Failing a class in high school can be devastating to a teen’s self-esteem and it can interfere with themgetting into their preferred college. Summer school is one of the many options available and there are very good reasons why you should consider it.
The Options For Making Up a Failed Class
Before discussing the advantage of summer school, consider all of your options for making up a class:
- Take the class again the following school year.
One of the better options, as pointed out below, it can overwhelm a student. It can increase their class load or cause them to struggle more if they take a class on the same subject. - Stay back a year and repeat the grade again.
Many teenagers do not like this option because they want to be with their friends and want to graduate as soon as possible. - If they have failed too many classes, this might be the only option.
- You may even want to consider an alternative school. Some students simply learn better in a different environment.
- If it’s an elective, just let it go.
Electives are not as important as core classes, but you will want to consider your student's GPA and whether this may have a negative effect on college admissions
More Time for the Basics
Summer school will give your teen more time to learn the basics of the subject.
Middle and high school classes mimic the fast-paced world in which we live. Unfortunately, teens learning math and science may not be able to keep up and end up getting lost.
When you consider that each step is a building block for the next concept in the course, it isn’t a mystery why many teens do not pass a class the first time around. The extra time that these teens need is offered during summer school sessions.
Smaller Classes in a Relaxed Environment
The environment of a summer school class offers your teen a different approach.
Summer school tends to be more relaxed with smaller classes. It is the optimal learning environment in which all teens could benefit, particularly those who struggle during the regular school year.
Teens will often have a different teacher, and their approach to teaching may be unique. Due to this, a teen may do very well during summer classes, even in a subject that he has previously failed. This can be the boost in confidence they need to have a more positive attitude toward school in general.
Avoid Two Core Classes Next Year
Summer school will give your teen a second chance to obtain class credit and avoid doubling up on a core class during the school year.
Here is how today’s high school works: each state requires a certain amount of core classes to be taken and passed before a student can graduate. Even if your teen isn’t going to college, they may still have to pass four math classes (including algebra and geometry) to obtain their diploma.
This can be demoralizing to a teen that has a hard time in math classes. If they fail one and has to take two next year, it can be too much math at one time. This can lead to more failure and the possibility of the teenager dropping out of school. Summer school prevents this problem.
Focus on Fewer Subjects
During summer school, your teen will be able to focus on just that particular class.
Remember that your teen is facing the type of stress that we face in our adult lives: deadlines and the push to perform well. Summer school can help teens who get overloaded by having too many classes to focus on at one time.
If the workload during the school year was a problem for your teen, summer school is a perfect option. It gives them time to focus on a tough subject and get the class credit they need.
Raise Their GPA
Summer school will give your teen the chance to raise his grade point average.
A failure in any class really hurts a teen’s cumulative average and can cost him the chance of getting into the college or technical school of his choice.
While letting an elective class go and not retaking it is an option, summer school grades replace the failing grade already earned. That will raise your teen’s GPA.
How to Talk Your Teen Into Summer School
You can help take away the stigma of summer school by talking to your teen.
- Let them know that not passing a math/science/whatever class does not define who they are.
- Their grades do not make or break how much you love them.
- Create a positive conversation by bringing up something they do well.
- Discuss ways to keep a failing grade from happening again (study groups orhiring a tutor at the first sign of trouble in a class).
When it is all said and done, summer school will get your teen back on the right track (and prevent summer behavior problems that stem from boredom). They will have passing grades and you can use the experience to strengthen the parent-child bond. A definite win-win situation!
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
By Denise Witmer
Denise Witmer is a freelance writer and mother of three children, who has authored several books and countless articles on parenting teens since 1997.
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FAQs
PRO: Time To Take Summer School Courses
Some students use their time off in the summer months to catch up or improve their Grade Point Average (GPA). Others will take summer classes to make a memorable first impression on college admissions counselors with competitive course schedules.
Why do kids go to summer school? ›
Summer school can help a child re-learn skills for better mastery. It can also be a strategic move to free up a student's schedule during the academic year for other classes, including ones that may help them get into their preferred college.
What can cause you to go to summer school? ›
Summer school helps with academic excellence, broader experience, wider knowledge, exploring different areas, increasing exam outcomes, skill development, and many more things. Let's understand in depth: Remedial or catch-up: Students who require additional support in a particular topic may benefit from summer school.
Why do parents send their child to summer school? ›
Parents who are considering summer school for their child might want their kid to get extra academic support or they might just want to keep the learning going. Summer school can make a big difference for kids who are struggling so that they enter the new school prepared and confident.
Does summer school actually help? ›
A 2021 report by the RAND Corporation found strong evidence that summer learning programs lead to short-term gains in math. Students with consistent attendance for two summers also out-performed non-participating students in both math and English language arts.
Why is summer important for kids? ›
Summer signals freedom for children. It's a break from the structure dictated by the school day, a time for more play and days spent at the pool. At the Y, we share that love for the fun this season can bring. We also know how important it is for kids to be kept safe, engaged and active when they're not in school.
Should students attend summer school? ›
Many students view summer as their chance for a break, not a chance to continue their studies. Yet summer school can have quite a few benefits that are worth considering. If you are on the path toward completing a degree, don't discount this option to do so a little faster.
Is summer school stressful? ›
Summer School Blues 📚- If you're stuck taking summer classes, the pressure to do well and catch up on credits can make your break feel like a drag. Lack of Structure ⏰- No more school routines, which means it's harder to stay motivated and find some order in the summer chaos.
How does summer school affect students? ›
Rigorous studies have shown that strong summer programs can achieve several important goals: (1) reverse summer learning loss; (2) achieve learning gains; and (3) give low-performing students the chance to master material that they did not learn during the school year.
Can summer school raise your grade? ›
There are definite benefits worth considering that make summer classes a great option. Inherently, summer classes increase the chance for you to raise your grade point average (GPA). GPA is the total score of all your grades divided by the number of classes you've taken.
On the flip side, summer courses can be intense, with lectures and assignments packed into fewer weeks than a regular semester. This might make it a bit difficult for some students to balance the course load with other responsibilities, such as a part-time job or other summer plans.
Can summer school raise my GPA? ›
Most high schools will include grades from accredited summer courses in the calculation of your GPA. This typically means if you take summer classes offered by your high school or an accredited institution, the grades should be factored in.
What happens if you don't go to summer school? ›
If you're supposed to attend summer school to make up a required course for graduation — and you don't — then you won't have all the credits you need to graduate. You won't graduate with your class. You also might need to repeat that course the following year with the class behind you. A couple of things.
What happens if you don t go to summer school in 7th grade? ›
If I don't go to summer school, can they really prevent me from going to 8th grade? In a way, yes. As seventh grade is a junior high / middle school program, generally, you would not repeat any classes you have passed, but you would have to repeat (or make up in summer school) any you had failed.
Should kids have summer homework? ›
Developing Personal Skills
Summer work allows students to develop discipline, time management skills, and a sense of responsibility. By setting goals, adhering to deadlines, and completing assignments, students cultivate essential qualities beneficial for future academic and professional endeavors.
How important is summer learning? ›
The Benefits of Summer Learning
The difference in performance translates to 20 to 25 percent of the typical annual gain in math and 20 to 23 percent of the typical annual gain in reading. Frequent attenders also got higher scores on social-emotional assessments.
How does summer affect students? ›
The authors concluded that: (1) on average, students' achievement scores declined over summer vacation by one month's worth of school-year learning, (2) declines were sharper for math than for reading, and (3) the extent of loss was larger at higher grade levels.
Why is summer important? ›
The importance of the summer season
Without summer, crops could fail, animals may not find food, habitats would change, and life as we know it would shift immeasurably.
What is the importance of summer? ›
This season is important for the farmers as they sow seeds for new crops because this climate is favorable for the cultivation of the crops. Some more important festivals like Baisakhi, Ram Navami, Raja Parva, and Hanuman Jayanti are also celebrated in this summer season.
