Beyond academics: Dropout prevention summer school programs in the transition to secondary education

Educational transitions, for example from primary to secondary school, have been associated with school drop-outs, particularly for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. As a response, some educational systems have implemented summer programs, although with mixed results. Yet, these evaluations mostly assess programs' quantitative impact on academic outcomes. This article therefore aims at an in-depth exploration of the benefits and challenges of a Uruguayan summer school program for preventing dropout in the transition to secondary school. Results underpin summer peer interactions, teacher-student relations and extra-curricular activities shape positive pre-entry expectations of at-risk students, which secondary schools cannot always fulfill.