SummerBOOST!

Our kids are officially back to school in Oakland, but did you know learning didn't stop this summer? That's thanks to SummerBOOST! REACH was honored to partner with OUSD to design and launch this programming.

Instead of summer school being disconnected from instruction that happens during the school year, SummerBOOST! was an extension of the school year, providing continuity for teachers, students, and parents. Our recommendations for SummerBOOST! came directly from listening to our families, who wanted their kids to have high-quality, year-round math and literacy instruction. SummerBOOST! was built around the idea of turning the dreaded “Summer Slide” into a “Summer Stretch.”

In July, parents were invited to visit classes during instructional time, identify their children’s reading and math goals, and join workshops to learn how to ask focused questions about schoolwork. This reimagined summer school brought parents as close as possible to what their kids are learning during the summer so they can better support their children throughout the school year. Joy and pride shine through these photos from the end-of-summer celebration! This is how we build strong relationships that benefit students, parents, and teachers.

In an end-of-summer survey, 100% of SummerBOOST! staff and teachers who previously taught in summer school reported that their experience in this year's pilot was better. In fact, the majority of them indicated that it was "a lot better." They experienced continuity with the school year so they could launch into summer school instruction learning by leveraging the curriculum they had been using all school year.

SummerBOOST! is an example of how we make high-quality, year-round instruction and enrichment accessible for students who have the most to gain, while also fully integrating parents into their child’s learning journey.