1. Summer Learning Program
2016 Brain Forest
Summer Learning Program
Montgomery Education Foundation

2. 2016 Program Partners Montgomery Public Schools
The City of Montgomery & Montgomery Parks and Rec
Montgomery County Commission
Central Alabama Community Foundation
Kiwanis Club of Montgomery Foundation
Montgomery Area Food Bank
The  Junior League of Montgomery
MT Selby Fund
BBVA Compass Bank
Till Family Charitable Fund
Loeb Family Fund
The Working Women’s Home Association
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Beta Nu Chapter

3. Program Overview Full-day, 5 week academic enrichment program
Primary goal: Prevent the academic skill loss that most students experience when their minds are not actively engaged during the summer.
Four key components:
academic instruction
nutritious meals
cultural arts and enrichment
physical activity
All program components are based on high quality best practices
Building Community

4. Program History
2013 – 1st year of the pilot program; enrolled 49 rising 4th grade students at one site - E.D. Nixon Elementary
2014 – 2nd year of the program; enrolled 168 rising 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students at two school sites – Carver High School and E.D. Nixon Elementary
2015 – 3rd year of the program; enrolled 204 rising 4th, 5th and 6th grade students at one school site - Carver High School
2016
4th year of the program
enrolled 237 rising 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students
one site – Carver High School

5. Academic Instruction MATH READING STEM STEM iPads Novels 13 classrooms
18:2 student: adult ratio
Pre and Post Test using Scantron Achievement Series for targeted Reading and Math standards
Reading Instruction: centered on grade level novels; reading comprehension; vocabulary building
Math Instruction: centered on project-based, hands-on activities and manipulatives
STEM
STEM
Novels
iPads

6. Cultural/Arts Enrichment & Physical Activity
Two afternoons a week of STEM enrichment led by Starbase
Daily reacreation/physical activity provided by Montgomery Parks and Recreation Department
Financial Literacy lessons provided by BBVA Compass
Friday field trips
kayaking
fishing
swimming
archery
financial literacy
STEM
horseback riding

7. Professional Development
Student-engaged assessment model
Teachers create daily and monthly “learning targets” which translate CCRS standards into child-friendly, engaging language
Teachers and students use “I can” statements on a daily basis to understand and track learned material
Students actively participate in on-going assessment of their own progress
Earned CEU credits – 1st time in the program’s history
Professional Development laboratory open to all MPS principals and teachers based on the text Leaders of Their Own Learning by Ron Berger
One week of training/PD prior to student start
Weekly, 2 hr. PD sessions
Observation and hands-on experience in the classrooms

8. Leaders of Their Own Learning
Daily learning targets and “I can” statements are posted clearly and daily to correspond with hands-on work being done in the classroom

9. Project-based and Hands-on Learning Approach
Reading instruction is based on a single novel
Math instruction is hands-on and ties back to reading curriculum
Activities are hands-on, kinesthetic learning as often as possible

10. Student-Engaged Activities

11. Attendance 2015 Average Attendance: 73% 2016 Average Attendance = 85%
Enrollment:237 Attendance: 230
74% of students attended at least 75% to 100% of the program
2015 Average Attendance: 73%
2016 Average Attendance = 85%

12. Scantron Achievement Series
On average, no loss in math or reading was experienced.
Reading: The greatest improvement in scores on average was a 7% gain across all three grade levels.
Math: A 4% gain was experienced across all three grade levels.
An Alabama normed assessment used to measure proficiency in reading and math
Used to develop Pre and Post tests during 1st week and last week of program
MEF partnered with MPS Curriculum Dept. to identify standards with typical low performance across district

14. Reading Proficiency (based on Pre and Post Test)

15. Math Proficiency (based on Pre and Post Test)

16. 30 MPS elementary schools represented
Schools with the highest numbers:
Dannelly Elementary
Garrett Elementary
Catoma Elementary
Macmillan International
Halcyon Elementary
Floyd Elementary

17. Voices That Matter! Students,Parents, & Staff Survey Results

18. Student Survey Results
Students in all three grade levels received a survey that they completed anonymously on site during the final week of the program. In total, 168 students completed the survey.
92%
Agreed/strongly agreed that the program was fun
98%
Agreed/strongly agreed that their summer teachers care about them and want them to do their best
77%
Agreed that they learned new things about math and reading
83%
Agreed that they learned new ways to think during the summer
75%
Agreed that they would want to attend the program next year
From the Voices of Our Students:
“What I liked most about Brain Forest was that they turned learning into something fun.” – 5th Grader
“The thing I like most about the program is that my teacher is teaching me new things. I appreciate my teacher.” – 4th Grader

20. Parent Survey Results
Parents/guardians of students in all three grade levels received anonymous take-home surveys during the final week of the program. In total, 70 parents/guardians completed the survey.

23. Staff Survey Results (anonymous)
Common Responses About Program Experiences:
Relationships were built with other staff members
Professional development was useful during the program and will be in their own classrooms.
Confidence as an educator was built
Professional growth occurred using project-based learning
Staff Survey Results (anonymous)
Professional Growth:
100%
Agreed that they grew professionally during the program
Agreed that they learned new skills, lesson, and approaches that they could take into their classroom during the school year
Agreed that they felt that they made a difference in their students’ lives
Training and Implementation:
100%
Agreed that they will use what they learned in Brain Forest in their classrooms during the school year.
Agreed that PD will be helpful to them in their classroom during the school year
75%
Rated training week a 7 or above on a scale of 1 to 10
Two teachers rated it a full 10
100%
Agreed that the professional development was useful
83%
Agreed that training prepared them

24. We Believe Our Kids and Teachers Can…
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