Nassau BOCES Regional Summer School (RSS) completed another year of successful programming, helping Nassau County students to improve themselves in everything from core academics to the arts. Since its inception, the six-week summer program has grown to serve nearly 25,000 students through 68 programs in 32 districts across the county. In the past four years alone, enrollment has doubled.
The largest and perhaps most essential component of RSS is credit recovery, helping students who are struggling with the state’s increasingly rigorous common core curriculum to make up what they were unable to complete during the school year. A key element of this is the intensive two-week Regents Review course, which prepares students to retake the Regents exam in August and improve their scores. With recent changes to the Regents designed to better reflect the common core, more students than ever are retaking these exams.
In addition to critical academic support, RSS offers a full range of enrichment programs for younger students. There are classes in everything from reading, writing and science, to sports, art and music. Adventurous students can explore a variety of interests including television production, cooking and gymnastics.
“The Regional Summer School program enables districts to provide an extended school year for those students who need a variety of supports,” Nassau BOCES Executive Manager of District Programs Judith Hynes says of the importance of the program. “Whether it’s the elementary student who needs additional reading support, the middle school student who requires extra help in basic math, or the senior in need of supplemental instruction in order to pass the Regents exams and graduate from high school, it’s extremely high stakes for each and every one of them. Nassau BOCES provides districts with a team of 2,500 dedicated professionals who deliver direct, hands-on support on a daily basis. The quality and cost efficiency of our programs is second to none and districts are eager to provide these opportunities for their community.”
“The Regional Summer School administrators really get to know the needs of the students and staff at the district and develop the perfect program specifics that work,” says Amy La Personerie, Valley Stream CHSD Guidance Counselor. “I feel lucky to work with such a great, collaborative team – their knowledge and expertise is exactly what you want to run a successful summer school.”
One particular program brings together students from neighboring districts through a consortium that includes Port Washington UFSD (who hosts the program at its Schrieber High School), Roslyn UFSD, Manhasset UFSD, East Williston UFSD and Herricks UFSD.
Alexa Molina of the Roslyn UFSD, who attended the Algebra review at Schrieber said she feels more confident taking the regents after the RSS program. “It’s been really helpful. My teacher, Ms. Gabel, helped me to understand it better. I feel like I can talk to her easily and we’ve made a connection. She’s a great teacher. I thought it would be boring, but she made it fun.”
