Bridge to College

Preparing High School Students for College

Since 2015, the Washington community and technical college system has offered high school students who score at college-ready levels 3 or 4 the opportunity to use the Smarter Balanced score to enroll directly into college-level English and/or math courses without taking remedial courses or additional placement tests.

Students who do not score at a college-ready level on the assessments still have the opportunity to get college-ready while in high school with Bridge to College courses. Students who earn a B grade or above in a Bridge to College transition course are eligible for automatic placement into college-level courses at any community and technical college in Washington (and at Eastern Washington University). 

The transition courses and placement agreement:

  • Help high school graduates avoid needing to take and pay for pre-college courses and placement tests when they enter college.
  • Improve alignment between K-12 and entry-level college math and English curricula.
  • Develop and sustain college/K-12 district partnerships and faculty/teacher collaboration.

Courses taught to state learning standards

Bridge to College courses teach to the state learning standards and are grounded in career and college readiness expectations. The project is funded by a College Spark Washington grant.

Helping students use the placement agreement

Since 2021 there is no statewide electronic process for students to submit their Bridge to College grades and use the placement agreement; it is up to schools and colleges to help students navigate the local systems for placement into college-level courses and avoid remediation. Students and school staff looking for guidance in the process can review the information about using the agreement available on the Bridge to College Courses website; we also worked with the Washington State Student Services Commission to compile a list of campus contacts for local questions about Bridge to College and the placement agreement. If no name is listed for a college and you have a question about a student trying to use the placement agreement there, contact Kristen Jaoui at kjaoui@sbctc.edu.

Contacts

Jamie Traugott
Director -Student Services and K-12 Alignment
jtraugott@sbctc.edu
360-704-3929

Kristen Jaoui
Project Grant Manager
kjaoui@sbctc.edu
360-704-1055

The Bridge to College mathematics course is designed to prepare students for entrance into non-calculus pathway introductory college level mathematics courses. The course curriculum emphasizes modeling with mathematics and the Common Core State Standards for Mathematical Practice. Topics include building and interpreting functions (linear, quadratic and exponential), writing, solving and reasoning with equations and inequalities, and summarizing, representing, and interpreting data. This course must be taught using the Bridge to College mathematics curriculum. If you are interested in reviewing the actual course materials, please follow the instructions at this web page.

This course develops students’ college and career readiness by building skills in critical reading, academic writing, speaking and listening, research and inquiry, and language use as defined by the Common Core State Standards. Students read complex nonfiction and fiction texts focusing on issues of both current and enduring importance. Students learn to evaluate the credibility of information, critique others’ opinions, and construct their own opinions based on evidence.

By the end of the course, students are able to use strategies for critical reading, argumentative writing, and independent thinking while reading unfamiliar texts and responding to them in discussion and writing. The course also develops essential habits of mind necessary for student success in college, including independence, productive persistence, and metacognition.