Research shows that students with high attendance in quality summer learning programs gain an advantage in academics. But getting kids to sign up for voluntary summer learning programs isn't always easy. The Wallace Foundation has created a toolkit to help recruit students and families to participate in summer programs. Find the guide here.

A Summer Learning Toolkit, with resources drawn from five urban school districts and their partners, can help educators develop summer programming. The toolkit from the Wallace Foundation is aligned with recommendations from the RAND Corporation, a research partner. Learn more about the toolkit.

The Summer Learning & Enrichment Collaborative offers virtual learning offerings and resources designed to build the capacity of all 50 states, school districts and partners. Learn more. 

There will be $8.45 billion available at the state level, and $21.9 billion at the local level, for afterschool and summer programs, the National Summer Learning Association says in a webinar. Learn more about the allowable uses of funds, how to plan, and how the out-of-school time (OST) community can advocate for grants and contracts that support summer and afterschool programs. View the webinar.

The Council of Chief State School Officers has developed the 2021 Summer Learning & Enrichment: State Guidance for District and School Leaders. This guide offers practical guidance and resources to help local education agencies plan summer learning opportunities to meet the most pressing needs of students and teachers this summer. Find the guidance.

A new study finds that a regular bedtime reduces kindergartners’ absences and decreases their likelihood of being chronically absent, and the bedtime hour doesn't matter. The study by Michael Gottfried, University of Pennsylvania, and Jacob Kirksey, Texas Tech University, relied on a nationally representative sample of kindergartners, and notes that bedtime routines are helpful. Read the study, Going to sleep and going to school: Linking bedtime to student absenteeism.

Two new research briefs by Civic, supported by Lumina Foundation, explore the added challenges and barriers immigrant, English learner, and American Indian and Alaska Native students experience in education, including those that lead to higher absenteeism. The briefs offer recommendations for how educators and policymakers can reduce the education gaps. Find both briefs here. 

Download the presentation slides, a discussion guide and view the webinar recording for AAC webinars #1 and #2! All found on our website.