How should education officials define success for K-12 summer school programs? This question has become increasingly salient in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many states and districts implemented summer programs to help students recover academically and re-engage with school. Now, as ESSER funding dries up, states and school districts face tough decisions about which programs to keep, amend, or discontinue. 

Members of the RESTART Network’s Core Research teams gathered during the 2024 RESTART Network Forum to share progress and key learnings from their studies with members of other research teams and representatives from the Institute of Education Sciences and Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Representatives from each of the five teams, hailing from states across the country, presented emerging trends of student experiences and outcomes during COVID-19 pandemic.

Akisha Osei Sarfo, Ph.D. is the Director of Research for the Council of Great City Schools. Founded in 1956, the Council brings together 78 of the nation’s largest urban public school systems in a coalition dedicated to the improvement of education for children in the inner cities. Dr. Sarfo leads the Council’s research work, facilitating the collaboration between district research departments while also spearheading the production of novel research, resources, and data tools for use by member districts.