![]() Grego points out that in 2014 the rate was 61 percent. And when they lose hope they start to say 'I don't think I can climb this cliff any longer and I give up."Ī few years ago the graduation rate for African-American students in Pinellas County was under 50 percent. "As students get further and further away from being on grade level then they lose hope. "The regression that takes place during the summer, especially among students who live in poverty, they don't have the same opportunities during the summer, they don't have the same enrichment opportunities," Grego said. Studies have shown students can lose two-and-a-half months of reading achievement over the summer and teachers can spend four to six weeks re-teaching students lessons they've already been taught.Īnd according to Grego a lack of summer opportunities disproportionately effects poor and minority students. There's no slip."Īnd that “slip” can make the difference between success and failure. And that's the beauty about Summer Bridge, is you don't have that regression. I have to re-teach myself a lot of years. "Yeah, because we know learning does regress," MacKay said. MacKay says it also helps students stay in the habit of learning over the summer. But, once I got here and I was a couple of days in it was pretty okay.”īut Summer Bridge doesn't just help students who have gotten behind or need some extra support. "At first I was disappointed because I wanted to have a normal summer. “I came here because I was doing bad in reading," Kelley said. He is taking Summer Bridge classes at Palm Harbor Middle School. When we began this program two years ago it was just a little bit under 6,000 students." We have about 14,500 to 15,000 students enrolled. 'I wonder how many students are going to show up?'" Grego said. "It's not a mandatory program but it's amazing the high attendance rates that we're getting over the summer," Grego said. Michael Grego admits he was a little concerned how the program would be received. Pinellas County School Superintendent Dr. Since the program started in 2012, enrollment countywide has more than doubled. We did a pizza day last week for our kids. She knows some students are still apprehensive about summer classes by any name. But Summer Bridge also offers online learning activities and some enrichment classes students can pay to attend like robotics.Ĭhristine MacKay is a teacher for Summer Bridge. In Summer Bridge, students in grades one through twelve can retake a class they failed during the school year or improve their reading, math or science skills. ![]() One of those is Campbell Park Elementary, where the Summer Bridge Program is now under way. ![]() Nearly 15,000 of them are now enrolled in Pinellas County schools. And attendance over the past three summers has more than doubled.Īcross Florida, more than 288,000 students were enrolled in summer classes in 2014. During a time when many Florida counties were cutting back on summer school due to a lack of money, Pinellas County started expanding theirs using a combination of federal and state funds.
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