Rochester City School District Superintendent Carmine Peluso met with representatives from the U.S. Department of Education at the White House on Wednesday to discuss summer learning initiatives.
During the meeting, Peluso highlighted the challenges faced by approximately 3,000 students in the district who dealt with housing instability the previous year. He emphasized the importance of tailoring the summer programs to address the specific needs of these students.
Peluso emphasized the district’s commitment to providing high-quality academic instruction along with enriching activities to ensure that students not only stay on track academically but also have access to diverse learning opportunities. The ultimate goal is to prepare students to graduate successfully by maintaining their grade levels throughout their academic journey.
The recent scrutiny of the district’s summer programs during a school board meeting revealed that attendance rates averaged 68% last year. Alysia Thomas, the director of expanded learning, pointed out that research indicates a minimum attendance rate of over 75% is necessary for improved academic performance.
To boost attendance rates, Thomas mentioned implementing attendance incentives such as pep rallies and ice cream socials to create a more engaging learning environment. The availability of pandemic relief funding enabled the hiring of additional support staff, including social workers, teacher assistants, and paraprofessionals for the upcoming 2023 summer school session.
Looking ahead, the focus will be on increasing participation among English language learners by addressing existing barriers and ensuring their enrollment in various programs and opportunities offered by the district.
For the upcoming summer season, the district has allocated approximately $4 million for summer programming, aiming to cater to nearly 3,500 students.