Summer Bridge produced only small sustained effects: slightly larger two-year gains than comparable non-attendees, without changing learning trajectories¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2003 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Summer Bridge students had slightly larger learning gains over two years than comparable students who did not attend, but effects were small and did not substantially alter school-year learning rates. → Melissa Roderick 2003

Evidence¶

Melissa Roderick 2003¶

Melissa Roderick, Mimi Engel, Jenny Nagaoka, with Brian A. Jacob, Sophie Degener, Alex Orfei, Susan Stone, Jen Bacon. (2003). Ending Social Promotion: Results From Summer Bridge. Consortium on Chicago School Research. https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/ending-social-promotion-results-summer-bridge

q3 · i? · causal · r2

The report's sustainability analysis compared two-year learning gains of students slightly below the test-score cutoffs (who attended) to students slightly above the cutoffs, using the discontinuity in program participation as a comparison.

"Summer Bridge students had slightly larger learning gains over two years than comparable students who did not attend the program. Although these results are encouraging, the effects were small."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Most Chicago teachers and principals reported that Summer Bridge and Lighthouse had positive effects on participating students — related
• Students in higher-achieving schools had larger Summer Bridge gains, so the program did not ameliorate quality differences across schools — related
• Summer Bridge produced short-term test-score gains and allowed more students to meet promotion cutoffs, particularly among sixth and eighth graders — related
• Summer Bridge gains were relatively uniform across demographic and achievement groups, with highest-risk third graders benefiting most — related
• Students were significantly more positive about classroom academic environments and teacher attention in Summer Bridge than in the school year — related
• Mandatory summer curricula are not teacher proof: individualizing instruction and quality of teacher-student interactions were associated with larger gains — related
• Students who met the promotional cutoffs, including after Summer Bridge, maintained positive test trajectories two years after promotion — reports the opposite