The Houston Independent School District conducts a summer education program that provides students at risk of grade retention the opportunity to repeat the required grade and be promoted to the next one. The program also gives students who have failed a course they need for graduation the opportunity to retake the course. This brief examines summer school retention and course failure rates at schools throughout the district to determine which schools have higher rates relative to others. It also assesses what characteristics are associated with a student being retained after summer school and failing a course in summer school.
Key findings
- Elementary schools have the highest retention rates after summer school, but there is considerable variability in retention rates and course failure rates across campuses in the district.
- Course failure is relatively low in summer school for high school students, but there is considerable variability across campuses.
- Various course-level, student-level, and school-level characteristics are associated with retention after summer school for elementary and middle school students and course failure for high school students.
- Chronic summer school retention is uncommon.
