Initiative Description: The summer program offered to incoming freshman was a six-week curriculum that ran from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. daily. The program offered seven different courses to students for 40 minutes every day. Approximately 13 students were in each class. The subjects offered included reading, math, computer skills, life skills, career exploration, and finance, all of which were taught by current freshman teachers at this school. The reading and math components of the summer program were opportunities for students to receive more personalized tutoring to improve their reading and math skills, which was important for students who had struggled academically in eighth grade. The remainder of the courses taught were arguably less “academic” in nature but provided opportunities for students to hone their social skills

Study results: Significant gains were shown in Sense of School belonging and Academic Self-Efficacy

Reference: Vera et al. (2016).Evaluating the Impact of a Summer Dropout Prevention Program for Incoming Freshmen Attending an Under-Resourced High School. Preventing School Failure, 62(2), 161-171.

Level of Evidence: Good