Summer 2021
How California educators met the moment
with re-engagement, reconnection, and reimagined learning
Summer has always been a time for fun, wellness, connection, and learning—but in different ways from the traditional school experience.
Summer 2021 saw an unprecedented level of attention and infusion of public funding to increase access and expand the role of high-quality summer learning and enrichment programs. These investments sought to respond to the negative effects of distance learning, disengagement, and trauma experienced due to COVID-19, particularly for the students most harmed by the structural economic and racial inequities that have only been exacerbated during the pandemic.
Across California, schools and districts—together with community partners—did just that. Schools provided safe spaces for students with caring adults and peers, learning opportunities grounded in student interests, and social-emotional skill development to re-spark their engagement in school and prepare both students and staff to return to in-person learning in the fall.
This report provides the landscape of the state’s 2021 publicly funded summer learning programs, including the trends, best practices, challenges, and innovative ideas. These findings are based on interviews with a diverse cross-section of school leaders, an analysis of statewide data, and media tracking. From this analysis, we offer both immediate and longer-term recommendations for summer 2022 and beyond to: 1) support local school district and community priorities and planning, and 2) inform sustainable statewide investments and policies.
In a year with a barrage of negative education headlines, summer 2021 was a bright spot for our education system and can be a turning point for school and policy leaders to embrace the essential role that summer learning plays in student success.