MassGrad summary brief: Expansion of the school year
December 2015
From the brief's introduction:
This brief shares promising practices, successes, and challenges from the “expansion of the school year and summer transition” programs implemented in 12 high schools during the 2011–12 through 2014–15 school years. It is one in a series of five briefs based on evidence-based strategies for dropout prevention utilized by schools that received “Implementation Awards” through the MassGrad initiative.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education and implemented by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE), MassGrad’s primary goal was “to substantially increase the number of students who earn a high school diploma.” MassGrad targeted the 133 schools from 76 districts that exceeded the statewide annual dropout rate of 2.9 percent during the 2008–09 school year.
In its MassGrad Implementation award materials, ESE described the school year expansion and summer transition strategy as programs that take place after school, on the weekend, during school vacation weeks, or over the summer. The programs support academic skill development, provide enrichment and socio-emotional support, facilitate an effective transition to high school, support recovery of course credit, or accelerate credit accumulation.
