Dallas Tackles Summer Learning Loss Together

Dallas is at the forefront of a national movement to reverse summer learning loss – a critical challenge given research showing that low-income students, on average, experience more than 2 months’ loss in reading achievement every summer.

Led by Big Thought, this summer Dallas City of Learning (DCoL) involved more than 150 partners at over 100 locations to help stem summer learning loss for approximately 50,000 students. You can read the stories of multiple DCoL partners, including Commit!, here.

As part of this citywide initiative, Tackle Summer Slide is a collaborative effort focused on reversing summer reading loss by providing children entering grades K-3 access to online curriculum, instruction from trained reading specialists, and learning incentives.

Summer learning sites that were willing and able to serve as host partners received access to Istation reading licenses, training for staff, a reading specialist two times per week to help with tutoring students, and incentives, including tablet computers, to reward student attendance and achievement.

Host partners this summer were: Circle of Support, Oak Cliff Boys & Girls Club, Roseland Boys & Girls Club, Cummings Rec Center, Nash-Davis Rec Center, Samuell Grand Rec Center, Frazier Revitalization Inc., Heart House, Jubilee Park & Community Center, Readers 2 Leaders, Trinity River Mission, and Catholic Charities Santa Clara Community Center.

As a result of these efforts:

• 475 rising K-3 students received services
• 50 parents attended at least one literacy workshop (piloted with two host partners)
• 57% of participating students stayed on grade level or grew their reading ability according to ISIP data performance

Look for an upcoming post in our Bright Spot Blog Series featuring a few of the Tackle Summer Slide host partners that achieved particularly positive results!