Summer School

The goal of the Summer Tutoring Program or "summer school" is to equip students with the academic skills necessary to succeed in public schools.

The program serves an average of 50 students each summer. It operates five days a week, seven hours a day for six weeks, beginning in mid-June.

The Settlement School provides boarding for students who lack transportation or live too far away to commute.

Students
Children are referred to the program after being identified by their teachers, parents or others as having dyslexic characteristics. Children undergo an extensive evaluation to determine if the Settlement’s program will meet their specific needs. Children five years or older can enroll in summer school. Both it and the After-School Program serve kids through the 12th grade.

Curriculum
The curriculum includes an intensive program of two periods of individualized reading instruction, two periods of math instruction (groups of up to three students), one period of auditory instruction (groups of up to seven students), one period of instruction in keyboarding and word processing (interdisciplinary units of study are used), a half-hour of social values instruction and a half-hour of reading comprehension instruction. Spelling, handwriting, grammar and direct vocabulary instruction are incorporated into the reading instruction. On average, students make a one-year gain in reading and math during the six weeks.

Staff
The staff of the Summer Tutoring Program includes supervisory personnel, who have been part of the program for several years, and local college and high school students. The funds invested in summer school not only help the students being tutored but also provide summer jobs and service opportunities for these college students. Many of the college students are education majors who desire to experience one-on-one interaction with students. Several former tutors have become teachers. These teachers are a major source of referrals to the program.

Cost
Most of our summer school students come from the region and many are from low-income families. The Summer Tutoring Program tuition is $2,500 for commuting students and $5,000 for boarding students. In spite of the fact that many students’ families are unable to pay the full tuition, no child has ever been turned away due to lack of funds. This means the Settlement must raise between $100,000-$120,000 in scholarship assistance each summer.