Sparta Area School District reports summer program growth, i-Ready gains and STEM camp outcomes

Doctor Burnett, a staff member, presented the Sparta Area School District's summer programming report to the board, saying the district served "284" students in readiness classes and that 117 students took credit-bearing courses last summer. He said the district paid for swim lessons for district students and counted those minutes as instructional time.

Burnett told the board the district used NextPath to identify students for targeted interventions and that the work aligned with an Act 20 requirement to offer summer reading interventions for students who do not meet third-grade reading expectations. "It is a requirement of Act 20 that students in third grade from a reading plan at the end of third grade are required to have summer," Burnett said during the presentation.

The presentation included diagnostic comparisons using the district's i-Ready assessments. Burnett reported an average growth of 10.74 points for students who received interventions and an average of 21.35 points when students enrolled in the district's WIN (intervention) program were included. He said the district will evaluate which interventions and staff produce the strongest gains by grade level and may adjust offerings next year.

Tom, a staff member who runs the district's STEM camp, described the five-day, hands-on program that emphasizes low-tech, project-based learning, family exhibition day and military-connected field trips. Tom said STEM Camp Central provided curriculum and that the central organization has transitioned to a nonprofit model and established partnerships to continue supplying curriculum materials. "This past week camps we've been involved... and we definitely are able to continue for at least five more years getting that curriculum," Tom said.

Board members asked about long-term funding and equity of access. When a board member asked whether federal funding uncertainties endangered future STEM camps, Tom replied that curriculum support now comes via a 501(c)(3) arrangement and local integration into the district's summer program, which the presenter said supports continuity. On the question of family exhibition-day attendance, Burnett said parents who cannot attend are paired with staff or lab assistants so students still receive supervision and support.

The district also reported survey results that indicated strong parent and teacher satisfaction with STEM camp and summer programming; slides shown to the board included high percentages for parent satisfaction and teacher belief that the camp increases student interest in STEM careers. Administrators said tentative dates for next summer were discussed in cabinet and that registration and scheduling processes will continue to be refined.

Clarifying details reported to the board included the enrollment counts (284 readiness participants; 117 credit-bearing course participants), the reported i-Ready average gains (10.74 points; 21.35 points including WIN participants), and that swim lessons paid for by the district are available to any student living within the Sparta Area School District. The district characterized the program changes as ongoing evaluation rather than a final policy shift.