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June 10, 2005

Not your parents' summer school

Summer school is no longer some vague, remedial-only type of program that no kid could ever imagine enjoying. The Southfield, Mich., school district, for instance, will double its summer enrollment thanks to increased parent interest and new programs, the Detroit News reports: "The focus on summer learning is driven by an increased emphasis on test performance, competition for admission to top-tier universities and parents' lingering doubts about the quality of education their children receive during the school year." Schools are offering elaborate courses on computer drafting and other high-tech skills.

"'Nobody gets out of school in May so they can work in the fields anymore,' said interim state school Superintendent Jeremy Hughes. 'The jobs are going to students (in other countries) who are in pre-engineering programs when our students are still taking algebra.'" Riding the summer school wave: The tutoring industry, which expects to grow 15 percent in 2005. Missing the boat: School districts that cannot afford increased summer programs, and low-income parents who cannot afford tuition.

Also expanding: Summer school in New York City, to help students keep up with increased grade-promotion requirements, and for English language learners. In Cleveland, a pay dispute between the teachers' union and the school district is impeding summer school for elementary students. These Texas students condense a semester class into four weeks. In England, some are objecting to one school's offer of iPod digital music players to students to get them to participate in summer school.

Posted June 10, 2005 12:00 AM