By: Adam Moylan, PhD & Alex Gurn, PhD
The Summer Academic Institute for Language Learning (SAILL), developed by San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), aims to accelerate academic success and language development for high school newcomer multilingual learners. This five-week, credit-bearing “third semester” integrates English language development directly into core high school academic courses to expand newcomers’ access to high quality coursework and rapid credit recovery.
Rockman et al Cooperative conducted a mixed-methods evaluation that included a three-year implementation study and a two-year quasi-experimental impact study. The impact study used propensity score matching to compare the outcomes of SAILL students to matched students who were eligible but opted to not participate. We found that SAILL students outperformed matched peers on key indicators of academic success, including GPA and on-track status for on-time high school graduation. Although SAILL did not yield statistically significant gains on standardized English language proficiency assessments, qualitative evidence documented reported growth in student confidence, language use, and classroom engagement, suggesting gains in language learning not fully captured by the state standardized assessments. Interviews and observations highlighted key program conditions, including, sustained use of scaffolded, discourse-rich instruction, consistent instructional routines across subject areas and project-based learning activities, and structured common planning time for teachers.
Our evaluation underscores how summer learning can serve as a transformative space for newcomer students, especially when designed with access and rigor at the core of a student-centered approach. Findings suggest that summer programs responsive to the needs of multilingual learners can support meaningful academic gains and progress towards graduation. The study contributes to a growing body of evidence advocating for expanded summer learning opportunities and culturally responsive language pedagogy. Evaluation results support the program’s approach to integrated content and language instruction and learning models that center the linguistic, academic, and social needs of students.
We’re grateful to the educators, counselors, and leaders who made SAILL what it is—and who trusted us to learn alongside them. We hope this evaluation helps illuminate the possibilities of summer learning when designed with multilingual learners at the center.
Read the full evaluation report here.
Questions or want to learn more? Contact us.
Suggested Citation: Moylan, A., & Gurn, A. (2025). Evaluation of the Summer Academy for Integrated Language Learning. Berkeley, CA: Rockman et al Cooperative.
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