d countries, including China and much of Europe.
Research – and common sense – tells us that high quality summer programs can engage students and protect the academic gains hard won during the school year. But until we as a nation prioritize summer learning, particularly for students from high-poverty backgrounds, our efforts to close the achievement gap and prepare American students to compete internationally will fall dramatically short.
Jerome Kohlberg is a founding partner of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and a limited partner of the private equity firm Kohlberg & Company; Matthew Boulay, of Salem, is the chairman of the National Summer Learning Association.