Investing in Successful Summer Programs: A Review of Evidence Under the Every Student Succeeds Act

For many young people from low-income households, summer can be a time of losing ground to wealthier peers. Fortunately, summer can also be a time to make gains. A new RAND report identifies programming that can help achieve that goal—and be eligible for federal funding through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Investing in Summer Programs: A Systematic Review of Evidence Under the Every Student Succeeds Act describes 43 summer programs with research that not only backs the programs’ effectiveness but is also rigorous enough to meet the top three of four tiers of evidence laid out in the ESSA. This means they can qualify for a number of funding streams, including those in ESSA’s Title I section, a significant source of funding.