District reports gains from 2026 summer programs; VPK cohort reached 100% kindergarten readiness

Doctor Thompson, who leads the district's summer-school efforts, told the Nassau County School Board that multiple targeted programs this summer produced measurable improvements for participating students.

"And at the end of that program, 100% of those students were ready for kindergarten," Doctor Thompson said, summarizing results from the district's VPK offering. Thompson said the Summer Learning Academy (an intensive ELA program) enrolled 23 third-graders for 17 instructional days, and that of 12 students who required promotion interventions, 67% met promotion requirements and advanced to fourth grade. The middle-school program served 46 students across 10 instructional days and reported reductions in the district's highest-need tier for ELA and math.

Doctor Burns introduced the presentation and emphasized staff effort behind the results, noting teachers, custodians, bus drivers, school resource officers and food-service workers put in extra hours. Thompson credited targeted small-group instruction, STEM activities and focused assessment for the outcomes, and named staff who assisted with testing and program management.

Board members asked clarifying questions about program logistics — including whether VPK students had nap or quiet time and how staff managed the long days — and Thompson said VPK included quiet time and that teachers rotated to cover extended hours. The board heard no public comment on the presentation. The district did not release a comparative pre/post score range in the presentation beyond the outcome percentages reported.