We’re partnering with districts, charter schools, and independent schools to deliver accelerated learning to students everywhere. In our innovative model, participating teachers work in close partnership with award-winning mentor teachers in their grade and subject. Together they craft and deliver exceptional learning experiences. When teachers watch an admired mentor teacher pitch a lesson sky-high and, by lesson’s end, reliably succeed with every child, it’s a transformative experience. Raise expectations for teaching and learning. Build teacher capacity. Join us.
Programming that works
NSSI's 2021 summer session finishes strong—with glowing reviews from students and parents alike.
80% of over 650 students who participated in NSSI’s Session 1 survey strongly agreed that teacher feedback improved their work.
85% of parents this summer said they were likely or extremely likely to recommend a summer school that uses NSSI's programming—with more than two-thirds selecting the highest possible response.
86% of nearly 2,000 students who participated in NSSI’s Session 1 survey agreed or strongly agreed that the program's novels made them want to read every day.
In their own voices
Hear how students take intellectual risks and learn from one another in Ms. Shampain’s fourth-grade math class.
Our five-part organizational commitment to leading for racial equity includes:
Rigorous curriculum that tackles texts and ideas that are at or above grade-level
Leveraging students' voices and expertise through discourse and deep thinking
Intentional connection and relationship-building, led by a diverse mentor teacher team
Psychologically safe classrooms
A culturally responsive curriculum that foregrounds and celebrates authors of color and thinkers and elevates their voices and perspectives.
The curriculum both creates windows (to learn about other countries, people, cultures, and ideas) and mirrors (to affirm the beauty and brilliance of people who are similar to our students) that are vital for young people to grow and thrive.
NSSI offers quality learning time as a solution to pandemic learning losses.
Steven Wilson shares the importance of increased quality learning time in combatting long-term consequences of the pandemic in Fortune.
“[There’s a] belief that academic learning is something to be suffered and endured, as opposed to something that can be deeply joyful and exhilarating,” Wilson said. “Kids are smart. What they’re going to feel good about is academic success, for which there will be no emotional substitute.”
The data are in
A new study from TNTP finds that learning acceleration was far more effective than remediation in addressing skills gaps and racial inequities. TNTP cites “compelling new evidence that school systems should make learning acceleration the foundation of their academic strategies next year and beyond.”
Students who experienced learning acceleration struggled less and learned more than students who started at the same level but experienced remediation instead. Learning acceleration was particularly effective for students of color and those from low-income families.
Ideas into action
Ian Rowe shares NSSI's innovation
See highlights of Ian Rowe's presentation at NewSchools Venture Fund Summit 2021. Joining an esteemed group for the opening plenary, in “Provocations for the Future," Ian sets out how NSSI accelerates learning and builds teacher capacity.
Harvard and University of Virginia scholars found that students in NSSI last summer improved their academic skills and gained confidence.
I honestly felt like all of my kids, they improved. Pretty much across the board they all said, I read differently now. And I pay attention to what I read. And I'm going to be thinking about what I read and what it means for my life.
—from a summer 2020 ELA partner teacher
Hear from a partner teacher
Hawking STEAM Charter School students take the NWEA MAP assessment three times a year. During in-school learning, the school anticipates an average of four points growth per trimester.
This trimester, my students had an average of 12.6 points growth–3X the target. This is especially astounding because the growth was even across high, middle, and low-performing students—only students with poor attendance had lower scores. Students’ scores were up across areas, including vocabulary, literature, and nonfiction. All this is particularly impressive as most students are ELLs.
Anne Barnes, 6th grade ELA teacher Hawking STEAM Charter School
Our partner network
Join district, charter, and independent schools partnering with us to offer a singular experience next summer.
National Summer School Initiative, Inc. 147 Prince Street, 3-54 Brooklyn, NY 11201
© National Summer School Initiative 2022