Executive Summary.

1. Summer learning and its implications: Insights from the Beginning School Study (Karl L. Alexander, Doris R. Entwisle, Linda Steffel Olson)
The Beginning School Study, which allows for comparison of achievement gains between the school year and the summer months, revealed a gap in growth in achievement when school is not in session.

2. Childhood body mass index gain during the summer versus during the school year (Douglas B. Downey, Heather R. Boughton)
During summer vacation, children’s body mass index, a measure of health, increases approximately twice as quickly as during the school year.

3. Characteristics of effective summer learning programs in practice (Susanne R. Bell, Natalie Carrillo)
Effective summer programs successfully accelerate participants’ academic performance and support positive youth development.

4. Summer programming in rural communities: Unique challenges (Ruthellen Phillips, Stacey Harper, Susan Gamble)
Drawing on the success of Energy Express, a rural summer reading and nutrition program, the authors share how other rural communities can overcome major challenges to provide high-quality summer programming.

5. Collaboration: Leveraging resources and expertise (Anne Byrne, Jane Hansberry)
Components of successful collaborations include shared organizational  riorities,
combined resources, mutual institutional support and political will, and shared clarity of expectations.

6. Summer library reading programs (Carole D. Fiore)
For over a century, libraries have offered summer reading programs, which help students practice skills learned during the school year, promote intrinsic enjoyment of reading, and aid in cultural literacy acquirement.

7. Using evaluation to improve program quality based on the BELL model (Earl Martin Phalen, Tiffany M. Cooper)
Effective evaluation practices drive continuous program improvement and result in satisfied stakeholders and strong outcomes for the students served.

8. Finding the resources for summer learning programs (M. Jane Sundius)
Two strategies are needed for all young people to have access to high-quality summer learning opportunities: a national public advocacy campaign and extensive local public-private planning.

Index.