to accommodate for family vacations and to avoid student burnout. Some schools may establish 2 sessions, each containing anywhere from 3 weeks to 5 weeks of instruction, depending on the school’s curriculum. Given the resources and budget available, some schools may only offer one session of summer school, in which these seats may be reserved for only students remediating classes to make sure that they are on track to promotion and/or graduation.
What is summer school for?
There are many reasons why a school may offer summer school. As stated previously, the most common reason is for remediation or repeat of a failed class. Students receiving a D or F will be required to retake the class to pass it. Additionally, summer courses may also be available for students to get a head start on the next school year. Course offerings may be primarily Language Arts and Math, as these two subjects are the foundation for most curriculums. Language Arts program may emphasize reading and writing preparation. Math programs may focus on intermediate courses required to go onto the next level of, such as Pre-Algebra or Pre-Calculus. Schools want to provide students with a prepared transition into the next school year. Additionally, summer school may not be actual school at all; rather, it can exist in the form of summer camps. There are plenty of sports camps, STEM exploration camps, and Writing Camps designed to interest students in different career fields. Some camps may even offer Fine Art courses, such as Filmmaking, Music, Dance, and even Forensic Science exploration, college readiness, and more.
What is summer school like?
Summer school is more likely fast paced since there is less time to cover the same amount of material usually taught within a semester or quarter system. If remediating a class, the information taught may be familiar with students already, so it tends to become a fast review of concepts previously touched upon. Summer school classes for elementary aged children are not as intensive as summer school for high school students. Upper level summer classes, such as high school science classes, commonly have a lab component. More material is taught and more work will be paired up to accommodate the faster course pace. Students should expect more frequent exams and testing. Studying and completing assignments on a consistent basis will be crucial to achieving a good grade in a summer course. There is no room for delays in knowing the material because the class will move fast. Thus, additional summer commitments such as sports involvement or work must be taken into consideration as they may affect the time dedicated to school work. With the proper time management and responsibility, most students are able to successfully complete both summer school and other extracurricular activities.