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The Promise of Developmental Summer Bridge Programs
Elisabeth Barnett, Thomas Bailey, and the NCPR Team
IES ConferenceJune 2010
About the Center
The National Center for Postsecondary Research focuses on measuring the effectiveness of programs designed to help students make the transition to college and master the skills needed to advance to a degree.
Primary funding from IES of the U.S. Dept. of Education Housed at CCRC, Teachers College, Columbia University Partners
MDRC Curry School of Education, University of Virginia
Developmental Education
Evidence suggests that the current developmental education system does not work well (Bailey, 2009; Pusser & Levin, 2009)
Most students do not complete their developmental sequences (Calcagno, Crosta, Bailey, & Davis, 2007)
Students placed into developmental education are less likely to complete college (Adelman, 2006)
Placement into developmental education in community colleges
From NELS (1988-2000) 58 percent—at least one course
44 percent—1 to 3 courses 14 percent—more than 3 courses
From ATD (2003-2006) 59 percent—at least one course
Summer Bridge Programs
Long history in higher education (Kezar, 2000)
Little research on efficacy. Design is grounded in literature on
acceleration (Wlodkowski & Kasworm, 2003), social know-how (Deil-Amen & Rosenbaum, 2003), college knowledge (Conley, 2005), and contextualization (Perin, 2007).
Developmental Summer Bridge Study
Eight colleges and universities around Texas
Three programs funded in part by THECB grants
All contribute some college funds and received NCPR funding
Students Most just completed high
school All need remediation
Bridge Programs in the Study
Four to six weeks
Accelerated instruction in developmental math,
English, and/or reading
Academic and student services support
“College knowledge” component
Student cohorts
Student stipend for completers
Potential Benefits of Developmental Summer Bridge Programs
Reduced need for developmental education
Exposure to college and academic expectations
Contact with college faculty and administrators
Small cohorts of students
Stipends to reduce need for summer jobs.
The Research
Qualitative (data source: interviews, classroom observations, focus groups, surveys) What do the programs and students look like? What are the challenges in implementation? What program design elements show promise?
Quantitative (data source: student data from Fall 2009 to Fall 2010)
Do summer bridge programs reduce the need for developmental education and improve other college-related outcomes?
SUMMER 2009 BRIDGES: Students in the Sample
About the Students 84% Hispanic 62% Female Mean age - 19 61% qualified for free/reduced lunch 40% heard about DSB from counselor; 21% from a
flyer Motivations for applying to DSB: attaining college
level standing, improving skills, experiencing college
SUMMER 2009 BRIDGES:Contact Hours
College Total hours Weeks
El Paso 100 5
Lone Star- Cyfair 67 4
Lone Star- Kingwood 64/52 4
Palo Alto 64 4
San Antonio 97.5 5
St. Philips varied 4
South Texas 100 5
TAMIU 100 5
SUMMER 2009 BRIDGES: Subjects Studied
College Math only Both Math and English
El Paso x Lone Star- Cyfair x Lone Star- Kingwood x Palo Alto x San Antonio x St. Philips x South Texas x TAMIU x
Subjects Studied 3 offered math; 5 offered both OR either
math and English. Some course-based; some not. Taught by regular faculty. Curriculum generally based on existing
developmental education. Some classes were “leveled;” others were
not. Both approaches were seen as viable.
SUMMER 2009 BRIDGES:College Knowledge
El Paso Dream class (writing); college knowledge presentations
Lone Star- Cyfair Career assessment, learning style inventory, & orientation
Lone Star- Kingwood Provided in 4 workshops and individually by mentors
Palo Alto Student Development Course; assistance with financial aid; use of Que Pasa text
San Antonio
Abbreviated Student Success course (1 credit)
St. Philips
Student Development course (1 credit)
South Texas
4 presentations on college success
TAMIU 4 presentations on college success; assistance with applications and financial aid
College Knowledge 3 used abbreviated student success courses 4 offered presentations Faculty, mentors, and tutors played a role Topics included:
College applications and financial aid Help seeking in college Managing stress Understanding college culture
SUMMER 2009 BRIDGES:Student Support
El Paso
Mentoring program
Lone Star- Cyfair Mentoring; tutor assigned to each class for 4 hrs/wk
Lone Star- Kingwood Tutors in classes entire time; structured mentor time.
Palo Alto Tutors in class; mandatory daily tutoring session
San Antonio
Tutoring and lab use is voluntary
St. Philips
Use of labs and tutoring
South Texas 3 tutors; about 3 hours a week in the lab
TAMIU Lots of involvement with mentors, tutors, and program staff
Student Supports 4 colleges used mentors.
Amount of training varied Some mentoring was 1-1; some in groups Mentors were older students
All programs offered tutoring Lab time had different degrees of structure. Mentors and tutors were generally impressive, but
sometimes stretched thin. Students received stipends.
Preliminary Implementation Findings College knowledge- provided formally and
informally- is important for connecting and engaging students.
Course-based vs. non-course-based formats provided different experiences.
The accelerated format was important, yet challenging to implement.
Random Assignment Design
Targeted students invited to participate in study
Program groupEnrolled in enhanced programs and services
Control groupReceived regular courses and services
Baseline data collected
Students give consent
Random Assignment
Outcomes of Interest
College enrollment rates Need for developmental coursework Credit accumulation Persistence Enrollment status (FT, PT) Financial aid utilization
Subgroup analyses will also be done (income status, prior achievement)
Preliminary Impact Findings
A first look at early findings: Program impacts on college enrollment in the fall of 2009, to be presented at the IES conference.
Additional outcomes and longer follow-up will be presented in future reports.
For more information:
Please visit us on the web at
www.PostsecondaryResearch.org
to learn more about our latest research
and to sign up for electronic announcements.
National Center for Postsecondary ResearchTeachers College, Columbia University
525 West 120th Street, Box 174, New York, NY 10027 Email: [email protected]: (212) 678-3091
NCPR is funded by the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education