Dozens Participate in Jump-Start Summer Academy
Keeping English language learners moving forward is what the Huntington School District's Jump-Start Summer Academy is all about. This past year's program saw 56 students spread across grades three through eight working with seven teachers to improve their skills.
"The Jump-Start Summer Academy is offered to English language learners to provide continuity in literacy and English instruction," said Carmen Kasper, the district's director of foreign language, ESL and bilingual programs. This year's instructional program was guided by a state approved Action Plan.
"Over 100 letters were sent to the parents of English language learners and approximately 40 responded by accepting the invitation," Ms. Kasper said. "In order to promote student participation, all parents who did respond initially received a phone call. We were able to recruit a total of 56 students from the different grade levels."
The summer program ran for 2 ½ hours per day for a 12-day period. Transportation from home to school and back home again was offered to participants. "The instructional focus was reading and writing," Ms. Kasper said. "Instruction was delivered through the use of Treasures (a reading language arts program), as well as the grade-level science and social studies curricula."
Daily attendance was closely monitored with "constant" phone calls and notes going out to parents, Ms. Kasper said. Students were provided with instruction on the first unit associated with the grade they were entering in September.