Why School Still Starts After Labor Day in Michigan

“Plenty of research supports that position. The so-called ‘summer slide’—in which students lose academic ground during vacation—is most pronounced in student groups that were already struggling, including those from less-affluent families, as well some students of color. Studies have also found that students typically learn at about the same rate during the course of the traditional 180-day academic year, regardless of their socioeconomic status. The racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps narrow between fall and spring, and then widen again over the summer. And a much-cited study by Johns Hopkins University researchers found two-thirds of the achievement gap between rich and poor ninth graders could be attributed to unequal access to summer learning opportunities.”