Bridge to College Overview

SBCTC's overview of the project describes Bridge to College this way: "Under the leadership of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the Bridge to College transition courses have been collaboratively designed and developed by higher education faculty, high school teachers and curriculum specialists from colleges and school districts.

"Bridge to College transition courses provide high school seniors who scored a two on the 11th grade Smarter Balanced Assessment another path toward success in college-level work in math and English language arts. Students who earn a B grade or above in Bridge to College courses will be considered college-ready and eligible to enroll in college level math and English at all participating Washington higher education institutions.

"To ensure all students are ready for success and take advantage of these opportunities, Washington state established K-12 learning standards. Used for math and English language arts, Common Core State Standards are part of these learning standards. The Smarter Balanced Assessment system, administered in grades three through eight and in grade 11, aligns with these standards, and provides teachers with a way to measure student progress and make adjustments and interventions as necessary to ensure that students are on the path to success."

Support for Participants

Professional development is a key component of these cross-sector collaborations between K12 and higher education. "Through the 2018-19 school year, high schools implementing the course received funding from OSPI (through a grant from College Spark Washington). Those grants have ended but participating schools are still required to support course teachers’ attendance in a 2-day summer institute and five professional learning opportunities throughout the school year in order to support strong course implementation." (Bridge to College Courses Website)

Additional Information

For more information, see the Bridge to College Courses website. There is information for teachers, for students, and for families, as well as videos and links. Click on the image below.

Additionally, the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction's website has a page devoted to the Bridge to College program.