Building a Bridge to Improve Student Success

VIDEO: courtesy CPTV

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National data indicate that almost 30 percent of entering college freshmen must enroll in at least one remedial course.

Western Connecticut State University's innovative collaboration between university faculty and teachers at Danbury and Bethel High Schools to improve core subject college readiness, Building a Bridge to Improve Student Success, has produced dramatic reductions in the number of students needing remediation in mathematics and writing.

"The project helped us realize necessary changes had to be made within the school district on a systemic level. The results indicate substantially more of our students are finding success at the university level."

William Glass
Associate Superintendent
Danbury school district

After the first year of collaboration and revisions to senior-level classes, students' placements dramatically improved. Whereas 61 percent of juniors had previously placed into remedial English classes, only 37 percent of seniors entering Western from the two high schools did. (By the third year, that number has now dropped to 15.5 percent.) Additionally, while 62 percent of juniors had placed into remedial mathematics, Bridges has now reduced the level to 40 percent.

Reducing the number of remedial classes necessary for incoming freshmen saves students time and money, and makes higher education more accessible. Working closely with the high schools has also produced a continuing benefit for the students in higher education - increases of between 8 and 13 percent in first- and second-year retention.

Simply put, high school students are more likely to continue on to higher education, less likely to need remedial classes when they get there, and more likely to stay in school after their freshmen year. Another important benefit has been the establishment of a collaborative working relationship between the university and high school faculties, and the impact it has had on both curriculum and student achievement.

"The real key is that it was a completely collaborative project. When our faculty and their faculty got together and talked about what the standards are there, what the expectations are here, and how do we get there, how do we maximize the opportunity for students - it ended up just being a really good project."

Dr. Linda Vaden-Goad
dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
Western Connecticut State University

The success of the initiative at Western led the state legislature to provide funding to the Connecticut State University System (CSUS), through the Department of Higher Education (DHE), to extend the college readiness grant program.

Western will be working to expand Bridges to include Science, in addition to English and Math, and will be working with Dr. James P. Comer, the Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry at Yale's School of Medicine, and Director of the School Development Program at the Yale Child Study Center to develop a plan to augment the initiative with regard to (1) parent engagement, (2) classroom management, and (3) instructional delivery to today's students.

CSUS is also planning to proceed with the Bridges model at Southern, Central and Eastern Connecticut State Universities in additional pilot communities in the coming years. Southern is currently establishing working relationships with the Meriden and Hamden school district; Central is planning initial efforts with the New Britain and West Hartford school districts; Eastern will be working with the Windham and Norwich school districts.

The Bridges initiative began following action by the Connecticut State University System Board of Trustees aimed at improving academic performance, promoting access and reducing costs at the post-secondary level. In July 2003, the Board approved a policy requiring all full-time, first-time-in-college freshmen to successfully complete any necessary remedial courses within their first 24 academic credits. Any student failing to complete remediation prior to the sophomore year would not be allowed to register for credit courses in any of the four system universities until the remedial courses were completed successfully.



	Building a Bridge to Improve Student Success VIDEO: courtesy CPTV Get the Flash Player to see this player. National data indicate that almost 30 percent of entering college freshmen must enroll in at least one remedial course. Western Connecticut State University's innovative collaboration between university faculty and teachers at Danbury and Bethel High Schools to improve core subject college readiness, Building a Bridge to Improve Student Success, has produced dramatic reductions in the number of students needing remediation in mathematics and writing. "The project helped us realize necessary changes had to be made within the school district on a systemic level. The results indicate substantially more of our students are finding success at the university level." William Glass Associate Superintendent Danbury school district After the first year of collaboration and revisions to senior-level classes, students' placements dramatically improved. Whereas 61 percent of juniors had previously placed into remedial English classes, only 37 percent of seniors entering Western from the two high schools did. (By the third year, that number has now dropped to 15.5 percent.) Additionally, while 62 percent of juniors had placed into remedial mathematics, Bridges has now reduced the level to 40 percent. Reducing the number of remedial classes necessary for incoming freshmen saves students time and money, and makes higher education more accessible. Working closely with the high schools has also produced a continuing benefit for the students in higher education - increases of between 8 and 13 percent in first- and second-year retention. Simply put, high school students are more likely to continue on to higher education, less likely to need remedial classes when they get there, and more likely to stay in school after their freshmen year. Another important benefit has been the establishment of a collaborative working relationship between the university and high school faculties, and the impact it has had on both curriculum and student achievement. "The real key is that it was a completely collaborative project. When our faculty and their faculty got together and talked about what the standards are there, what the expectations are here, and how do we get there, how do we maximize the opportunity for students - it ended up just being a really good project." Dr. Linda Vaden-Goad dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Western Connecticut State University The success of the initiative at Western led the state legislature to provide funding to the Connecticut State University System (CSUS), through the Department of Higher Education (DHE), to extend the college readiness grant program. Western will be working to expand Bridges to include Science, in addition to English and Math, and will be working with Dr. James P. Comer, the Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry at Yale's School of Medicine, and Director of the School Development Program at the Yale Child Study Center to develop a plan to augment the initiative with regard to (1) parent engagement, (2) classroom management, and (3) instructional delivery to today's students. CSUS is also planning to proceed with the Bridges model at Southern, Central and Eastern Connecticut State Universities in additional pilot communities in the coming years. Southern is currently establishing working relationships with the Meriden and Hamden school district; Central is planning initial efforts with the New Britain and West Hartford school districts; Eastern will be working with the Windham and Norwich school districts. The Bridges initiative began following action by the Connecticut State University System Board of Trustees aimed at improving academic performance, promoting access and reducing costs at the post-secondary level. In July 2003, the Board approved a policy requiring all full-time, first-time-in-college freshmen to successfully complete any necessary remedial courses within their first 24 academic credits. Any student failing to complete remediation prior to the sophomore year would not be allowed to register for credit courses in any of the four system universities until the remedial courses were completed successfully.
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