158.865 Legislative findings -- Development of summer learning program encouraged -- Purposes of program. (1) The General Assembly finds that economically advantaged and economically disadvantaged children make similar academic progress during a school year, but that it is during the summer months when disadvantaged students fall behind. It is the intent of the General Assembly to promote a program through which disadvantaged and low-achieving children maintain and improve the reading and mathematics skills they have developed during the school year. (2) The General Assembly encourages the development of a summer learning program for children from low-income families and children who are behind in grade level work who are entering the second year of the primary program through grade five (5). The summer learning program shall provide summer camps that include a blend of evidenced-based instruction in the core subjects of reading and mathematics plus experiential and enrichment activities in the arts, technology, and sports. The purposes of the summer learning program are to: (a) Provide learning opportunities that provide for reinforcement of skills learned during the academic year; (b) Provide convenient access to summer learning for students of low-income families and for low-achieving students; (c) Provide students with opportunities for development of their interests through enrichment activities; (d) Utilize existing resources, local community services, and other organizations to build long-term investments in summer programs that benefit from robust partnerships to maintain annual summer learning programs; (e) Prevent the academic gap between low-income and high-income students from widening during the elementary school years; (f) Encourage local school districts and schools to use multiple sources of funding to provide comprehensive summer learning opportunities for students; (g) Promote innovative and effective instructional strategies that motivate students and teachers to learn and teach rather than emphasizing traditional remediation models; and (h) Provide opportunity for innovative professional development for teachers as part of the program. Effective: July 12, 2012 History: Created 2012 Ky. Acts ch. 131, sec. 1, effective July 12, 2012.