Free Arizona summer camp program returns to help students
Gov. Doug Ducey introduced this week {that a} free summer camp program created to help college youngsters catch up from studying losses brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic will probably be provided once more subsequent year.
From June to August, greater than 70,000 children participated in summer camp classes throughout 685 campsites in all 15 counties. The first summer of AZ OnTrack summer program was funded with about $100 million from the American Rescue Plan.
The governor’s office expects curiosity within the summer camp program will probably be heightened by the nationwide evaluation check outcomes launched Monday.
National Assessment of Educational Progress knowledge confirmed Arizona students adopted a nationwide decline in math scores from 2019 to 2022 however held their floor in studying over that interval.
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“In light of this barometer of our kids’ success, there’s no time to waste to catch our kids up. We must continue to pour on the gas in our efforts,” Ducey mentioned. “We know our kids lost ground during the pandemic — it was not good for them.”
The governor’s office awarded grants to colleges and organizations, just like the YMCA, that hosted summer camp packages. The host colleges and organizations provided packages tailor-made to youngsters all in favour of numerous topics and actions, together with music, sports activities, science and historical past.
In order to help youngsters recoup losses incurred in the course of the pandemic, the camp classes had been required to supply a tutorial element that coated one of many following subjects: math, civics, literacy or constructing attitudes and behaviors that supported studying. Another choice for this element was credit score recovery.
A full report on this year’s camp outcomes has not been launched but, however preliminary outcomes present that 86% of students who participated in camps both made progress or met or exceeded the training objectives set for them at camp. Additionally, within the increased grade ranges, students recovered hundreds of educational credit.
Ducey mentioned that one other spherical of the program will help Arizona students keep away from additional studying loss.
“This is a community effort, and we cannot afford for our kids to lose ground next summer,” he mentioned. “With more choices now than ever for their education, we will meet the moment.”
Education information:Arizona scholar studying scores regular as math scores drop in nationwide check
Renata Cló is a reporter on The Arizona Republic’s Ok-12 training crew. You can attain her at [email protected], observe her on Twitter @renataclo and be a part of the dialog in our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/arizonaeducation.
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