What is Bridge to College?

by Bill Moore, Director of K-12 Partnerships, State Board of Community and Technical Colleges

The senior-year “transition course” was developed and is led by a partnership of college faculty and high school math leaders, and includes ongoing high-quality professional learning for the teachers offering the course. These Washington educators have worked hard to refine the course to help students develop the skills, abilities, and mindset necessary to succeed when they get to college.

Who is Bridge to College Math for?

High school seniors interested in going to college who:

• want to ensure they have the math content and thinking skills to be successful in college, and
• have taken, but not necessarily passed, Algebra II

How is Bridge to College Math working for students and staff?

In the evaluation work done to date, students and teachers have consistently reported that the course successfully meets the stated goals. In addition, a recent formal evaluation study done by the BERC Group indicates that Bridge to College Math students are enrolling in college at a higher rate than students overall, and doing as well as comparable students in their entry college-level math courses.

Why adopt a Bridge to College Math transition course?

Now in its fourth year of implementation, the Bridge to College Math transition course is available currently in almost 200 high schools around the state. Students who earn a grade of “B” or better in this course receive automatic placement into an entry-level college math course at all 34 of Washington State’s community and technical colleges, as well as at Eastern Washington University. The placement agreement and transition course will help students:

• gain the specific college-ready skills they need while still in high school, and
• avoid paying for and taking remedial courses once in college

Registration for 2019–20 is now available in iGrants form 719

Whether or not you’re currently offering Bridge to College Math, districts interested in offering the course for 2019–20 need to register their teachers (returning teachers as well as new ones) using iGrants (Form 719). For more information about registration and the expectations for offering the course, see the OSPI Bridge to College web page or contact Sally Zeiger Hanson, Project Manager, at shanson@sbctc.edu or 360–704–1055.

By current law students who have not met standard on the Smarter Balanced assessment can use a passing grade in the course as an alternative. For specific information on Bridge to College Math as an alternative to the high school assessment diploma requirement, please see this FAQ. You may also access our Assessment page on LAA LDC. It is important to note that Bridge to College Math is not remedial in nature and is designed as a post-Algebra II course for seniors, not as a third-year course to meet graduation requirements. Read more about the profile student in the course information documents linked on this page.

Additional Information about the course can be found at bridgetocollegecourses.org and OSPI

See training opportunity below under Course Offerings.

Bridge to College Summer Institute

Teachers: The Bridge to College Summer Institute is designed to provide Bridge to College teachers with the curriculum, tools and community connections needed for being prepared to offer the course during the 2019–20 school year.

If you are new to teaching Bridge to College, please register for the free-but-required Summer Institute in Wenatchee Aug 6 and 7 using the link below.

If you are a returning Bridge to College teacher, you can use this same link if you’re interested in registering for the optional one-day event (Aug 7 only) designed to showcase effective Bridge to College instructional approaches and focus on curriculum updates. Attending this free, one-day event is one of the primary options for returning teachers to be able to maintain your eligibility to teach in Bridge to College program.

Who: Any Teachers who are new to Bridge to College are required to attend (optional for returning teachers)

When: New to the course: August 6 & 7, 2019 (Returning teachers August 7th only)

Where: Wenatchee Convention Center

Register: Click here to register (Registrations must be received by July 14.)

Additional PD Requirements:

3 days of Community of Practice (CoP) meetings during the year plus 2 days of required curriculum training days (details provided at the Summer Institute)

For more information contact Bridge to College Project Manager, Sally Zeiger Hanson at shanson@sbctc.edu or 360–704–1055.