As summer draws to a close, teachers are returning to work to get ready for the new school year. One significant issue they will have to face, particularly those working at schools that predominantly serve students from low-income families, is the loss of reading and math skills over the long summer vacation. Historically, summer learning programs have been an afterthought for some school districts, while others have not offered a program of any kind. But now some educators and policymakers are considering additional learning time in the summer as an approach to closing stubbornly large achievement gaps between disadvantaged and advantaged students.

Research cited in a study by RAND Education and the Wallace Foundation found that 49 percent of low-income fourth grade students scored at a “below basic” level in reading (the lowest proficiency level) compared with 20 percent of higher-income students. The gaps were large in math as well. Eighth graders showed similar differences. Forty percent of low-income students were below basic compared to 15 percent among higher-income students in reading, and 43 percent versus 17 percent in mathematics.

These achievement gaps foreshadow greater problems. Low-income students are more than twice as likely to drop out of high school than upper-income students, putting them at a disadvantage for employment and income potential.

The RAND-Wallace study also found that achievement gaps are exacerbated by what is known as the “summer slide.” When students return to school in the fall, they have lost on average one month of learning time in reading and math, and the loss for economically disadvantaged students is twice as large. Students from low-income families simply don’t have the opportunity for enrichment and additional learning time: and as a result, lose out on the benefits that would otherwise accrue.

Fortunately, there are ways to combat the summer slide, and the RAND-Wallace study recommends a model. While traditional summer school focuses on credit recovery for students who failed one or more classes, this model calls for a summer program that essentially extends the school year, with skill building classes that are presented in significantly different ways than during the regular school year. Enrichment and recreational opportunities similar to those that can be found in summer camps everywhere are also included.

Many school systems, including Boston’s, are finding ways to make such programs available to economically disadvantaged students. In 2013, more than 11,000 students participated in Boston Public Schools’ 17 summer programs. About 3,000 students were in traditional remediation, while the remaining 8,000 were involved in enrichment programs.

The Academy of the Pacific Rim, a charter public school in Boston, overhauled its summer program in 2012 to include elements recommended by the RAND-Wallace report, and some additional services. APR’s Dragon Camp provides literacy, numeracy, and social skills instruction, combined with science and enrichment activities such as sports, dancing, cooking, woodshop, and bicycle riding lessons. Dragon Camp students also receive free lunch through the USDA Summer Food Service Program for Children.

For older students, Dragon Academy provides a half-day program that focuses on literacy, project-based learning, and community service. Once a week Dragon Camp and Academy students go on all-day field trips to places such as the Roger Williams Park Zoo, the Patriots Hall of Fame, and the beach.

The participants in Dragon Camp and Academy are invited based on assessments of their reading, math and social skills; all have had chronic academic struggles, placing them at long-term risk of not graduating from high school. The results have been encouraging: according to assessments done at the end of camp and during the subsequent school year, Dragon Camp 2013 attendees maintained their reading fluency over the summer, while making significant gains in comprehension and accuracy. On benchmark reading assessments given throughout the school year, these students consistently outscored comparable peers. In math, students who attended Dragon Camp 2013 maintained their fluency and accuracy over the summer, and on benchmark math assessments also consistently outscored comparable peers.

The new summer learning model is gaining advocates because it involves high quality programs that include individualized instruction, small class sizes and parental involvement. These programs are tailored to fit the summer season, mixing learning with recreation. In order for these programs to have the desired impact, parents need to take them seriously and students have to attend regularly. To increase participation, school systems need to start identifying students at risk for a more significant summer slide early in the school year, and give parents sufficient notice of summer opportunities, before they start making other summer plans.

Many students may lose knowledge and skills during the summer months, but the “summer slide” need not be a guarantee. Thoughtfully designed summer learning programs have the potential to push back against the slide, raising academic outcomes and, for disadvantaged students, closing achievement gaps.

Susan J. Thompson is the executive director of the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School.