Texas Summer Learning Study
The Texas Summer Learning Study is an independent study by AIR, in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency, and with support from The Wallace Foundation. This multi-year implementation study builds from research on summer learning programs to understand the use of evidence-based design principles. What are evidence-based design principles? We use this term (and sometimes the acronym “EBDP”) to refer to the practices, strategies, policies, tools, and resources that prior research has shown may contribute to effective summer learning programs.
The study is designed to leverage multiple data sources and to elevate stakeholder voices across Texas. At AIR, we are focused on building relationships through frequent and focused touch-points and data collection activities. We reflect robust equity throughout the study by focusing on the local context for summer programming; this includes understanding and measuring readiness, community-level variables, and the variation in use of supports and implementation.
Data Sources
The AIR team has used multiple data sources in the Texas Summer Learning Study, including those that Texas districts and campuses provide to the Texas Education Agency and those that the AIR team collects directly. This includes an ongoing document review of tools, templates, and plans, attendance at learning community and partner planning meetings, interviews and group discussions with local education agencies, education service centers, the Texas Education Agency and its partners.
Goals
The Texas Summer Learning Study is producing actionable findings for the state and local education agencies across Texas by sharing data regularly and strategically in alignment with program planning and reporting timelines. In addition, AIR is committed to sharing what we learn with the field to continue building the evidence-base for quality summer learning programs.
In October 2024, AIR released the first policy brief from the study. The brief, Applying Summer Learning Evidence: How Texas State Policy Supports Strong Programming, elevates lessons learned about how state policies and supports can facilitate local education agencies’ design and implementation of evidence-based summer learning programs.
