Enhance Grade-level Access with Sidekick

Summit Sidekick (Summit Sidekick™) is a browser extension for Chrome, Edge and Safari that brings responsive language support into the lessons multilingual learners already use. It helps students in grades 3–12 engage with grade-level content, do the thinking the task demands, and show what they know. Sidekick is powered by Summit K12.

Sidekick serves students in grades 3–12, including multilingual students, students with 504 plans or IEPs, and can support economically disadvantaged and highly mobile students. Teachers, campus leaders and district teams use its controls and reports to determine the level of support needed for each student.

Sidekick connects to Connect to Literacy™ (C2L), Summit K12's English language development program. It draws on each student's current C2L Personalized Learning Plan progress, to measure proficiency by domain. That way, classroom support builds on the language students are working on in designated ELD block to reinforce language growth and provide Content-based language instruction (CBLI) throughout the school day.

Sidekick works in four steps. It analyzes the task, connects current learner evidence, provides the right support, and rechecks the student's response. Support moves across five levels, from Modeled Access to Independent Application, and increases, changes or fades as proficiency evidence changes.

Sidekick keeps the original task and grade-level expectations intact. It adds supports such as adapted reading, visual cues, vocabulary help, structured discussion and response frames. The support changes so that grade level targets become achievable for every learner.

Designated English Language Development builds core language skills. Sidekick carries that work into science, math, social studies and RLA, using current Connect to Literacy evidence where districts use C2L. It extends the work of ELD and ESL specialists, providing support for learners throughout the school day.

No. Sidekick provides language support inside the task, so content teachers can focus on their subject without having to adapt materials for Multilingual Learners. Teachers can see student work and support use, and set how Sidekick is used in their classrooms.

No. Sidekick is not a replacement curriculum. It works with your existing curriculum, bringing support into the lessons, assignments and texts students already use, with no curriculum changes required.

A language-learning app teaches English as a separate subject. Sidekick supports students while they do grade-level academic work in their regular classes. Its support is tied to the task in front of the student and adjusts to what that student requires to access and reach grade level expectations.

Required IEP and 504 supports stay separate from optional scaffolds. They are never removed by adaptation. Teachers and districts can also require or limit specific supports.

Teachers and districts set visibility (what students and teachers see), permissions (who can access tools and data), accommodations (which supports are required or limited), and reporting (class, campus or district progress).

Sidekick draws on decades of research on language development, disciplinary literacy, scaffolding and effective instruction for multilingual learners. Sources include Gibbons, Walqui and Bunch, Schleppegrell, Lee, and García. The full reference list is available as a downloadable research basis.