Summer Slide

"A recent study by sociology professor Karl L. Alexander and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore concludes that two-thirds of the reading achievement gap between 9th graders of low and high socioeconomic standing in Baltimore public schools can be traced to what they learned—or failed to learn—over their childhood summers." Much of Learning Gap Blamed on Summer (Education Week, free to subscribers)

Some of the questions this article raises:

• Does this take the focus off of in-school inequities?
• Do schools need to work better with parents to provide tools to thwart the "summer slide"?
• Is more school the answer?