Summer school adapts to meet student needs

PHOTO: Summer school students will be able to use the Davis High buildings.

By Charissa Zeigler,

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

The Davis Joint Unified School District is planning to implement changes to recovery credit summer school in light of the pandemic.

In previous years, the district only allowed students to take summer courses if they received a D or F and needed to retake a class in order to graduate, or if they needed credits for A-G requirements necessary to apply to a UC school.  

However, this year’s summer school administrators are considering including supplemental classes focused on allowing students to interact with each other in person to make up for the lost time in isolation, social-emotional needs and other educational opportunities. In the past, DJUSD allowed students to take supplemental courses if they wanted to strengthen their knowledge of a subject, but later decided to focus on students who needed to complete their A-G courses. Once students showed they had a grasp on the subject, they could even leave summer school early. 

Troy Allen, the district’s Director of Secondary Education, is meeting with other district staff to determine how the high school as well as junior high and elementary schools could create the new courses. “We are just now starting to generate ideas and get it organized. […] It might be robotics and programming or potentially […] just being active,” Allen said. 

The format of the classes are being determined, but district administrators are prepared to be flexible. Summer school students would likely be in small groups while classes like music instruction could be held outside. 

Sophomore Sean Gao believes a summer music program would be popular with music students. “I think one of the best parts of music is being up on stage; […] I think a school music class would be great, […] just connecting with other students and playing with them,” Gao said. 

Davis High vice principal Sonam Singh, who will be directing the 2020-21 secondary level summer school, notes that concrete plans for summer school cannot be made until administrators have a list of students who will be eligible. “We are in the early stages of planning for what summer school will look like with the district,” Singh said.

Hiring for summer school teachers will be held at the end of April or early May. 

The district plans to send out messages to DJUSD students and parents about the enrichment programs to notify how they can sign up for them.