Fast Start Academy

In 2011, Annie E. Casey Foundation reiterated their previous findings that children who are not proficient in reading by the end of third grade are four times likelier to leave high school without a diploma. Children who were impacted by COVID-19 experienced a significantly greater summer slide than their predecessors in similar grade bands (Wallace Foundation; 2023).

In short, children in grades K-7 need additional support in literacy during the summer months if they are underperforming in reading. Literacy foundations are the key to improving overall academic achievement (National Summer Learning Association, 2017). Fast Start is a summer program that runs for four weeks each summer on KSU’s Kennesaw Campus. School partners identify students who are performing below grade level in reading and who receive free or reduced priced lunch. Previous iterations have seen students improve by as much as one reading level (80% of participants), and students receive immersion on the campus visiting museums, music performances, and a student dining hall.

The Fast Start program also focuses on the experiences of the college students who work as teachers during the four-week program. These students are primarily education, social work, and education interest undergraduate students. They learn teaching and social work tenets through experiential learning and often earn course credit during the weeks they are working.

Our program currently partners with local school districts, and former students are working to create “Fast Start on the Road” in their own home districts. For more information or to partner, please contact Dr. Sanjuana Rodriguez (srodri51@kennesaw.edu) or Dr. Megan Adams (megan.adams@kennesaw.edu)