About Summer Academy

DPS Summer Academy is a free summer program for students whose assessment scores indicate they would benefit from extra practice and individualized attention. All students in ELA programs who are entering grades K-8 and have ACCESS scores of 3 or lower are invited to attend. All students entering grades K-3 who are on READ plans are required to attend. In previous years, students in all grades have showed significant gains in English literacy and Spanish literacy over the course of the Academy. 

2017 DPS Summer Academy will be held at multiple school locations June 12 - July 7 (No school on July 3 & 4). Registration forms for qualifying students have been delivered to schools for distribution. Please help ensure that students receive these forms and return them to their school as soon as possible to reserve their place and allow us to plan for staffing requirements.

• There is no cost to students who are invited to attend. Breakfast and lunch are provided.
• Transportation is provided for students who are eligible based on district guidelines. Distance is calculated from the student's home address to the nearest Summer Academy location.
• Summer Academy can accept only students who meet the eligibility criteria. We are not able to accept siblings of attending students unless they also meet the eligibility criteria.
• Students are assigned to Summer Academy host schools based on proximity to their home school, not their school of choice (if applicable).
• The Summer Academy program is a half day. Start times vary depending on school site. Selected host schools have partnered with organizations to provide extended day programs; these are optional and offered only to students assigned to those host schools.
• Summer Academy host schools are selected from available sites throughout the district. They are generally announced in December.

Working at Summer Academy

Each year, Summer Academy has openings for site leaders, site instructional coordinators, host and apprentice teachers, special education teachers, Guided Reading Plus teachers, and paraprofessionals. Announcement and application instructions will be posted on this page.

• Site leaders - First preference is given to school leaders at host schools and those who have been site leaders in previous years. If you are a principal or assistant principal interested in applying for a site leader position, please contact Alejandra Estrada, Summer Academy program manager.
• Apprentice teachers - Teachers new to DPS can earn their ELA-T qualification and a stipend while getting hands-on teaching experience working with students who represent the diversity in DPS, including English learners and students who struggle with reading. Last year, 94% of apprentice teachers reported that they learned high-leverage classroom practices such as teaching an ELD block and structured language strategies.
• Host teachers - Host teachers must be fully qualified ELA-E or ELA-S. Host teachers are hired by the site leaders at individual school sites. Teachers interested in applying for these positions should first contact the site leader at the location(s) where they are interested in working. A complete list of sites and contact information for 2017 Summer Academy will be posted here as soon as it is available.
• Paraprofessionals - Paras with two or more years' experience in DPS working with special needs students are needed at all locations. If you are interested in applying for 2017 Summer Academy, please e-mail Alejandra Estrada with your credentials: SPED experience, number of years in district (2+ required), current role/school, positions held; two recommendations, region desired, and phone number.