Summertime

the long version

This issue explores the impact of the summer when the regular school year ends and public support for children declines, on young people. On average, students achievement test scores are about one month lower when they return to school on the fall than when they left in the spring, according to a research synthesis. This decline in knowledge, known as summer learning loss, is typically more pronounced for math than for reading. Contributors to this issue examine the research on potential risks youth face during the summer, such as regressing on measures of knowledge and health.