Bill would make summer learning camps designed for COVID continue beyond the pandemic

Like many school districts across the country, Elizabethton City Schools entered the 2020/2021 school year with a new hybrid schedule that allowed students to split time learning remotely and in the classroom.The schedule was designed to address COVID-19 concerns and for elementary school students, it meant virtual learning every Wednesday.Dr. Tammy Markland says teachers at her Westside Elementary School quickly noticed challenges.“It was difficult to get the students to put forth as much effort on the Wednesday that was virtual as they did in the classroom,” said Markland. “Teachers weren’t equipped or knowledgeable enough on how to deliver online learning to the students so there was a big learning curve with our teachers.”Virtual learning created different challenges in the district’s middle schools where Assistant-Principal Justin White says students developed issues socializing.“Students were very hesitant to interact with each other, to interact with teachers.  So that was something new that we kind of faced that year,” said White.  “You know we’re trying to get these kids to interact to engage and that level of engagement wasn’t there.”To address problems like these, Tennessee’s General Assembly passed legislation that created summer learning camps for students in 2021 and 2022.Roughly 300 of Elizabethton’s elementary and middle school students took part in the initial learning camps and more than 200 took part last year.Participating students were all identified by the district as being at risk for needing additional academic support and each spent at least 6 hours a day on subjects like math, English language arts, and even physical education.“Our focus was not necessarily remediating but to accelerate and to help our kids to move forward in the grade levels they need to,” said Assistant Director of Elizabethton Schools Dr. Myra Newman.Newman says the camps did their job and the results showed up on state testing this year.Elizabethton City Schools’ English Language Arts (ELA) scores on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) rose back to pre-pandemic levels for elementary school children and they jumped 5 percent for middle school students.The district also saw growth in math scores for both grade levels and even rose above pre-pandemic levels for middle school students.“I think with the relationships that they built I think as far as the academics, behavior, social aspect was all accomplished during that summer school and I think we do see benefit and continue to see benefit through that in 2022,“ said Penny Nave, Co-Director of Elizabethton’s Elementary Summer Learning Camps.White says one of his teachers noticed the improvements long before state tests were administered. That teacher pointed out improvements in students who participated in the initial summer learning camps in 2021 when they returned to school that fall.“She goes, they’re ahead of where a regular 7th grader would come in on a regular year with no hybrid schedule.  She said so whatever happened over the summer we need to figure it out so we can try to recreate that for every other kid in this building,” said White.

 New Legislation

The success districts like Elizabethton saw with summer learning camps convinced Governor Bill Lee’s administration and state legislators like Portland Representative William Lamberth that there’s value in making the learning camps permanent.Lamberth filed legislation now under consideration in the General Assembly that requires school districts to conduct summer learning camps and after-school learning mini-camps annually and allows additional "at-risk" children and students entering certain grade levels to participate in them.“Statewide, the camps were very successful and had strong enrollment and attendance. The students who attended showed significant improvement in English and math,” said Rep. Lamberth. “Republicans in the General Assembly are in agreement with Gov. Lee and his administration that this is a great resource we can provide every year – not just on a temporary basis - that has a proven, positive impact on student achievement.”If the legislation passes Elizabethton may not have any trouble finding teachers to work the summer learning camps.The district’s prior middle school summer learning camps had more teachers volunteer to take part than it could accommodate, and Dr. Markland says she’s already hearing from teachers who want to participate again.“I’ve already had teachers and teachers’ assistants asking me when do summer school applications open,” said Dr. Markland. “I think maybe the numbers may not be as large as they have been in the past, but I think we have those students that definitely need that extra support in the summer.”