As Economic Gap Widens - So Goes the Achievement Gap

Summer school is out for the summer.

It's the front page story today in the New York Times. Arne, what was that you were saying about extending the school year? And we thought Brownie was clueless.

Facing Deficits, Some States Cut Summer School

Here's an excerpt:

Since the 1970s, however, the value of rigorous summer school has gained increasing recognition because of research by a Johns Hopkins professor, Karl Alexander, and other sociologists showing that the academic achievement gap widens during summer vacations.

Low-income students who hold summer jobs or are idle, the research has demonstrated, forget more math and reading skills over the summer than their affluent classmates, who often receive intellectual stimulation in the summer from canoe trips, language camps or ballet lessons.