By Sophia Chang
The city Department of Education recently unveiled plans for this year's summer school program, which includes a $5 million boost to also enroll struggling fifth-graders in addition to second- and third-graders after education officials attributed a recent surge in test scores to the benefits of extra tutorials. Middle and high-schoolers also have opportunities to attend summer school at more than 440 locations city-wide.”Last year's Summer Success Academy was a tremendous success, especially for students who attended regularly,” said Schools Chancellor Joel Klein in a statement. “This year we are building on that success by strengthening the overall summer school program and using new strategies to increase student participation and attendance.”While the Summer Success Academy is not mandatory, public school students who scored poorly on state and city reading and math tests are encouraged to attend the programs, aimed at improving academic focus, as well as offer enrichment activities and targeted interventions in small groups, according to the Department of Education. The enrichment activities, meant to boost student confidence and build motivation, will be organized through community-based groups, and arts and physical education courses will be led by public school teachers. Middle schoolers seeking help with the transition to high school may enroll in the department's eighth- to ninth-grade Bridge Program, or freshmen can take a ninth-grade Intensive Literacy Course to prepare for 10th grade English classes. In addition, high schoolers will be able to prepare for the Regents exams and earn additional credits required for graduation, according to the Department of Education.Last Thursday, an arbitrator ruled that hiring for the summer school programs would be set by the Department of Education instead of by seniority guidelines delineated in the teachers' union contract, ending what the New York Post reported had been a year-long dispute with 150 teachers who filed grievances against the agency in 2004.”We are pleased that the arbitrator agreed that seniority should not trump qualifications for teachers providing instruction for our children,” Klein said in a statement last week. “This should be true in all cases, including hiring for all regular teaching positions, and not just for new programs like our Summer Success Academy. We always should be putting our children first.”For more information about summer school opportunities, contact your local school parent coordinator, e-mail the Department of Education at SummerSchool@nycboe.net, or call 311. Reach reporter Sophia Chang by e-mail at news@timesledger.com, or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
