Summer school between grade 2 and grade 3

Participation selection and mathematical learning gains

Abstract

The Austrian summer school program was introduced as a compensatory measure to reduce learning deficits. While initial studies have examined its effectiveness at the transition from grade 1 to grade 2, little is known about participation patterns and potential effects in later primary school years. The present study therefore investigates the transition from grade 2 to grade 3 and analyzes (a) which students participate in summer school and (b) whether differential learning gains in specific mathematical domains can be identified. The analysis is based on a sample of n = 319 primary school students whose mathematical achievement was assessed before and after the summer break using the Eggenberger Rechentest 2+ (ERT 2+). In addition, socioeconomic status (SES) and first language were collected. To examine potential effects of summer school participation, group comparisons of learning gains were conducted both without matching and after 1:1 nearest-neighbor matching controlling for prior achievement, SES, and first language (German vs. non-German). The results indicate that students attending summer school already displayed lower mathematical achievement prior to the summer break, particularly in basic mathematical competencies. However, at the transition from grade 2 to grade 3, no clear social or linguistic selection of participation emerges; only weak trends suggest a higher participation rate among students with lower SES or a non-German first language. Both participating and non-participating students show learning gains across all examined domains. Neither the overall score nor the domain-specific analyses reveal significant advantages for summer school participants, even after controlling for initial differences through matching. The findings suggest that, at the transition to grade 3, the summer school program primarily reaches lower-achieving students but does not produce statistically detectable short-term effects on mathematical learning gains.