The Association believes all students should have access to comprehensive summer learning programs that help close the achievement gap and promote healthy development. As a result, we are urging school leaders and their community partners to take advantage of an unprecedented window of opportunity to develop a bold new vision for summer school that transcends the punitive and remedial model of the past. This new vision will provide innovative programming that actively engages both students and teachers and makes the summer months an essential component of all school reform efforts.