Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Support Students’ Educational And Social Needs Through Summer Learning Supports
Research clearly shows that students often start each academic year at lower achievement levels than when they left school the prior year, a gap known as the “summer slide.” As LEAs continue to address learning disruptions due to the pandemic, summer can be an excellent opportunity to help students make up lost ground. As part of the ARP ESSER funding, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has created the Evidence-Based Summer Learning and Enrichment Activities Grant program, a formula grant program to LEAs to support evidence-based summer activities. In addition to money from New Jersey’s ESSER formula grant program, LEAs are required to spend at least 20% of their ARP ESSER allocation to address learning loss through implementation of evidence-based interventions, including through “summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive afterschool programs, or extended year programs” (see “Allowable Uses of Funds for LEAs” at the NJDOE’s ARP ESSER page).
LEAs are strongly encouraged to plan for both remedial and accelerated summer learning opportunities using activities such as those described below. Recent evidence suggests that summer learning that provides students with rigorous opportunities to preview and practice knowledge and skills aligned to upcoming grade-level standards is effective in bolstering student achievement. Likewise, providing social and emotional learning supports for students can yield successful academic outcomes. The NJDOE encourages LEAs to dedicate summer months to addressing disruptions in student learning and ensuring that high-need students receive resources to help them succeed.
Key for tables: Y = Yes, likely to be an allowable use of these funds; N = No, unlikely to be an allowable use of these funds
Activities that may be funded
1. Use summer learning time to provide targeted, individualized educational supports. Summer programs usually involve fewer students and more flexibility than traditional school year programs, and teachers can take advantage of this to ensure students are receiving the supports they need most to address areas of weakness.
Provide professional development to help build student-focused summer instruction:
- Collect and analyze student-level data to identify individual student needs and skill gaps and develop learning plans customized to each student.
- Regularly assess student programs throughout the summer program.
- Quickly adjust instruction to meet individual learning needs.
Help staff differentiate assignments, instructional methods, and feedback to:
- Provide specific, actionable, and immediate feedback to students.
- Engage students in small group work, self-assessment, peer assessment, and student:teacher conferencing to adjust learning strategies to reach the learning objectives.
- Provide opportunities for high-dosage tutoring as a means to accelerate learning, including by introducing the most at-risk students to the coming school year’s courses in advance.
| ESEA Title I-A | ESEA Title II | ESEA Title III-A | ESEA Title IV-A | McKinney-Vento | Adult Education and Family Literacy Act |
IDEA | Perkins | Early Childhood Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y |
2. Develop experiential and project-based learning activities and/or clubs in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and the Arts (visual and performing). Offer sports and physical wellness activities and clubs. Consider especially how best to engage students with disabilities, English language learners, and migrant/homeless students.
| ESEA Title I-A | ESEA Title II | ESEA Title III-A | ESEA Title IV-A | McKinney-Vento | Adult Education and Family Literacy Act |
IDEA | Perkins | Early Childhood Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y |
3. Target academic and other supports to students who have been chronically absent, truant, suspended, or expelled.
- Work with students and families to identify alternative or reentry programs that could help them reengage.
- Connect older students with job training or apprenticeship programs that could build career- and job-based skills.
- Find students who may have left/aged out of high school during the pandemic without graduating and provide them with educational supports to achieve a GED or diploma.
| ESEA Title I-A | ESEA Title II | ESEA Title III-A | ESEA Title IV-A | McKinney-Vento | Adult Education and Family Literacy Act |
IDEA | Perkins | Early Childhood Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N |
4. Cover supplemental costs for summer programs (e.g., transportation, food, etc.)
| ESEA Title I-A | ESEA Title II | ESEA Title III-A | ESEA Title IV-A | McKinney-Vento | Adult Education and Family Literacy Act |
IDEA | Perkins | Early Childhood Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y |
5. Work with community organizations or IHEs to provide afterschool and summer tutoring and other academic supports for students.
- Local non-profits often offer summer activities that can supplement or coordinate LEA efforts, particularly to provide learning through fun, experiential settings outside of classrooms.
- Community organizations also often additional wrap around supports for families and students, such as health care, food donations, and housing and job supports.
| ESEA Title I-A | ESEA Title II | ESEA Title III-A | ESEA Title IV-A | McKinney-Vento | Adult Education and Family Literacy Act |
IDEA | Perkins | Early Childhood Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N |
6. Support students’ emotional and mental health needs.
- Provide counselors and social workers to provide mental health skill-building and therapy to students.
- Engage student in social skills groups, especially those younger students who have had less time in schools due to virtual learning.
- Focus on transition grades to help students be better prepared for the fall, such as elementary-to-middle or middle-to-high school.
- Work with students who have anxiety or behavior challenges to engage more positively with school in a less overwhelming setting.
| ESEA Title I-A | ESEA Title II | ESEA Title III-A | ESEA Title IV-A | McKinney-Vento | Adult Education and Family Literacy Act |
IDEA | Perkins | Early Childhood Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y |
7. Provide supports to families and learning at home:
- Offer education and training programs for families to meaningfully engage in their children’s education, including literacy and other educational development opportunities, particularly important when students are not in school for as many hours.
- Ensure that families who might have language or technological challenges have the support they need to access resources through the school and/or community. Provide interpreters or translations of materials as needed. Provide technology resources such as hot spots to families without reliable Wi-Fi connections. Provide training on computer literacy.
- Identify families who may have greater mental health needs and connect them with supports.
| ESEA Title I-A | ESEA Title II | ESEA Title III-A | ESEA Title IV-A | McKinney-Vento | Adult Education and Family Literacy Act |
IDEA | Perkins | Early Childhood Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y |
Although this resource discusses Federal laws and regulations, it is intended solely to provide general information and does not constitute legal advice. This guidance provides a general overview of allowable activities, but whether or not a particular cost can be supported with Federal funds depends on the underlying facts and circumstances and State and Federal rules (e.g. New Jersey Treasury Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Uniform Grant Guidelines, respectively). Therefore, an activity listed in this resource may not be allowable in all circumstances, and conversely, an activity not listed in this resource may be allowable. This guide was created to demonstrate how programs, strategies, or initiatives may be supported with Federal funds. Please note a school or local education agency is under no obligation to use its Federal funds for those programs or activities highlighted in this guide.