Introducing #220BOSS: Barrington Online Summer School

Starting in the summer of 2020, Barrington 220 is proud to begin offering a new program called Barrington Online Summer School (#220BOSS). In this program, students and teachers will collaborate in an asynchronous virtual learning environment. Students engage in learning experiences from outside the district and submit evidence through an online learning management system. Teachers will provide personalized feedback and custom assignments based on individual student progress. This program will be offered to outgoing students in Grades 2–5 in the first year and will be evaluated for possible expansion thereafter.

Potential Benefits of #220BOSS
The primary benefits of online summer school are flexibility and personalization. Students will have the space to engage in learning experiences from anywhere at times of their choosing. Teachers are designing learning experiences to take advantage of the fact that students aren't in a traditional classroom and have the world at their fingertips. In addition, teachers can provide personalized feedback to students and shape future learning experiences based on student performance. Throughout the process, students and teachers will dialogue to ensure the best possible experience.

Sessions of online summer school will run concurrently with traditional summer school, as well as after summer school is over. Classes are being developed by teachers who are encouraged to stretch the boundaries of what can be done and not constrain themselves to the standards of core curriculum. The idea is to provide unique experiences that our students will enjoy.

Rationale and Feedback
Since the 1990’s, research surrounding the lack of instruction or educational opportunities during the summer months has shown a decline in achievement scores, especially for at-risk populations. Barrington 220 schools have responded by creating robust summer school programs and summer reading programs to encourage our students to continue reading and learning throughout the summer.

Informal feedback from parents on Barrington 220’s summer school program suggests that the limitations of the summer school calendar and a lack of transportation to and from summer school locations are a hindrance to maximizing district-supported summer learning opportunities.

As part of the One to World initiative, Barrington 220 students in Grades 1–5 keep their iPad devices for the summer, allowing students access to numerous instructional programs and opportunities to continue learning.

In the fall, we surveyed Barrington 220 elementary parents about their participation in the traditional summer school program and their interest in the possibility of online summer school options. Out of over 300 respondents, 85% said that they were interested in online summer school options. 49% cited transportation and scheduling issues as reasons why they did not sign their students up for summer school. 

Some Barrington 220 parents cited too much tech and screen time as a reason for not wanting to explore online summer school, while others said that more time practicing tech tools would be a benefit. It's important to note that while communication and activities would be shared through an online portal, many learning activities are being designed to maximize time outdoors and to take advantage of the fact that students would have many environments to enrich their learning. 

If you want to learn more, please contact Director of Elementary Learning, Becky Gill, or me, Ty Gorman, Director of Instructional Technology.