Preventing Summer Learning Loss: How School Leaders Can Plan Support Before the Year Ends
Summer Starts Before the Last Day of School
By the time June arrives, school leaders are exhausted. The testing season is over. End-of-year celebrations are underway. Graduation, trips, final events, summer school planning, staffing needs, and personal vacation plans are all competing for attention.
But this is also one of the most important windows of the year.
After months of hard work helping scholars grow, no school leader wants to see that progress fade over the summer. Summer learning loss can make the start of the next school year harder for students, teachers, and families. Research shows that summer learning patterns vary by grade, subject, assessment, and student context, but many studies find that student scores often flatten or drop over the summer, especially in math.
That means the final weeks of school are not just a time to close out the year. They are a chance to protect the progress scholars have already made.
The good news is that preventing summer learning loss does not require a complicated new initiative. A little planning now can save a lot of reteaching, frustration, and lost momentum in the fall.
Why Summer Learning Loss Matters for School Leaders
School leaders feel the weight of student outcomes all year. After the testing season, student growth is top of mind. Leaders know how much time, energy, and effort went into moving scores, supporting teachers, and helping scholars build confidence.
Summer can either protect that progress or weaken it.
NWEA notes that the research on summer learning loss is complex, but recent studies using interim and diagnostic assessments have found larger summer drops across multiple grade levels, with math often showing bigger declines than reading.
For schools serving students who already face barriers, summer planning matters even more. Families may want to help but may not know what to do, what resources to use, or how much practice is enough. School leaders can help by making summer learning simple, clear, and accessible before students leave for break.
Start With the Scholars Who Need the Most Support
The first step is identifying which scholars are most at risk of losing momentum.
School teams do not need to create a perfect system. They can start by looking at the data they already have:
- Recent assessment results
- Reading and math proficiency data
- Attendance patterns
- Teacher recommendations
- Intervention participation
- Students who made progress but are not yet secure with grade-level skills
The goal is not to label students. The goal is to make sure the students who need support are not left to figure out summer learning on their own.
A simple list of priority scholars can help school teams decide who should receive extra communication, resource packets, book access, online platform logins, tutoring recommendations, or summer enrichment referrals.
Educate Families Before Summer Begins
One of the most practical steps school leaders can take is to host a short family workshop or information session about summer learning loss.
Families are often told that reading over the summer is important, but they may not always understand why. They may also assume summer learning needs to look like school, which can make it feel intimidating or unrealistic.
A family session can explain:
- What summer learning loss is
- Why consistent reading and math practice matter
- How much time families should aim for each week
- How to build learning into everyday routines
- What resources the school is sending home
- Where families can find summer programs or enrichment opportunities
This does not need to be a large event. It can be a 30-minute session, a virtual meeting, a recorded video, or a short presentation during an existing end-of-year event.
The key is to make the message clear: summer learning is not about overwhelming families. It is about helping children return in the fall ready to keep growing.
Send Home Simple, Usable Resources
The second practical strategy is to make sure families have something concrete to use.
This could include:
- A summer reading list
- Books students can keep
- A math practice packet
- Access to an online learning platform
- A weekly learning calendar
- Suggested library programs
- Grade-level skill practice
- A simple tracker for reading or math minutes
Research supports the value of summer reading programs. A Brookings review notes that a meta-analysis of 41 summer reading programs found that these programs were effective at raising reading test scores on average.
The most important word here is simple.
Families should not need a teaching degree to support summer learning. A strong resource packet should tell families exactly what to do, how often to do it, and how to know whether their child is staying engaged.
For example:
“Read for 20 minutes, 4 days a week. After reading, ask your child: What happened? What surprised you? What do you think will happen next?”
Or:
“Practice math facts for 10 minutes, 3 days a week. Focus on accuracy first, then speed.”
Small routines can help students hold on to important skills without making summer feel like punishment.
Connect Families to Academic Enrichment Programs
The third strategy is helping families find summer learning opportunities beyond the school building.
Some schools may run summer school. Others may not. Either way, leaders can still help families by sharing a short list of academic enrichment options, such as:
- District summer programs
- Local library reading programs
- Community-based academic camps
- Tutoring programs
- Online learning options
- Nonprofit enrichment programs
- Recreation programs with academic components
High-quality summer learning programs can make a difference, especially when students attend consistently. The Wallace Foundation’s research on voluntary summer learning programs found benefits in reading and math for students who attended frequently.
This is where school leaders can remove friction for families. Instead of simply saying, “Find a summer program,” schools can share program names, registration links, deadlines, eligibility information, and contact details.
Even better, a staff member can help priority families complete enrollment before the year ends.
Make It Manageable for an Overwhelmed Leadership Team
The biggest barrier is not whether school leaders care. They do.
The barrier is bandwidth.
June is already full. School leaders are juggling celebrations, final observations, family communication, staffing, summer school, student behavior, and planning for next year. Adding one more initiative can feel impossible.
That is why summer learning support should be lightweight.
A school leader does not have to own every piece personally. They can:
- Ask an assistant principal or leadership team member to lead the effort
- Use per-session hours for teachers to create or package resources
- Ask grade teams to recommend key skills for summer practice
- Request district-created summer learning materials
- Partner with a community organization or tutoring provider
- Record one family-facing video instead of hosting multiple live sessions
- Send one clear email or flyer with all resources in one place
The message for leaders is simple: do not let perfect planning block meaningful action.
A little effort now can reduce the amount of reteaching teachers have to do in September. The National Summer Learning Association notes that many teachers spend weeks reteaching at the beginning of the school year, which is exactly the kind of challenge schools can work to reduce through stronger summer planning.
A Simple End-of-Year Summer Learning Checklist
Before students leave for summer, school leaders can ask:
- Have we identified scholars who may need extra academic support this summer?
- Have we explained summer learning loss to families in a clear, non-alarming way?
- Have we sent home simple reading and math resources?
- Have we shared summer enrichment or tutoring opportunities?
- Have we assigned one person to do follow-up before the last day of school?
- Have we made the next step easy for families?
This does not need to be a major campaign. It just needs to be clear, timely, and useful.
Final Thoughts: Protect the Progress Before Students Walk Out the Door
Preventing summer learning loss begins before summer starts.
School leaders have already invested time, energy, and resources into helping scholars grow. The final weeks of school are a chance to protect that investment.
By identifying students who need support, educating families, sending home simple resources, and connecting families to academic enrichment, school leaders can help students return in the fall with more confidence and less lost ground.
The end of the year is busy. But this is one of those moments where a little planning can make a big difference.
Before the last day of school, choose one summer learning action your team can realistically complete. Send the resource, host the session, share the program list, or assign a team member to lead the effort. Small steps now can lead to a stronger start in the fall.
Real Impact, Real Results: Explore Our Case Studies
The PRACTICE Difference
PRACTICE partners with Title I K-12 schools to close learning gaps, boost math and reading proficiency, and increase graduation rates. Since 2010, we’ve empowered over 100,000 low-income students through evidence-based tutoring, program support, and user-friendly gradebook software. PRACTICE is committed to enriching urban education by tailoring solutions to meet each school’s needs, supporting both students and teachers along the way. We’re more than just educators; we’re dedicated champions for every child’s success.