COEUR d'ALENE - If you don't get good grades, you'll have to go to summer school. That's no idle threat for public middle school students in Coeur d'Alene.

The district expanded its summer school offering this year for seventh- and eighth-grade students, largely in response to a new state mandate that Idaho middle schoolers have to meet credit requirements before moving on to their next grade.

"It's a full credit retrieval-type program for middle school," said Lake City High School and summer school director, Deanne Clifford.

The eight-week summer school/middle school held at Fernan Elementary ends Monday. There were 38 students who attended and studied math, science, language arts or history. The school was funded through a grant.

Nancy Larson, a Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy sixth-grade teacher, acted as the school's principal under Clifford. It was an internship for Larson, who is working on her Ph.D. in educational leadership. A former Idaho teacher of the year, Larson taught for 15 years in the Coeur d'Alene district before moving to Charter.

"These kids all have different stories," Larson said, regarding their reasons for being at school during the break.

Some are football players whose grades aren't good enough for them to play the sport at the high school level.

Whatever their reason for falling behind, Larson has seen many of the kids respond positively to the summer classes.

"When we see them doing something good, we call home right away," Larson said. "Many of these parents and grandparents never get these kinds of calls."

The summer school's attendance policy was very strict, Larson said. There were 38 days of school and a student could only miss three days.

"I walk around and I see who's not here and I start making phone calls," Larson said.

She has been impressed with the amount of accountability the students are held to.

That's a big part of the changes going into effect statewide for middle school students.

A Middle Level Task Force created in 2007 by the Idaho Department of Education determined that for middle school students to be adequately prepared for high school, they need to be engaged and accountable, and be familiar with a credit system before they reach high school.

Rosie Astorquia, the district's director of secondary education, said the district already has many systems in place that monitor middle school students' performance. Most schools have homework assistance programs and supporting classes for students struggling in certain subjects, so they get an additional dose of math or language arts.

Previously, the district has recommended summer school to struggling students, now it may be mandatory, Astorquia said.

Students who, after in school remediation efforts and summer school, continue to fall into the failing areas, will be dealt with on an individual basis. In some cases, Astorquia said, it could mean requiring the student to complete the grade level.