In elementary school a student who did not meet the requirements for a subject area might just be passed along to the next grade level where it is hoped that the student will catch up. Granted, going to school during the summer is not in any teenager's dreams, it can be a worth while experience. In many school districts, students who attend summer school are charged a fee. When talking to parents about having their adolescent enroll in summer school, I have many times advised parents to make the child responsible for the cost of going to summer school. This can make a definite impression on the student if they just sat back and made no effort to do the work done in class, do the homework, or get extra help if they were confused about what was going on.
Some students do have difficulties in certain subjects.
For other students the high school six, seven, or eight class period day is overwhelming. These students can profit from the intense, one subject instruction that comes with enrolling in summer school. Take, for example, the program in the district where I teach summer school. They enroll in only one course, and it is an intense study. The classroom composition is also quite varied since the students come from the four schools in the district and from near-by school districts that do not offer summer school programs.