What is summer school (USA)?
Posted by jonathanemptage@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 226 comments
I live in England and we don't have it here as far as I can tell at least i've never been somewhere that has one. The term summer school in the UK is used for optional courses for example university preparation it genrally lasts lasts only 3 weeks. The AI explains it like this:
" summer school in the UK is an intensive, short-term educational program held during the summer holidays, typically lasting one to three weeks. They cater to all ages, providing specialized academic courses, university preparation, English language learning, or activity-based camps to boost skills and confidence."
But what is it in the USA?
Pitiful_Lion7082@reddit
It's often used for students who did not pass certain classes so that they can remain at grade level.
supertucci@reddit
Oh. Summer school! Nothing could put more fear in the hearts of a youngling than summer school.
Summer school is two things.
1) a shortened extra semester during which time you can voluntarily take extra classes. So let's say you need biology 101 to take the ecology class you really want to take, you might voluntarily attend summer school to get the biology class out of the way so you can do what you want. This would be the "good student" use of summer school
2) in my day the more common use of "summer school" was that if you failed a class or two or more, the only way you would be able to graduate on time as if you've made up that class during summer school. It was used as a threat and a mockery for people who were doing poorly in school. "You better Improve your grades or you'll be in summer school.!" I was a very good student who enjoyed school and even I was worried somehow that I would wind up in dreaded summer school lol.
Hope this helps
state_issued_femboy@reddit
Summer school isn't really that bad, just 4 hours of the same stuff you learned 4 months prior, repeated for 3 weeks, then you are done
Dakotasunsets@reddit
Option 3. For students with a significant of a disability and on an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) if one of their disabilities effected their ability to learn a specific subject, they could get supplemental materials so they do not fall behind and can start at the same level as they were at or their peers were at when they left the school year.
Sometimes it is for PT or OT. Sometimes it is for reading or math. Sometimes a combination depending on the individual needs of the student and what is documented on their IEP.
pwolter0@reddit
Option 4: It's for students like me who wanted to get out of High School ASAP, so I did summer gym and health to free up my schedule for an extra Science and History class allowing me to graduate in 3.
SirTwitchALot@reddit
Interesting. My school didn't give us that option. I had enough credits to graduate by the middle of my senior year, but they still made me take a full class schedule
cruzweb@reddit
We weren't allowed to graduate early, ever. We had a 4-year English requirement and couldn't take it ahead of time. I had enough credits to graduate by the start of senior year, but it was just English, health + a bunch of classes for filler. The school wasn't going to lose out on per-pupil-based funding by letting anyone out early.
If you wanted to graduate early and get on with your life, you dropped out at 16 and took the GED test, and I definitely know a few kids who did that.
donuttrackme@reddit
Did you get a nice case of senioritis?
botulizard@reddit
Option 5: We had voluntary summer school for elementary-age kids that was school-hosted educational (but generally fun) day camp.
cruzweb@reddit
I don't think this was really a thing at my school district, but truthfully, I don't know. There was a county-wide "intermediate school district" where students with significant learning disabilities went to take classes instead of their local school district.
capathripa@reddit
I had to scroll quite a way down to find this answer. Here we call it. ESY (extended school year), one of my kids has been doing it as long as he's been in school.
astralTacenda@reddit
I was option 1 in high school! took Chem 101 between my sophomore and junior years bc i was switching schools and my new school wouldnt let me take higher level biology without a chem credit, which my previous school did not offer as an option. at this point in my life my goal was becoming a biology major and later going into genetics so getting into that higher level bio class was important to me.
this was a normal college class at a local college. i was one of 4 students in that lecture hall under the age of 18, and was the only one who didnt know anyone else. isolating and nerve-wracking as all fuck.
the majority of the people I knew who took summer classes were in the second scenario. i was the weird kid for voluntarily taking more classes 😅
Aggressive_tako@reddit
I just found out that my county offers a summer school session for classes that they wouldn't normally be able to offer at each school individually. Archery, robotics, ecology, etc. It is first come first served with 15-25 spots per class offered at different locations around the city. I guess that it falls into the first bucket, but it feels more like a very limited (half day if you get into 3 classes) summer camp than a traditional summer school.
FreeRange0929@reddit
Problem is, No Child Left Behind means basically nobody fails anymore (or you have to REALLY screw up)
NetDork@reddit
Another, though unusual, case... Because of a change in credit requirements and class structure, I had the option to take two classes in summer school after 11th grade to graduate early. I decided not to, though.
Quirky-Flight-9812@reddit
Yep. Great breakdown between college / university and high / middle school.
state_issued_femboy@reddit
It's for people who failed a core class (English, social studies, math, science 9th-11th). Nowadays, most schools have an online credit recovery program, which you can either take during school or outside of school
LiveMarionberry3694@reddit
Aside from what others have said that it’s usually for kids that have fallen behind, there’s also a version of summer school for kids that are getting ahead
DanTheMan1_@reddit
Right. I mean yeah there are other reasons kids sometimes take Summer School (a head start to free up credits for the school year, taking drivers ed to prepare for driving or get their license in the summer, or some kids did just take it because they were bored). But by and large the vast majority were there because they flunked a class and if they wanted to eventually graduate on time or even move up to the next grade they needed to make it up.
ljb2x@reddit
Like most school things, must be regional. Summer school was only for "you're gonna flunk if you don't go to summer school" not getting ahead. Oh, and our drivers ed required a learners permit but is not required to get a license.
Theycallmesupa@reddit
If we could've talked our older son into it last year, he could've graduated in December (half year early).
He's absolutely crushing it though, so no real loss. He's still graduating on time and has two free periods at the end of the day.
CHICAG0AT@reddit
No point graduating HS early, especially if you plan on attending a four year university.
21stNow@reddit
Why?
Global_Mud_7473@reddit
“Yeah son just give up your summer so you can skip the easiest semester of school filled with events with your friends for no reason.”
LiveMarionberry3694@reddit
I took a math course over summer before 9th grade so I could be one ahead. Which meant senior year I didn’t need a math class
Sad-Macaroon9067@reddit
It is also available for kids in Special Ed to avoid "summer slide." When I worked in a self-contained (high needs) classroom we never had more than two consecutive weeks off. We would shorten the day for summer school, but otherwise, things went on as normal.
bookshelfie@reddit
Summer school is either for 1) kids that need to catch up 2) kids that want to exceed academically (example, taking algebra 2, before it’s taught during the school year so they can take AP calculus during the school year, so it looks good on their college application).
Usagi_Shinobi@reddit
In the US, it's a second chance for the kids who screwed around during the regular school year to gain credit for the classes they failed, so that they don't have to spend the next school year re-doing the previous one. It sucks when all your friends and peers are in a different wing taking 10th grade classes, and you're stuck hanging out with the kids from the middle school.
emmasdad01@reddit
It’s usually catch up sessions for low performers.
MadMatter86@reddit
While it is used for that, I knew more people who took summer school classes to free up their schedules during the normal school year, at least at the high school level. This was especially common for those involved in lots of sports and/or extracurricular activities, since the reduced class load during the regular semesters helped with accommodating those other activities.
DoublePostedBroski@reddit
I took the mandatory gym credit over the summer for this very reason.
padall@reddit
As in that's the only gym you had to take? Because we were required to take it all year every year.
Mad_Dizzle@reddit
In my school, you need 2 credits of "Physical Education" (1 semester was usually 1 credit). Health class was half a credit, and marching band also gave me half a credit. Hated gym class in elementary/junior high, so I did JROTC instead and I never had to do gym in high school.
DoublePostedBroski@reddit
Just two years/6 credits in high school. The other year I took it through something called “post secondary option” (dual enrollment) - I did golf lessons through a community college.
steviehatillo@reddit
Interesting! When was this? When I was in school that was definitely not offered as an option. They barely had enough teachers for the kids who had tot ale summer school for catch up, never mind getting ahead.
padall@reddit
Yeah, this is blowing my mind. Summer school was very much not this in my time and place. It was for kids who failed their classes and were trying to make them up.
MadMatter86@reddit
Late 90s/early 00s. There were only a few select courses offered in this manner.
Fluffy-Onion-6127@reddit
Late 90’s
SufficientProject273@reddit
When and where was this? In my area in the 90s you couldn't do that. Summer school was only for kids who failed or may have needed to catch up.
MadMatter86@reddit
Late 90s/early 00s in IL.
SufficientProject273@reddit
Probably like everything its region specific.
21stNow@reddit
In my system (early 90's), it alternated between remedial only (for people who had failed a class) and remedial plus enrichment (for people who wanted to get ahead). The system would open one school one summer, and two schools the next summer.
SufficientProject273@reddit
Small town in the south. For me it was strictly for kids who failed
safarifriendliness@reddit
PE was a popular class to take in the summer at my high school. There was a wider range of activities and you wouldn’t have to decide between a three minute school shower or smelling like shit all day
DanTheMan1_@reddit
When I was in high school in the 90's while most were people trying to make up grades so they could move up in the fall. One other use is a lot of people who were 16 or turning 16 would take drivers ed in Summer School just to get ready for getting their drivers license and not really to further any educational goal. (Although it did count as an elective credit, but that never seems to really be what hold most people back).
Fluffy-Onion-6127@reddit
I took welding class over a summer because I had nothing else going on. Just a way to fill the time.
mesembryanthemum@reddit
Yep. My best friend and I took typing and jewelry design so we had something to do.
bizoticallyyours83@reddit
Cool!
Entiox@reddit
Yeah, I took German 2 as a new course one summer because I had figured out that if I did that, and took 12th grade English the next summer combined with the credits I received for high school level classes taken in junior high I would have been able to graduate early. Then I fucked up, got busted with drugs and expelled from summer school, so that plan fell apart.
papercranium@reddit
A ton of honors students in my district took summer PE in order to pack in more advanced classes that otherwise wouldn't fit in their schedule. It was a known hack for raising you GPA, since you could get a 5.0 in an honors academic class, but only up to a 4.0 in physical education. For your junior and senior year, being part of a sport or in Marching Band (the latter of which had an honors track if you were good enough) could get you out of the PE requirement, but your first two years, summer gym was your best bet.
Emmyisme@reddit
This is what it was for me. I could take a couple of the core classes over the summer, still only be in school for a few hours a day, and then take fewer real classes during school so I could do more music stuff.
evet@reddit
I did summer school twice: once for typing (before computers were common), and once for driver's education. During the standard school year I had a full schedule of academic courses.
Objection_Irrelevant@reddit
I took history in summer school to free up a spot for AP courses. Granted I also had one course slot being used for sports.
Former-Mirror-356@reddit
I went to a private school and this was pretty common. You couldn't take something like English or math, but you could take certain classes that were required and free things up a little during the school year. I took the mandatory Intro to Technology course before school started, I think the other options were speech, some art and music courses, health, stuff like that.
Lhonors4@reddit
Alternatively the crazy overachievers can take PE over the summer to be able to fit an extra AP class in
toolguy8@reddit
I think this is more common than those playing catch up
Outrageous-Pin-4664@reddit
Exactly. I took Driver's Ed in summer school, because I didn't want to waste a whole semester on it during the regular school year.
Other folks I knew took PE in the summer for the same reason. It was a more relaxed atmosphere too. Instead of having to do actual PE stuff, they sat in the bleachers and played D&D.
des1gnbot@reddit
I did that for two summers, and combined with some math credits I had for taking advanced math in middle school and a community college class, I did high school in just three years. It definitely wasn’t an option anybody advertised or even would really advise on, but it worked!
CoderPro225@reddit
I took health class with a couple of friends during the summer before my sophomore year. Made it so I had room in my schedule to add the extracurricular classes I wanted as well as the honors courses I planned to take. Totally worth it. The 3 of us knocked out a semester course in a week. We also found that the answer keys to several of the unit tests we took were incorrect and made the school fix them, as well as change our scores after marking correct answers wrong on our tests. Fun times.
GeneseeJunior@reddit
Wow, thanks - this is an interesting aspect I was not aware of!
I was pretty disengaged from school, for the most part, and only wanted to be away from it as much as possible. I never did poorly enough to need summer school, and wasn't involved in sports, so I didn't feel compelled to free up time the rest of the year.
Now I'm an enormous nerd who's just finishing a PhD, and I sometimes wish I had taken better advantage of opportunities that were available in high school!
Professional-Front58@reddit
My brother took it to catch up on a course that didn’t transfer when he changed high schools. But it’s more known for catching up for low performance.
FalloutRip@reddit
This is what I did. The summer classes were easier, I had nothing else going on, and it freed up time in my yearly schedule. Kind of a no brainer for any classes you wanted to get out of the way for one reason or another.
one-off-one@reddit
Yep I never had to take PE during school because I loaded up in the summer
Pretty_Original124@reddit
It’s also as OP described. It’s either for catch-up or to get ahead, but I do first think of retaking a class when hearing “summer school.”
IsThisDecent@reddit
Also most kids in special education go to summer school.
BasicallyADetective@reddit
Yes, in my district it’s called 5th term (since there are 4 terms in the regular school year). Any student on an IEP gets priority to register. Then other students whose parents want them to get extra help can also register. So usually it isn’t students whose parents have failed but who struggled and are trying to catch up so the next year won’t be as difficult.
NoForm5443@reddit
This is the most common meaning, especially if they call it summer school.
Sometimes students use it to get ahead, and take more classes than usual. Most HS and colleges in the USA don't have one standard curriculum, but every student takes different classes, and sometimes a different number of classes, within certain parameters.
GeneseeJunior@reddit
This.
If you did poorly the previous school year (which in the US typically runs late summer to spring), too poorly to qualify for moving up to the next grade, summer school gives you a chance to do concentrated versions of the same work.*
Essentially a chance to retake the previous school year, and maybe do well enough to move forward.
*Whether one sees it as an opportunity or a penalty is up to them!
Ok-Conversation1730@reddit
Before my school changed its policy when I was in 10th grade, kids could take summer school classes to get ahead and graduate early. They did away with that. Now our school district has specific summer school classes for credit make up, but also a summer program for students that need help with certain academic issues such as literacy and mathematics tutoring.
GreenBeanTM@reddit
Or to graduate on time so you don’t have to repeat your last year of high school
GeneseeJunior@reddit
Yep!
ahferroin7@reddit
Adding to this though, due to NCLB and more recently ESSA, it’s much less common in many parts of the US for anybody below high-school level to end up dealing with summer school except voluntarily (it’s sometimes an option to take classes over the summer even if you’re doing well in school so that you can free up time during the normal school year), because it’s much much harder to fail badly enough to need summer school (or be held back a grade).
davidm2232@reddit
Even if you do really well, you may need to take a few summer school classes. I had my schedule so full that I had to take health class over the summer before my senior year.
expomac@reddit
This.
JeffTrav@reddit
Correct, but wanted to add that it’s usually just one or two classes. I’m not sure you could fit all your courses into one summer session.
We call it “credit completion”, which basically means you didn’t get a good-enough score to pass and get credit for the class, so you need to complete it.
GeneseeJunior@reddit
Yes, thanks for clarifying. 💗
InevitableRhubarb232@reddit
Or work ahead sessions for college students or kids who want to graduate early from high school.
ca77ywumpus@reddit
Yup. Although I also took driver's ed in summer school because taking it through the school district was half the cost of private lessons, and I'd be able to get my license as soon as I turned 16 in September.
fivejumpingmonkeys@reddit
I feel like that’s a good system. Here, it’s basically go on anyways; in very unusual circumstances, you repeat a grade, or if that fails, you get kicked out. Tbf they do give you a lot of support throughout the school year if you’re starting to fail, but still.
Acceptable_Peen@reddit
A lot of kids use it to take a class that they struggled to fit into their schedule for one reason or another- our oldest took government in summer school, because it conflicted with her AP classes that were offered in time slots that otherwise conflicted - this year our middle is taking the mandated personal finance class that o free up her afternoons next year to work
Fnthsch592@reddit
Or in my case, realizing you failed to schedule enough credits to graduate college on time and need a couple electives to meet the graduation requirements.
Zaidswith@reddit
I used to take summer classes in college so I could stay in the dorms. It meant there was only a short couple weeks where I'd have to vacate for them to do building maintenance between the end of summer and fall semester.
Neat_Cat1234@reddit
Most people I knew going to summer school were overachievers. Like if Algebra II was the regular intended math level for tenth grade, they’d do it the summer before starting high school to be in a higher level class during the school year. Some students I knew finished both of calculus courses before junior or senior year even started while others never even got to calculus.
aftersox@reddit
As someone who has taught summer classes, it's bimodal. You get the slackers who have to catch up, and you get the overachievers trying to graduate early.
78723@reddit
In my experience it was more for over achievers that wanted to get low gpa classes out of the way (summer school classes didn’t count for you gpa for some reason).
MacaroonSad8860@reddit
Yup. I got sent to summer school just for math one year but managed to make a special arrangement for private tutoring so I could keep my summer job.
MarqiMichelle@reddit
Or sessions to get ahead in college.
Bob_12_Pack@reddit
Yes, and often easier and more laid back.
MarqiMichelle@reddit
That depends on the class. I just wanted to get some pre-recs out of the way.
EpsilonAmber@reddit
It's like school but during the summer vacation. In my experience it was more like a glorified daycare.
KaBar42@reddit
In my high school, if you failed a grade, you had to go to school in the summer to make up.
Typically, teachers would have a course of work for you to do to get to a passing grade. I think you had two weeks to do it.
I failed my junior English class. He had a course made for those who didn't pass, but my major failure was not turning in my research paper. I really only needed to polish it up and finish the final draft so I didn't have to start entirely from scratch.
I also had to pay $250 to do the summer school, which sucked, but whatever, I guess.
MMARapFooty@reddit
Summer School is basically if you fail school year or state testing. Its basically catching up 10 months in 1 month in my area.In my area its in June.
LastOfTheAsparagus@reddit
In our district it was offered to those who wanted to get mandatory classes completed so we could schedule more electives. I took gym and one other class each year so i could be in band and chorus. People also had classes if they failed and didnt want to repeat the grade they were in.
dancingtreepose@reddit
In most high schools (9th-12th grade), if you fail a class that you need for a graduation requirement, you can re-take an accelerated version of the class during the summer to make up the credit. I imagine a lot of it is online nowadays.
In elementary schools, you sometimes see childcare offered in the building during the summer break and some are more academic-focused, like for kids who need extra reading help, and this gets called summer school. But sometimes they add fun activities and call it Summer Camp, Summer School Camp, or Summer Program, etc.
loolilool@reddit
In in Canada and we also have summer school. I did it twice. The students were a mix of keeners looking to get ahead and students who failed the course during the school year.
dobbydisneyfan@reddit
In addition to what others have said, “summer school” can also be a school program that is in session for disabled students, particularly those that are intellectually disabled or Autistic, who would regress a ton in their skills if they didn’t keep going to school year round. They usually have a break at the end of the school year for 2-3 weeks, come back for 6 (though it’s usually half days for those 6 weeks) then another 2 week break before the new school year begins.
SimpleAd1604@reddit
Summer school didn’t exist in my small town. It was just a threat to get kids who needed to do better, to do better. Little kids didn’t know any better.
Caliopebookworm@reddit
It can be used for kids that failed class OR you could use it as my mom did - to "prepare us for the next grade." My brother thinks it was free childcare but I believe my mom because back then, childcare was the great outdoors.
DrMindbendersMonocle@reddit
You take a class that's about 4 hours long each day for a couple of months. Its basically a weeks worth of regular class content per day.
ManateeFlamingo@reddit
I took summer school when I failed middle school math. It was an entire day of math for like 6 weeks. Its the worst!! Now they do not offer summer school here anymore. They just add the class to your schedule the next school year.
MsPooka@reddit
To the best of my knowledge, one of the big differences between US and UK schools is that we have less breaks throughout the year and then a longer summer break. We get about 10 days off for xmas, a week for spring break and 3 days off for Thanksgiving. That's it other than for federal holidays. Summer break is almost 3 months though so it's long enough to actually take classes. So you can take a class for 2-3 hours and over the summer it will be the same hours as taking the class for a semester. Generally it's because you failed the class that you have to do summer school.
jonathanemptage@reddit (OP)
you still get 13 weeks in summer when we have that number total.
General_Ad_6617@reddit
Fast track credit. We do about 20 days of instruction where the morning class covers the first semester and the afternoon class covers second semester. It's mostly used to make up failed classes, but occasionally you can get ahead.
nametaken420@reddit
USA is both:
Summer schools are the way to get ahead and a way to catch-up.
If you did poorly in the Fall or Spring you can make that up in the summer.
Alternatively, Maybe your local schools offer additional classes outside of the normal curriculum. Things like Shop, Home Economics, and Technology (programming). Schools offer these classes as well in the summer to help springboard students further. All of these are looked at by colleges and universities as extracurricular activities and help get your foot in the door most everywhere.
in college the summer is just another semester, nothing really changes there.
cmhoughton@reddit
It could be for optional things, I did it twice once for art and once for driver’s ed.
Then another time I had to do summer school for math since I failed to pass the full school year. I just hated the teacher I think. I got an A+ on the summer school session, that teacher actually made math fun.
Pitiful-Anxiety-1410@reddit
watch "summer school" with mark harmon...
krzysztofgetthewings@reddit
Where I went to school, it was a remedial class if you failed during the school year. A final class grade of 59% or lower was considered a failing grade, and you needed a final grade of 45% or higher to qualify for summer school.
magolding22@reddit
Summer school in the USA is generally for people who didn't pass all their courses in the regular school year to taken them over again and so be ready for the next school year.
I remember a joke in a comic book from about 1960 where a girl in elementary school, looking foreward to summer vacation, sings a traditional song about getting out of school for the summer.:
"No more pencils, no more books,
No more teachers's dirty looks!"
But then the principal of the school meets her and sings:
"No more seashore, no more pool,
You must go to summer school!"
And that was alright if she had to retake courses because of bad grades, but not right if the principal was arbitrarily punishing her, especially if he was punishing her merely for singing how glad she was to have a vaction from school.
Adorable_Dust3799@reddit
When i was younger it was for extra classes. Some people took classes every summer and graduated early. These days it's usually to retake a class that was failed.
No_Entertainment_748@reddit
Basically if you fail a class you dont get full summer break and you have to go to school for a month. Generally its doable because American schools have 10-12 weeks of summer break
huckleberryfawn@reddit
It depends on the local school district and the grade level. In the school district I attended up to 8th grade was enrichment type courses. Like it was a fun thing to go to. They had art classes, music classes, sporting events, and went on lots of educational field trips.
9th—12th grade (high school) was for “credit recovery” meaning students retaking a course they failed during the school year so they wouldn’t be behind starting the new school year. As well as just offering additional courses over the summer. They would offer a lot of courses that were required to graduate over the summer so you could take them then if you wanted which would free up a course slot for another course during the regular school year. When I was in high school I took personal finance over the summer one year. I could’ve taken it during the regular school year, but there was a different class I wanted to take the next year and the schedules didn’t work. So I took it over the summer to alleviate that conflict.
Bubbly-End-6156@reddit
Why did you ask ai to tell you? I don't get you guys always asking ai and accepting it as gospel.
FluffySharkBird@reddit
Some schools also offer normal classes with longer class periods and fewer days for summer school. They never offered anything that worked for ME, but my high school had physical education and a lot of other lower level classes everyone was required to pass before graduation.
I knew someone who took their history, government, and economic la classes in the summer to make room for their electives during the school year.
spoilederin@reddit
In HS we had people who were in 2 of the same extra curricular activity like choir or orchestra, (something like that), and also one like football, or soccer, or baseball. They would take summer school to catch up on the class they would be missing during the regular year due to the 1 extra EC that was duplicated. Most of the students that took the double EC were headed to college for it.
Accomplished_Ad_2954@reddit
I took Biology in summer school between my sophomore and junior years (1967). I knew I might be squeamish about dissecting a frog or even a worm and felt like a 3-hour class would give me more time.
hayleybeth7@reddit
It varies.
For school aged children/children still in compulsory school, it is used when a school aged child has failed a class, which they then take over the summer.
When I was in undergraduate, they had summer classes, some virtual, some in person. I did one summer class right before starting college because I got a grant that paid for it.
When I was earning my Masters, we had to do summer school unless we took a leave of absence.
Relevant-Emu5782@reddit
Most of the private schools in my area hold summer school classes that are open to anyone, not just their regular students. They are for taking an enrichment course, getting a head start in the coming school year, or taking a required but undesirable course (health, PE) to free up space in the regular school schedule so additional fun or advanced courses can be taken instead. They are not for credit recovery. My daughter took a high school field geology class in between 7th and 8th grade at a local private boys high school - not for credit but for fun.
mewikime@reddit
I never went to an Ameri can high school (I was a live-in kid at a boarding school in England) so I've only seen it through my kids' experience. But it seems to be just regular classes you can take in a compacted time frame, allowing you to take an additional class during the normal school year.
Like, last summer my son did Health in summer school, for two four-week semesters. This allowed him to be able to do an additional elective during the school year so he chose drama.
Another poster said it's catch up for under performers, but my son did Health as an incoming freshman, and he's in the honors classes (is in Honors English this year, but for sophomore next year because his grades have all been high across the board he's in Honors for math, science and social studies as well) so that doesn't track for all schools.
This coming summer he's doing Geometry, which will allow him to do Advanced Algebra a year early otherwise he'd have to do it as a junior.
Quirky_Commission_56@reddit
I had to take summer school once, because I missed half the year recovering from spinal surgery.
Tinkerfan57912@reddit
It is a 5-6 week program for low performing students to get enrichment and extra practice. In the high schools it’s credit recovery, student retake classes they failed to they can graduate on time.
semichaels@reddit
I took gym during summer school to free up my regular schedule. Swimming is also a section of gym and I just didn’t want to deal with it during the school year.
coltflory5@reddit
Summer school is what you do when you fucked up. it’s to help you catch up because you skipped too much school or failed too many classes—but it’s also kind of a punishment and deterrent for not maintaining scores/grades. It usually a small amount of kids going, with only a few classrooms operating, the school is a real ghost town during this.
I had to go one year in high school—it was kinda fun because it was all fuck-ups, so you could get weed and booze easily because you were in that social sphere of other misfits. There was also a kind of camaraderie that formed with kids you wouldn’t normally hang out with during the typical school year.
In some cases there are programs in the summer for ambitious kids who want to expedite completing school early or start getting college credits before completing high school. But that’s not usually what people mean when they say summer school.
farmerthrowaway1923@reddit
For most still in grade school it’s to catch up or make up failing classes. In college, it’s a fast way to knock out courses (squishing a class into 5 weeks). You can knock out 4-5 classes in a single summer, though it takes a bit of sanity in payment…
Carlpanzram1916@reddit
It’s basically classes you elect to take. Like you said, it’s a short term, maybe a month or so. Instead of only spending an hour or so in class spread out over a semester, you spend several hours a day in class to complete the course in a month.
There’s two kinds of people who usually end up in summer school. Kids who failed a class during the regular year and need to take make it up in order to stay on track to graduate, or higher achieving kids that are trying to fit in more advanced classes across the year.
Kali-of-Amino@reddit
It was the preferred time to take Driver's Ed, because you had more time behind the wheel.
DynamiteStorm@reddit
I took typing one year then drivers ed the next. My mom said ‘find something to do this summer or I’ll find you something to do.’
C1cadaDays@reddit
I see other people talking about upper level summer school- my school had it for elementary/middle as well. It was all fun activities, basically just a free babysitting service for parents that still had to work in the summer during school hours. You got two meals, got to do activities all day (with some education on the side), and at my school, if you had perfect attendance, you got a $100 Walmart gift card (my family always used it for school supplies lol)
IngloriousGlory@reddit
A waste of time for kids for bad grades.
JakeTheCake714@reddit
Before 6th grade started, I took summer school to get used to middle school before it started.
After 7th grade I took summer school…just because. There was no reason. I hated it though but it was a good experience.
In High School, I didnt take any summer school because I hated school but then they started charging $150 for it because it was sponsored by the community college? But I could have taken it after 9th grade to not have PE in 10th grade but I thought having PE in the hot summer was dumb.
hollylettuce@reddit
Other people gave better answers. But as a personal anecdote, there was a year that I took "Summer Gym". It lasted for 3 weeks, and the periods were 3 hours long. Instead of doing normal gym stuff we went on a lot of hikes and did a lot of outside sports. It was during the height of the recession so the next year it lost its funding so I had to take normal gym. But it was a neat experience and a way to get ahead and freed up a class period during the normal school year.
Working-Office-7215@reddit
In some states summer school is free and open to anyone in the district. We live in Missouri and our school year is pretty short relatively, so I make all my kids go to summer school the month of June. It is mostly play based learning with lots of games and hands on activities. Plus it’s free and they get bussing
Purplehopflower@reddit
It can either be the same as what you describe for the UK. However, that’s more commonly referred to as Summer session, or Summer Enrichment. Typically summer school is for remedial classes to catch up students who didn’t pass the course during the academic year.
Glum-Welder1704@reddit
It's used when a student fails a class that would prevent him from advancing with his age group. It's a punishment for both student and parent, so the threat works as an effective motivator.
sighnwaves@reddit
First understand that Summer Break in the US is typically far longer. US students get on average 10-13 weeks off in the summer.
Because of this there is an entire usable semester of teaching for low performers in the summer.
jonathanemptage@reddit (OP)
10-13 weeks mate in the UK we only usually had 6 weeks. we get 13 off total (Christmas easter summer and half term). although in our last year of GCSE (A massive load of exame we take at 16) we had about 8 weeks.
sighnwaves@reddit
Yeah, we get winter and spring break (7-10 days each)....and those who are graduating (seniors) get a decently long exam period off typically.
The long summer break is beloved by American kids. It's why so many 80s kid movies and TV shows take place during summer break. It's why the last day of school is so celebrated. It's why summer camp is an industry here.
Summer break is sacred. Summer school is feared.
jonathanemptage@reddit (OP)
we get \~2-3 weeks at Christmas and 2 in the spring for Easter we also get 3 1 week half terms (1 each term).
h4baine@reddit
Our schools are governed at the local level so the schedule is not standardized like it is in the UK. There are places that have a harvest break because the local area is all farming. I know parts of Maine have a potato harvest break. The state determines how many days school has to be in session and it's up to the school district to create their schedule.
sneezhousing@reddit
It varies but generally in autumn there is 5 days of 1 sept 1 October three in November.
Then 5 to 8 days for Christmas break. 1 week in spring. We a few other Monday holidays here and there.
Then they get out end of May and don't go back until mid to late August.
Again this is rough estimate. In some places they get a week in autumn too and get out later in June. Then they go back in September.
So summer school is during those 10 weeks. It's for kids that failed or barley passed. They take it so they can stay on track and not be held back a grade. They basically repeat class or school year for primary level that they just failed. They use that time to bring them up to grade level so they can make it next school year.
Also some schools let you take classes ahead. So say you have a hard time with maths. You take the next year class when that's all you need to focus on. Then when school year starts you have a free period because you already did math for that year
ComparisonOk8602@reddit
Nobody seems to be mentioning that summer school, for the most part (of course there are counterexamples) only exists in areas of high population density. For most of the country (geographically), summer school is not a thing, just something from movies.
Dax_Maclaine@reddit
Traditionally, summer school is for people in middle/high school that fail classes and have to make them up. Rather than be held back, they retake the classes over the summer to pass.
Alternatively in college, one could take additional classes in the summer. This could be because of scheduling conflicts and not being able to take a class during the normal semester, getting ahead to graduate early, or the same reason as before to make up a failed class. Although, these are usually referred to as “summer classes” instead of summer school
shelwood46@reddit
Yes, my college had a summer session, usually of 6-8 weeks, where you could take classes. They'd often meet 5 times a week or half a day rather then the usually 1-2 hours, to get all the lessons in -- they did some foreign language immersion courses that met 8 hours a day, M-F, they were very popular. They also had a January Interim between the fall and spring semesters, that was 4 weeks and was mostly all day or half day every day classes, again, really good to now off some credits (if you picked 2 half day classes, you could get 6 credits taken care of).
hiirogen@reddit
When the kids were forced to go online during COVID, both of my high schoolers at the time had to do summer school to make up credits for classes they slacked off on.
It’s a joke honestly. My son buckled down and did all the work and turned it in in 2 days. My daughter put it off (and ignored our constant nagging) until the day before it was all due then basically pulled an all nighter to get it all done just under the wire.
Odd_Obligation_1300@reddit
In addition to the other comments, our local high school is threatening to fail kids who miss too many days of school. So, even if a kid has an A In Biology all year long, she may have to retake the whole class in the summer to get credit if she missed the class too many days - even if she was sick.
AND, parents are told they will have to pay for it!
dough_eating_squid@reddit
When I was in elementary school, the school offered "fun" summer classes, like cooking and crafts and fun science projects, as a way to provide child care for parents who worked and couldn't leave their kids home. I went to that.
For high schoolers, it's more for if you failed a class and need to catch up.
prometheus_winced@reddit
The documentary film Summer School, presented by Mark Harmon, should help explain things.
prometheus_winced@reddit
So you can ask AI about summer school in the UK but you can’t ask it about the US.
bizoticallyyours83@reddit
Its to help kids who are struggling and in danger of being held back a grade.
Oomlotte99@reddit
I can be a couple of things:
People may do summer school to catch up to grade level.
People also do summer school to advance grade level (I did this the summer between middle and high school; we took an accelerated course of the freshman year science classes so we would start at sophomore level in the fall).
People may also use summer school for enrichment and to have structure during the summer months.
MyLittlPwn13@reddit
I took Driver's Ed in summer school because I have a July birthday. Also took a couple of requirements during the summer so I could fit in more arts and writing.
Shot_Construction455@reddit
Most summer school classes are for students who failed to complete the course for whatever reason. Additionally, some special needs students will attend summer classes due to continuity and structure being important to their success. The summer break in the US is typically at least 10 weeks and if I remember correctly from when I lived in the UK (no kid at the time though) summer holidays were only 6 weeks. Also, in high school some students will take the opportunity to do extra classes to free up time in the school year, graduate early or get ahead on dual enrollment classes so they finish high school and get their Associates degree at the same time.
reffervescent@reddit
In general, summer school for those in junior high or high school (12-18 years old) is a chance to retake a class a student failed, although sometimes they are taking new classes at a community college if they are about to finish high school. Students in higher education often take accelerated classes in the summer to get their college credits completed as quickly as possible so they can graduate earlier (and possibly get out of paying higher tuition when the rates go up).
Great_Value_Trucker@reddit
My parents made me do summer school so I was out of their hair for part of the summer. I just did fun classes. That's all. Like art and what not.
RedSolez@reddit
Catch up work for low performers or get ahead work for high performers. For instance you can take college courses at a community college before you've completed high school to fulfill a pre requisite for another course.
TubaJesus@reddit
At my school it was catch up for poor students. I high school though you could take classes in summer school to graduate early or take a class to free up a specific period that you needed to make your electives work. For example you're in band, photography and you want to take robotics but because of band and photography you can only take it when you can take your German language class. Well I would just take German during summer school so I can take the robotics class and have some fun during school
cathemeralcrone@reddit
Drivers Ed is often taught in summer school. That's when I took it.
TehWildMan_@reddit
At my high school, we had a 6 month "retake" summer section. If you failed core classes that would delay your graduation, you would be allowed to attend that session to attempt to pass it again.
thesweetestberry@reddit
Generally summer school means to help students who were falling behind.
My school did not have that type of summer school. However, they had a program for students like myself who liked school and got good grades. We could register and attend to learn cool stuff related to school subjects. I remember a science class with outdoor fun activities. I remember making egg safety container that would keep an egg safe when it was parachuted off the school, field trips to local colleges and universities, and making a teepee in the field behind the school. None of it was classroom curriculum. It was all fun activities.
Bvvitched@reddit
I had to take health and PE during summer school because if I didn’t I wouldn’t have enough credits to graduate.
At my public school we had an audition only drama program where half your school day was drama related, because of that all of us had summer school
Responsible-Chest-26@reddit
Its often called ESY or extended school year. Some times is because a student has special needs and requires a little extra help to keep up, some times its to take extra classes. Generally speaking though its usually for those that need to catch up
Playful_Fan4035@reddit
There are three main types of summer school programs in the US:
-credit recovery: classes for students who failed during the school year to get credit for courses or grade levels
-original credit: taking classes in the summer that you have never taken before that you can finish quickly and don’t want to take during the main school year or want to take a more accelerated class and need a prerequisite course first.
-extended school year: classes for at risk, but not necessarily unsuccessful, students to have a shorter gap between school years and get ahead a little. For example, students who are learning English as a second language or students with disabilities.
hail_to_the_beef@reddit
Shortened semester to earn a credit for a class over summer break. I always took history classes in summer school so I could have more time in my regular school year for fun classes like band and photography.
ssk7882@reddit
Where I grew up, summer school also offered many courses that weren't a part of the usual academic schedule. They were often open to adults as well. I took a summer school class in computer programming, for example, before there were any computer science classes yet on offer during the school year (it was 1982).
MilkChocolate21@reddit
People are saying low performers but there are programs for people who want to get ahead. And in college it can free up classes during regular term.
travelinmatt76@reddit
Like many have said it's common for kids to take if they are behind or have failed a class. I took it to get a head start on the next year.
therealbamspeedy@reddit
Only 'summer school' I've ever heard of was for elementary/middle school. Gives something for the kids to keep them busy, it wasnt for 'troubled' kids or to get ahead.
Three week program, has less 'text book' classes and more outdoors/sports/arts and crafts, etc. It could have stuff like computer programming, but since its little kids.....its very, very basic obviously. No grades, no tests, just introducing kids to new things. And/or it has fishing class, swimming, nature walks, arts and crafts, camping trips, trips to the water park. Some classes of course in higher demand than others.......
Though its offered up to 8th grade, participation steadily declines, as kids are more able to 'stay home alone' so parents aren't needing to use the summer school as free daycare/babysitter (and older kids get bored with it/hate it/have other stuff they can do, etc). By 7th/8th grade it seems participation is at or near 0% or 1 unlucky soul with mean parents signed them up and they are stuck in a class with younger kids (or the class will just be canceled from low participation and they will have to pick new classes)
goblin_hipster@reddit
I'll add my experience. In tenth grade, I failed geometry. Since I couldn't graduate with a failed grade, I had to "make it up" in summer school.
Basically, I repeated the course in a condensed format (about 2 months IIRC). It started June 21 (I remember because this was my 16th birthday lmao) and went until late July or early August. I managed to scrape by with a C.
My grades were updated. The F is still on the transcript, I think, but so is the summer school grade, so for all intents and purposes the F was replaced with a C.
shammy_dammy@reddit
Depends. Summer school traditionally is a catch up period for failing students. Remedial instruction to get them to the point they need to be to start the next grade with their peers. With my kids' school, summer school can also be enrichment classes, things they choose to do...arts, crafts, etc. They serve breakfast, lunch, do field trips.
oarmash@reddit
Classes offered by school districts over the summer to allow students that failed Or underperformed during the school year to catch up or redo the class
OR
Allows students to take courses to jump ahead and allows them to take more advanced courses during the next school year
dimap443@reddit
It a also a way to get some extra credits to speed up your degree
HorseFeathersFur@reddit
I took summer school for extra credit so I could graduate at the age of 17.
Competitive_Web_6658@reddit
I got sent to summer school between 4th and 5th grade (9-10 years old) because I was so bad at math and technically did not pass the 4th grade.
I did not get better at math. My parents enrolled me in a private school with lower standards and I just did 5th grade like nothing happened. My math teacher let me do manual labor after class in exchange for a D (barely passing grade). All of which is to say that the American education system is kind of a joke.
anneofgraygardens@reddit
I did summer school once. In the first semester of my freshman year of high school, i got a D in algebra 1. I just really did not understand what was going on. The second semester, i got a C and was permitted to move on, but the D was still on my record.
Two years later, when I was thinking about college, I met with my counselor about my options. The D was the worst grade I'd ever received and we talked about what to do about it. I asked if I could retake algebra 1 and remove it from my record and was told this would work.
So I did. By this point, I had already taken Algebra 2, and the stuff that had been such a struggle as a freshman was a breeze. I got an easy A and my GPA went up a surprising amount.
Most of the other places in the class had just failed algebra the previous year and continued to struggle with it. If they didn't pass it in summer school, they would have to repeat it during the school year. One of the people in the class was an incoming freshman who wanted to move faster through the math requirements than is typical because she was very ambitious.
McLargepants@reddit
In my experience, summer school is for high performing kids who don't want to waste time on their schedule that could be filled with classes that grant college credit on basic stuff like gym, and then more commonly students who need remedial classes to catch up to graduate on time.
Lcky22@reddit
Where I work we offer it in July for three hours a day Monday through Thursday for students with special needs to keep them on schedule and provide respite for their family caretakers at home. But we call it extended school year.
dildozer10@reddit
If you don’t pass your classes, you won’t have enough credits to graduate. Summer school gives you an opportunity to make up those credits.
CleverGirlRawr@reddit
Summer school can be used to re-take a failed class. Or, like in my daughter’s case, take classes ahead of time because band requirements get in the way of other classes. So she took health over one summer, and is taking government and economics this summer so she has room in her schedule for the other classes she wants to take next year.
SabresBills69@reddit
there are different types….
child fails a class so it’s summer make up.
in elementary/ middle school they run child enrichment programs in math and sciences
when I was in high school one of the graduation requirements was a half year human health class. it was hard for me to take this during regular school year with my schedule so I did over the summer over 6 weeks. drivers Ed was another common one folks would do in the summer. there were a few other classes offered thst would usually be half a year in length ( accounting, psychology, sociology).
when I went we had gym requirements so it was sp
it class of gym/ study hall in an alternating 2-3 day a week set up. some did health or drivers ed during these split prriods where they do the class instead of study hall.
tofay schools offer summer school as a form of day care with older children where they might focus on different things each week. One week might be in Arts like drawing or painting, another week coukd be sports focused, another could be science based.
honorspren000@reddit
In elementary school, it’s less for low performers and serves more as a low cost childcare for summer break.
In middle school, when kids are usually 11-years old and older, summer school dramatically turns into a catch up period for low academic performers.
cyvaquero@reddit
Commonly used to make up low/failing classes to prevent being held back but it can also be used to get ahead. My youngest took summer school to graduate High School a semester early.
uffdagal@reddit
Extra class or catch up work. One summer I took typing and speed reading (a thing in the 80’s) ( between 7th and 8th grade). Didn’t realize how important typing works be in the future. My dad just didn’t let us sit around so I’d no camp or no plans, summer school options plus volunteering.
Littleboypurple@reddit
Summer School is basically "Catch-up School"
I had to take it 2 years during High School to make up two separate classes that I had failed before. The entire point was that you would be showing up to school during a brief month or so period and be focusing exclusively on one singular important class that is required to graduate, that you had failed, to make up the entire thing. It would basically be a crash course of it within a shortened school day. You would be there for probably like 4-6 hours or something. Show up, get to your class, spend some time there, go outside for lunch, and go right back inside to finish the rest of the day.
304libco@reddit
So what happens to kids in the UK who say fail an essential class like English or math? Do they have to go to school an extra year?
jonathanemptage@reddit (OP)
They fail. simple as that.but then failing s really only a problem at age 16,18 and the final year of University.
At 16 we take exams called GCSE's in 7 subjects there are a number of exame (2-3) in those 7 subjects if you fail maths and English you will need to retake them the next year at a local collage (not university) until you get grade 4 (like a C) in them there are courses for those who really fuck up the GCSE's can do a course like https://www.henleycol.ac.uk/courses/view-all-courses/item/85/access-to-further-education which can lead to level 2 courses called Btec and these can lead to what we call level 3 courses
These come in a few flavours:
A level these take 2 years you choose 4 subjects 1 of which you drop after the first year exams weather you fail or you just don't like it you still get a grade called an AS level and Ucas points (I'll explain these later).
BTEC these are vocational based unlike the more academic focused A level at LV3 you do also have exams there is also 2 weeks work experience each year they take about 2 years
T level these are industry focused courses you get 45 days of work experence with these courses.
All LV3 courses carry UCAS points which you can use to apply to university a university will hava page which looks like this https://www.solent.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/electronic-engineering-beng/2026/beng-hons-electronic-engineering-3-years-2026 and you can see the required points at the top you get these points based on your grades at level 3 if your applying along side your course you'll get whats called a conditional offer based on your predicted grads if your applying with your acheaved grades you'll likley get a firm or unconditional offer.
manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit
It's a time for students to make up classes they failed. Otherwise, they have to repeat the class the next school year.
sgtm7@reddit
It is generally for people who are behind in their classes. However, at my high school, they also offer classes for students who want to get ahead.
Bluemonogi@reddit
I don’t know if there really are summer sessions now for k12 schools. The classes would have been for kids who were failing school subjects.
I don’t remember the schools I attended offering summer school but I was never failing either so wasn’t something I needed. I don’t know anyone who went to summer school.
Colleges will often offer shorter intense classes (lasting maybe a month) during the summer.
North_Artichoke_6721@reddit
At the college level, you can use summer school to take classes, usually general education courses that are not that difficult. Like “Intro to XYZ” type classes. It’s a fairly low-stakes way to complete required courses and get them out of the way.
Pomeranian18@reddit
I'm a teacher, and also teach summer school in my district.
It's not consistent from district to district. In my district, students who fail required courses must make them up and pass them or they will not graduate high school. Required courses in my state include: English (4 years), Math (3 years), History (3 years), Science (2 years) etc. You also have to have a minimum number of credits, in our state 120.
The whole thing is kind of a scam though. I teach for 6 weeks. Each class is 2 hours long. This is supposed to be in place of a year-long class. I also make it very easy so that basically if they attend and do the work, they will pass. I still get lots of kids who fail because they don't bother to come to class
In our district this is free to students, but in other district they might have to pay. Also some districts no longer have summer school, and instead have 'online credit recovery' which is a bigger scam, since they all use AI to cheat.
In richer districts, summer school can also be a choice for a good student who decides to take more classes. But it's usually used in the way I use it.
There are also enrichment classes before high school. That is more what your UK thing is like. These are classes designed for kids the district suggests need extra support because they might fail or did fail--they can decide to go or not. It doesn't cost anything.
We also have something called "Extended School Year" for cognitively impaired students--this is so they don't have the long summer gap because special ed kids can lose learning much faster than regular ed kids.
SavannahInChicago@reddit
My brother failed a couple classes in high school and had to take summer school to repeat those classes if he wanted to move on to the next grade.
ExcitementMurky2156@reddit
I was in an IB program, but my parents wanted me to take driver’s education to reduce their car insurance rates. The course would not have fit into my regular courseload, so that meant summer school. It was a strange mix of kids who had fallen behind academically and nerdy IB kids who wanted to take extra classes.
Murderhornet212@reddit
If you failed some classes during the year, you take them again over the summer so that hopefully you don’t have to repeat the entire grade.
dystopiadattopia@reddit
It's what teachers threaten you with if you don't do better in class
Quirky-Lecture-6066@reddit
For high school age students, summer school is mostly a way to make up credit for a failed class. So a student does not pass biology, they are given the option to take a condensed version of the class in the summer (usually 3 to 6 weeks). If they pass summer school, they dont have to repeat the class during the next school year. There are also some summer school classes that are 'extentions' where students can get a head start or practice schools. The high school I went to had language extentions over the summer that focused on conversation. These classes were smaller than the usual language classes and less formal. You didn't earn 3 credit hours for these classes like you would for a normal semester long language class. They also had some IB chemistry and IB biology summer programs. At a smaller school, they probably offer the credit recover option and not the extension option. If a student wants to grt ahead, they can take a summer program at a university or community college.
At the University level, summer semester is a higher intensity version of a class you haven't taken yet. So you might be in a lecture for 2+ hours and have 2+ hours of outside work each night. You only take one or two of these at a time.
AleroRatking@reddit
So there are two kinds of summer school.
The first is summer school. Basically kids who failed who are trying to pass the class they failed in summer so they don't have to retake it
The second is what we call ESY (extended school year) and is the far more common one where I am. This is for students with special needs and to help with regression.
JustHomer68@reddit
High performing kids can elect to take summer school classes if they intend to graduate early or if they want to take more classes in a field of study.
An example would be to take physical education classes in summer (because they're abundant) so they can take more chemistry classes when they're offered during the school year.
My kids didn't like to finish their school day sweaty so they took PE during the summer.
Puzzleheaded-Bee4698@reddit
Also, many high schools offer Advanced Placement (AP). If a student does well in an AP class, many colleges & universities will consider the AP class equivalent to a college class. It can save the student time & money, compared to taking the class in college. Going to summer school makes it easier for the high school student to take AP classes.
Help1Ted@reddit
I did this as well. Took personal fitness and I believe health classes over the summer. Both were required and I just wanted to get them out of the way.
AliMcGraw@reddit
Where I am it's a mix of catch-up credits and "fun" classes that meet your arts or voc-tech requirements. My two in high school are taking drafting for 3D printing and culinary arts this summer. My older has also done drama and history of film in prior summers. After this summer he'll be old enough to work so he'll be doing that in the summers.
They also do sports "camps" through our local HS -- my younger goes and runs with the cross-country team to get ready for the season. Incoming freshman can do these sports camps so he knew a few people when he started school that were in cross country with him.
Ask_Aspie_@reddit
Summer school is usually 2 to 4 weeks. There are 2 main reasons someone would go to summer school.
The most common reason is that the student is falling behind, or failed a required course that they need to pass in order to move on to the next grade.
The other reason is to get ahead. The student can choose to take an accelerated course they are required to take next year. A lot of students choose this option if they don't want to spend a whole semester taking it. I did that for economics. I thought it was a boring class to have to sit through for 3 months, so I did it in 2 weeks over the summer. Or a student will chose this option so they can chose an elective in its place. So if you take world history over the summer, that slot will then be open the following school year to take music, or drama, or art class which are considered electives since they aren't "required". When I was a senior in high school, I made it so that I only had to take an English and a Math class (because those ones you can't take over the summer unless you failed them. Like you can't take an accelerated version of those because they want you to take them all year) and all my other 4 classes were electives because I wanted to have fun my last year.
viola1356@reddit
Adding one more I haven't seen in the comments: students with disabilities that affect learning or cause them to regress during long breaks are often offered a version of summer school called extended school year to help maintain their progress so they don't lose skills during the long holidays. It's also an opportunity for those who receive school-based therapies (Speech, OT, etc) to have continuity with those services.
Imaginary_Ladder_917@reddit
I agree with most of the others. However, you may occasionally hear it in the university setting, probably more like, “I’m taking a class over the summer.” In this case it’s a regular course, sped up and intensified to fit into a shorter time frame. Students will do this to get classes out of the way so their course load in the regular school year is a bit lighter.
Cant-think-of-a-nam@reddit
Basically to catch up for kids that are falling behind so they dont have to repeat a grade
NurseKaila@reddit
We have summer school for lower performing student who require remediation and a smaller number of optional programs for higher performing students to work ahead.
There are far more remedial, required summer schools than optional summer school sessions because Murika!
Brilliant_Towel2727@reddit
If you fail a class they make you retake it during summer.
HospitalAmazing1445@reddit
U.S. degrees usually require you complete a set quantity of courses to earn your degree.
Unlike in the UK these courses don’t all have to be completed in any specific orders unless one is a prerequisite. You, as the student, are responsible for working out what courses you need to complete and plan out which years you will take them in order to graduate on time.
This means for some courses you might have a mix of first year and fourth year students in the same class, especially for core courses that aren’t related to your “major”.
If you complete more courses than necessary in each year you can graduate early because you’ll meet the graduation requirements halfway through your final year, or if you go really hard it’s possible to graduate a full year ahead of schedule in some cases.
Many schools offer “summer school”. This takes place during the U.S. summer break, that makes available a decent portion of the curriculum for students prepared to formally study through the summer. These are the same classes available throughout the year.
Reasons people might do this:
rmutt-1917@reddit
I elected to take summer school so I could free up an extra period during the normal school year and take two elective arts classes (band and video production)
I took U.S. history one summer and physical education another summer.
You cram a whole year's worth of classes into a month. We only had class in the morning, but it was the same class for 4 hours a day.
There is also a mandatory summer school for people who fail certain subjects and need to retake them. If someone fails English or math their first year of high school, they can't take the next course their second year. Which means that they might not be able to graduate. So they have to take it again in summer to pass and be able to stay on schedule.
The majority of students don't take summer school so they just have a normal summer break.
the_real_JFK_killer@reddit
I had to take summer school one summer for chemistry (side note, fuck chemistry).
It was a few days a week, id go in and take my chemistry class. I was actually able to learn way better than in regular school as it was a smaller classroom and my summer school chem teacher was way better than my regular school chem teacher. Most kids were there for a few subjects and so stayed longer, but I just came in, took one subject, and left.
sageamericanidiot@reddit
For kindergarten through highschool it's typically a 2-4 week period during the summer for students to get extra support/earn credits. In elementary it's a good opportunity for students that struggle in certain areas. In my experience it's mostly just free childcare and an opportunity for social engagement. For highschool students it's an opportunity to earn credits for graduation. For various reasons, absence or low performance, students may have not earned course credit during the school year. It can also help free up class periods for the upcoming school year, which is beneficial for students that train for sports or have a job.
Not all schools offer summer school due to budget. My district used to offer it to everyone, regardless of needing extra support or not, but now it's only offered to at risk students and they've recently started charging fees.
ForeverSquirrelled42@reddit
It’s for kids who fail the year. It gives them an opportunity to satisfy the requirements to move on in grade with their peers so they’re not behind.
deathbychips2@reddit
It can also be to catch up on courses. I took courses in university to just finish faster.
However, usually in the US it is for people who failed the grade or a course during the regular year.
HeyAQ@reddit
There are typically a few different “summer schools.” They usually run for the month of July after the Fourth. Three purposes — again, broadly:
voicedance@reddit
I went to summer school in 10th grade after failing Biology. We were picked up by the bus every morning and taken to the computer lab to work. Everyone did their own thing throughout the day...usually just short lessons and then quizzes after each one. Once we reached a passing grade, we could either take that grade and leave or stay to get it as high as possible. It was really boring but we were allowed to listen to music and eat snacks. I stayed for about a week and a half.
gard3nwitch@reddit
It's usually for kids who are struggling to keep up and need extra time in school.
Donald_J_Duck65@reddit
We have the same initially the USA.But we also have make up classes for kids that fucked up during the traditional school year and need to retake a failed class or need more credits.
RingGiver@reddit
If you fail a class, you get to retake it in the two-month summer break before the next year starts.
Zealousideal_Cod5214@reddit
US summer school is basically just school during summer that students who are on track to be short on credits have to take so they can actually make up the credits.
I unfortunately had to go to summer school multiple times because I just did not take school seriously. Refused to do any homework, which made my grade low enough that I had to attend, despite doing well on most tests and essays.
RHS1959@reddit
“You didn’t pass 6th grade. You can repeat it next year OR you can attend summer school as a second chance and (if you pass that) start 7th grade next year with all of your friends”
that_is_so_Raven@reddit
Sometimes it's for low performer students as someone else mentioned (e.g. let's say Billy is terrible at math so let's make him retake it during the summer)
Other times, some districts allow you to take required classes during the summer instead of during a conventional school year. It lets you graduate earlier or make your schedule open to more/different credit hours.
I took summer gym (physical education) so I could make room to take a special math class. My roommate in college took a summer chemistry class so he could get into an advanced chemistry track faster.
PeaceBrain@reddit
It’s for people retaking class but also high-performing or busy students who want to take extra classes (it looks good when applying to university) or lighten their load during the year.
GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit
If you struggle during the regular school year, or miss significant time due to illness or similar, it's offered as an opportunity to get caught up. Or, sometimes, required to avoid being held back a grade.
jandiferous@reddit
If you fail a class, you can make up the credit during the summer so you don't have to repeat the whole year.
Ok-Possibility-9826@reddit
Basically, if you failed some classes and you wanna graduate on schedule, you have to go to summer school.
Velox_1@reddit
It doesnt always exist, but if you fail one of your courses (usually at the high school level), you may have the option of retaking the course during the summer.
LettingHimLead@reddit
If you fail a class, you can take it again in summer school to keep from falling behind your peers.
Financial_Month_3475@reddit
Kids who are behind their classmates sometimes get sent to summer school to try to catch them up.