The Majority of K-12 Public Schools Offer Academically Focused Summer and After-School Programs

NCES data show large majorities of instructional staff were full-time teachers

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Seventy-eight percent of U.S. public schools provided summer programming in 2023 designed to help students academically, according to data released today by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the statistical center within the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

In addition, 64 percent of public schools are providing after-school programs with an academic focus in the 2023-24 school year. Full-time teachers worked in these academic assistance or enrichment programs in the vast majority of schools.

Student participation nationwide was about 15 percent for academically oriented summer programs in 2023, the data show. On average across all schools, it is anticipated that about 13 percent of public school students would participate in academically oriented after-school programs in the 2023-24 school year.

"The new data tell an important story about the additional opportunities available to help students beyond the school day, especially at a time when academic recovery from the pandemic remains a top concern," said NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr. "We are grateful to public school leaders that allow NCES to provide timely insights in the availability of summer and afterschool opportunities."

The NCES data on academically focused summer programs includes summer school, learning and enrichment (L&E), bridge, and other summer programs. The participation rates were slightly higher for city schools (18 percent of students) and schools serving mainly students of color (19 percent).

Opportunity and cost did not appear to be widespread obstacles to students' participation in these academically focused summer programs. About three quarters of public schools that offered such programs said they were able to provide programming to most or all students who needed or wanted to participate. The majority of public schools that offered these programs did so at no cost to families.

These new data from the School Pulse Panel (SPP) also shed light on after-school programming this academic year at public schools nationwide. These opportunities are especially prevalent for schools in high-poverty neighborhoods (73 percent), in schools with 1,000 or more students (75 percent), and for those serving a large share of students of color (75 percent).

Most public schools offering academic assistance or enrichment programs in an after-school setting had full-time teachers working in these programs (90 percent and 80 percent, respectively).

These new data also provide insights on the frequency of after-school and summer programs each week, as well as the funding sources used to support the programs. (See "Key Findings" section below for details.)

The findings released today are part of an experimental data product from the School Pulse Panel, NCES's innovative approach to delivering timely information regarding the pandemic's impact on public K-12 schools in the U.S. The data, collected between September 12 and September 26 of this year, came from 1,442 participating public K-12 schools from every state and the District of Columbia.

Additional data collected from 98 public K-12 schools in the U.S. Outlying Areas (OA) – American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands – are also available. Results from this collection include the finding that 62 percent of OA public schools provided summer programming in 2023 designed to help students academically.

Experimental data products are innovative statistical tools created using new data sources or methodologies. Experimental data may not meet all of NCES's quality standards but are of sufficient benefit to data users in the absence of other relevant products to justify release. NCES clearly identifies experimental data products upon their release.

All data released today can be found on the School Pulse Panel dashboard at https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/spp/results.asp.

Key Findings

Summer Programs for Summer 2023

• Eighty-two percent of U.S. public schools offered some type of summer programming during summer 2023.
• Seventy-eight percent offered academically focused summer programming, which includes summer school, learning and enrichment (L&E), bridge, and other summer programs. Nineteen percent of public school students who had the opportunity to participate in these programs did so, which equates to 15 percent of all public school students across the country.
  • When considering all public school students across the country, a higher percentage of those in schools with 76 percent or more students of color (19 percent) and in cities (18 percent) participated in these programs, while a lower percentage of students in schools with 25 percent or fewer students of color (12 percent) participated in these programs, compared to the national estimate.
• Around three-quarters of public schools offering academically focused summer programs were able to provide programming to most or all students who needed or wanted to participate in them (summer school, 72 percent; L&E programs, 78 percent; bridge programs, 75 percent).
• Around 90 percent of public schools offering academically focused summer programs did so at no cost to families (summer school, 90 percent; L&E programs, 87 percent; bridge programs, 90 percent).
• A third or more of public schools utilized district or school finances to fund their academically focused summer programs (summer school, 37 percent; L&E programs, 33 percent; bridge programs, 36 percent), while slightly less than a third used Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) I or ESSER II COVID relief funds (summer school, 30 percent; L&E programs, 31 percent; bridge programs, 20 percent).
• Most public schools offering summer school (92 percent) and L&E programs (84 percent) did so four or more days per week during summer 2023. Sixty-six percent of public schools offering bridge programs did so four or more days per week.
• Most public schools offering academically focused summer programs had full-time teachers working in these programs (summer school, 95 percent; L&E programs, 89 percent; bridge programs, 86 percent).
• NCES defined summer programs for respondents as follows:
  • Summer school program: Classes offered during the summer that students take for remedial or credit recovery purposes; students are often required to attend summer school because of their performance during the school year.
  • Summer learning and enrichment programs: Classes or programs offered during the summer that students may participate in that provide additional learning opportunities, or course credit, in a variety of subject areas; students' participation in these programs is voluntary.
  • Summer recreation programs: Programs offered during the summer that students may participate in that may include recreation, sports, games and activities, youth development, etc.; these programs typically do not have an academic focus and students' participation is voluntary.
  • Summer bridge programs: Programs offered during the summer that support transitions to new grade or school levels (e.g., the transition from elementary to middle school or from middle school to high school)
  • Service-learning programs: Programs where students learn in a classroom-type setting and apply what they've learned by providing meaningful service to their community.
  • Work-based learning programs: Programs that provide students with a continuum of career-related experiences that support their career goals and prepare them for education and employment beyond school.
  • Summer internship programs: Programs where students are connected to businesses or non-profit organizations and gain real-world work experiences.
  • Other 

After-School Programs for 2023-24 School Year

• Eighty-seven percent of U.S. public schools offer some type of after-school programming during the 2023-24 school year.
• Sixty-four percent offer academically focused after-school programming, which includes academic assistance, academic enrichment, and other after-school programs. Twenty-two percent of public school students who have the opportunity to participate in these programs are anticipated to do so this school year, which equates to 13 percent of all public school students across the country.
  • A higher percentage of public schools in high-poverty neighborhoods (73 percent), with a student body comprising 76 percent or more students of color (75 percent), and with more than 1,000 students (75 percent) offer these programs compared to the national estimate.
  • A lower percentage of public schools comprising 25 percent or fewer students of color (55 percent), in rural areas (56 percent), and with fewer than 300 students (57 percent) offer these programs, compared to the national estimate.
  • Considering all public school students across the country, a higher percentage of those attending schools in a high-poverty neighborhood (18 percent), in schools comprising 76 percent or more students of color (19 percent), and in cities (17 percent) are anticipated to participate in these programs compared to the national estimate.
  • Considering all public school students across the country, a lower percentage of those in schools comprising 25 percent or fewer students of color (9 percent), in the Midwest (10 percent), and in rural areas (10 percent) are anticipated to participate in in these programs, compared to the national estimate.
• Seventy-two percent of schools offering academic assistance programs and 67 percent offering academic enrichment programs are able to provide services to most or all students who want to participate in their academically focused after-school programs.
• Most public schools offering academic assistance or academic enrichment after-school programs do so at no cost to families (96 and 88 percent, respectively).
• More than a third of public schools utilized district or school finances to fund their academically focused after-school programs (academic assistance, 38 percent; academic enrichment, 39 percent), while less than a third used ESSER I or ESSER II COVID relief funds (academic assistance, 24 percent; academic enrichment, 17 percent).
• Forty-two percent of public schools offering academic assistance and 48 percent offering academic enrichment programs do so at least four days per week during the 2023-24 school year.
• Most public schools offering academic assistance or academic enrichment programs have full-time teachers working in these programs (90 and 80 percent, respectively).
• NCES defined after-school programs for respondents as follows:
  • Academic assistance program: After-school programs or services whose primary purpose is to provide instruction to students who need academic assistance
  • Academic enrichment program: After-school programs or services whose primary purpose is to provide instruction to students who seek academic enrichment 
  • Extended-day care
  • School-related activities and clubs (e.g., athletics, student government, yearbook club, etc.)
  • Other

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, is the statistical center of the U.S. Department of Education and the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S. and other nations. NCES fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report complete statistics on the condition and progress of American education; conduct and publish reports; and review and report on education activities internationally.

Follow NCES on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube and subscribe to the NCES Newsflash to receive email notifications when new data are released.

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is the independent and nonpartisan statistics, research, and evaluation arm of the U.S. Department of Education. Its mission is to provide scientific evidence on which to ground education practice and policy and to share this information in formats that are useful and accessible to educators, parents, policymakers, researchers, and the public.

Contact:
Josh De La Rosa, National Center for Education Statistics, [email protected]
Erik Robelen, Hager Sharp, [email protected]

SOURCE National Center for Education Statistics