Kristin Snyder (left) and Kaylee Mitchell launched the Extended School Year program at W-C. Photo by Gretchen Spittler
BY GRETCHEN SPITTLER
BOCES 2 Communications Specialist
According to a report published by the Brookings Institute, students loose an average of one full month worth of learned knowledge during summer vacation. Declines in math and reading are the most pronounced. This summer, Wheatland-Chili Middle School teachers Kaylee Mitchell and Kristin Snyder helped launch a program to help prevent “summer slide”.
“The goals of this program are to help prevent regression throughout the summer months, and to be sure students are ready with the skills they will need to be successful throughout the year,” said Snyder.
Wheatland-Chili’s new Extended School Year (ESY) program focuses primarily on English language arts (ELA) and math skills. This summer there were twenty student participants. Teachers recommended students to take part in the program, which included review of lessons from the previous school year and introductions to new material to prepare for the upcoming school year.
“We tried to keep the lessons engaging for students by incorporating technology daily and using their interests to plan each day,” said Mitchell.
Mitchell and Snyder found that students were willing to participate and the outcomes were very positive.
“My favorite part about ESY this summer is how I feel I got better at math than I was and I will remember it all for when school starts,” commented a student participant.
Director of Pupil Personnel Services Mary Vito recognized the need in the district, especially among the middle schoolers, and initiated the ESY program. The iniative was supported by Superintendent Leh, the Board of Education, and ultimately approved by the Special Education Department.
“We utilized the expertise of our staff and all students benefitted and made progress,” said Vito. “We are looking forward to continuing our Summer Academy/ESY program for our students next year.”
