The San Diego Unified school board decided Tuesday night to spend $4.6 million to keep its summer school programs intact this year, providing classes to all high schoolers who need to make up Ds and Fs, students at risk of being held back in grades 1, 3 and 8 and kids entering algebra at schools in a special math transition program.
But the school board also debated how well summer school worked. I recently wrote aboutits impact on grades. Though many teens benefit, one in three high schoolers who shows up to summer school doesn't improve his or her grades at all.
School board member John de Beck complained that he had no evidence of its effectiveness. Lots of students go through summer school to avoid being held back in eighth grade, but they don't seem to do any better in ninth grade after doing so, de Beck argued.
"Why are we in the business of spending money on unproven programs?" he asked.
Interim Deputy Superintendent Nellie Meyer said there is definite evidence that summer