Description:

During summer 2016, the Building Educated Leaders for Life (BELL) summer learning program was offered at eight sites in Montgomery County Public Schools. The target population for BELL was rising third and fourth graders who were enrolled in Title I schools and who performed below grade-level on reading or mathematics. The evaluation examined implementation of the BELL program, its impact on students' mathematics and reading achievement, and whether that impact varied with different tests and student subgroups.

Recommendations:

• Continue the BELL program, given its significant and positive impact on students' performance in Grade 3 mathematics, Grade 4 mathematics, and Grade 3 reading for all students, along with three subgroups: Hispanic/Latino, ESOL recipients, and FARMS recipients.
• Examine how to improve the program so it has a stronger impact on Black or African American students.
• Work with BELL to maximize the value of its training for staff.
• Improve coordination and communication between MCPS and BELL with respect to necessary curriculum materials, student information, and information on bus schedules and bus stops.

File Name: BELL Eval Report_FINAL.pdf (1MB PDF)