Skip to Main Content
Summer Learning

COVID-19 Slide: Use the summer to catch up on learning loss

COVID-19 Slide: Use the summer to catch up on learning loss

As the days and weeks go by, you may be concerned that your student is falling behind academically. Similar to summer slide, which is on average the loss of a month’s worth of learning during the summer, experts are saying the COVID-19 slide could be even worse.

In a report released by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA,) this year’s fifth and sixth graders may only retain 70 percent of their learning progress; and middle school students could lose all of their academic learning growth in math from the previous year.

Fortunately, there is time to recover any learning your student might have lost this year. Sumer is a great time to consider the flexibility of online content they may still need to master before next fall.

There are a few things to think about when evaluating a summer school program. We included a list of our recommendations below.

1) Accredited and approved curriculum.

Confirm that the school you are considering offers accredited courses that are approved by trusted organizations like the NCAA, the University of California, and the College Board.

Depending on your student’s needs, find out if the school offers credit bearing courses, Advanced Placement courses or even supplemental curriculum to get a struggling student back on track.

2) Support your student’s goals.

Does your student need extra help in math, science, English or social studies? Do they need to make up a course that they previously failed? Or are you just concerned they are not mastering grade level content due to these unique circumstances?

Or maybe you have a student who is looking to strengthen their high school transcript with an Advanced Placement course, to pursue an elective such as health, world languages, or to take a CTE course.

Find out if the summer school program you are considering offers a full catalogue of curriculum and a wide variety of options for your student.

3) Self-paced.

You might be wondering if it is even possible for your student to finish an online course before summer break ends. With the right curriculum provider, it is definitely possible!

When courses areself-paced, your student can choose how fast, when, and where they work. There are no scheduled class times and your student has 24/7 access to courses. It really helps if this includes a pacing guide to help your student stay on track to finish their course within a designated timeline.

 4) Interactive and engaging curriculum.

Will your student do more than reading and taking quizzes? It is worth finding out if the curriculum is easy to navigate and if there are a variety of interactive activities that engage your student and address multiple learning styles.

It’s also worth understanding if learning supports are built into the curriculum to help your student improve study habits, strengthen reading skills, and understand concepts.

5) Student and parent support.

Will your student have one-to-one access to certified teachers who provide detailed and individualized feedback on graded assignments and tutors who are available in real-time? Also, will you be able to monitor student’s progress and how they are performing in their course?

It really helps if you receive a weekly progress report via email. This report can provide an overall picture of how your student is doing in their course and include information like scores earned and how much time has been spent in the course.

How Apex Learning Virtual School Can Help

Our flexible, online curriculum can provide your student with the opportunity to meet their summer academic goals. Learn more at https://www.apexlearningvs.com/summer-school/.

Similar Blog Posts