[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 91 (Thursday, July 13, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7524-S7525]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 529--DESIGNATING JULY 13, 2006, AS ``NATIONAL SUMMER 
                             LEARNING DAY''

  Mr. OBAMA (for himself, Mr. DeMint, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Isakson, and 
Mr. Kennedy) submitted the following resolution; which was considered 
and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 529

       Whereas all students experience measurable loss of 
     mathematics and reading skills when they do not engage in 
     educational activities during the summer months;
       Whereas summer learning loss is greatest for low-income 
     children, who often lack the academic enrichment 
     opportunities available to their more affluent peers;
       Whereas summer learning loss contributes significantly to 
     the gaps in achievement between low-income children, 
     including minority children and children with limited English 
     proficiency, and their more affluent peers;
       Whereas structured enrichment and education programs are 
     proven to accelerate learning for students who participate in 
     such programs for several weeks during the summer;
       Whereas in the BELL summer programs, students gain several 
     months worth of reading and mathematics skills through summer 
     enrichment, and in the Teach Baltimore Summer Academy, 
     students enrolled for 2 summers gain 70 to 80 percent of a 
     full grade level in reading, and thousands of students in 
     similar programs experience measurable gains in academic 
     achievement;
       Whereas Summer Learning Day is designed to highlight the 
     need for more young people to be engaged in summer learning 
     activities and to support local summer programs that

[[Page S7525]]

     benefit children, families, and communities; and
       Whereas a wide array of schools, public agencies, non-
     profit organizations, institutions of higher education, 
     museums, libraries, and summer camps in many States across 
     the United States will celebrate the annual Summer Learning 
     Day on July 13, 2006: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates July 13, 2006, as ``National Summer Learning 
     Day'' to raise public awareness about the positive impact of 
     summer learning opportunities on the development and 
     educational success of our Nation's children;
       (2) urges the people of the United States--
       (A) to promote summer learning activities to send young 
     people back to school ready to learn;
       (B) to support working parents and their children; and
       (C) to keep our Nation's children safe and healthy during 
     the summer months; and
       (3) urges communities to celebrate, with appropriate 
     ceremonies and activities, the importance of high-quality 
     summer learning opportunities in the lives of young students 
     and their families.

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