Sioux Falls School District 49-5

Analysis of student reading scores over the past decade suggested that students, especially students in our Title I schools, started school without the same experiences as their more affluent peers. To address this readiness issue, we implemented an 8-week, full-day summer school in three Title I schools. Called "Summer Climb," the program targets those students in grades K-2 with the lowest reading scores. After three years, we see that students who have participated in Summer Climb for three years are catching their grade level peers. We are now implementing SIPPS (Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics, and Sight Words) to address those students who have not mastered foundational skills in reading.