Pervasiveness and Magnitude of Summer Learning Loss

Abstract

Among American elementary school students we assess the prevalence and magnitude of summer learning loss: what percentage of students return to school in the fall with lower skills than they had in the spring and on average how much students’ skills decline. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort of 2011, we find during the first two summers of schooling most students experience some loss in their skills. On average, students’ skills decline approximately 4-6% of what they had learned the previous school year. We find the magnitude of summer learning loss is less substantial than previous estimates.

Keywords: Summer Setback, Student Learning, Summer Learning Loss