Chicago Reporter (https://www.chicagoreporter.com/tag/summer-school/)
Elected officials need to begin digging Chicago and Illinois out of years of shortsighted fiscal policy, but political gridlock is giving them a pass.
As the mayor disburses millions in TIF money to pet projects, budget cuts at CPS threaten community stability and programs crucial to stemming violence, like summer school.
Research out of Chicago finds that fewer students passed online credit recovery courses in algebra compared to students in traditional classes.
A new promotion policy has led to a 29-percent drop in summer school enrollment. CPS officials say students who would have gone to summer school under the old policy will get targeted academic help next year.
Bit by bit, CPS has chipped away at efforts to create a non-traditional school calendar that would make better use of time to improve academics.
Through the Summer of Learning, an initiative to link city and private resources and provide more summer enrichment activities for children and teens, Chicago Park District summer camps are emphasizing reading along with traditional camp activities. Every summer day camp is expected to implement 20 minutes of reading daily for each child, whether it’s reading on his or her own, or being read to by an adult.
Students participating in Summer of Learning can earn a perk that the city and its partners hope will be an incentive: “digital badges” that can serve as a credential to show schools, potential employers and colleges that students have acquired various skills.