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##  Summer Bridge Programs: Supporting All Students. ERIC Digest.                

HISTORY AND MISSION
Over the past thirty years, access to higher               education has expanded markedly.  As in most historical times of                expansion, remediation and support programs grow to help new                    populations make the transition to college. Remediation and support             programs grew during the early 1800's when access expanded to                   include more "common men" in higher education.  These programs also             grew in the late 1800's when women and blacks entered higher                    education in larger numbers.  Furthermore, after the G.I. Bill and              civil rights movement, support programs were again reintroduced to              help these new populations attend college. 
Over the last thirty               years, support programs' goals and mission continue to expand in                response to international students, non-English speakers, and                   disabled students.  One of the popular programs that emerged out of             these various waves of increased access was the summer bridge                   program.  Summer bridge programs are designed to provide assistance             to individuals entering college in the Fall.  The focus of programs             varies depending on the specific program mission and goals.  The                main thrust of the programs is to retain these new populations                  within higher education and to provide them an equal footing with               other students. RANGE OF ACTIVITIES AND TYPES OF SUMMER BRIDGE                PROGRAMSProgram activities range enormously.  Some focus almost             exclusively on academic support such as writing, mathematics, and               reading.  Many contain study skills such as time management,                    individual learning style, study strategies, and expectations for               college work.  Since students in summer bridge programs are often               first generation college students, a section on the goals of a                  liberal arts education or general education and discussions about               college life is included.   Also, career counseling is found within             the majority of programs, assisting students in expanding their                 vocational aspirations.  Many programs are developing a parent                  involvement component, since research indicates that parental                   influence is strongly related to student success.  Helping students             to develop relationships on campus is another goal; this is                     accomplished by introducing students to campus offices and potential            mentors.  In addition, computer literacy is becoming a critical                 issue within the programs.  Journal writing and self-reflective                 activities have also been identified in the research as important               program components. 
Many summer bridge programs also develop                  partnerships within the community to enhance students' experiences.             Some bridge programs include community service opportunities so that            students meet and are connected with organizations within the area              of the college.  Others partner with businesses providing future                internships possibilities for students.  Some programs, for example             the University of Missouri, St Louis,  have established partnerships            with K-12 educators in order to help them in development and                    evaluation of summer bridge programs. 
The populations served by               programs vary greatly.  Some programs are specifically designed for             target populations such as minority, low-income, disabled, or first             generation students.  Programs are developed for students within                particular majors such as math and science.  These summer bridge                programs tend to have a very different curriculum focused on                    introducing lab work, understanding what it means to work in the                science or math area, familiarizing them with group and problem                 based learning, and developing mentoring relationships.  Other                  programs serve any student who does not pass an exam, serving more              of a remedial purpose.  Yet, there are also programs specifically               aimed at gifted students, from economically disadvantaged                       backgrounds.  These programs aim more on the transition to college              and expectations rather than study skills.  Another unique type of              program is for students in tech prep high school curriculum.  These             bridge programs are often offered by community colleges and help                students who never aspired to attend college, to enter and finish an            associate's degree in a technical area. 
Thus, the curricula vary              greatly, depending on the population served and goals.  Many                    institutions offer more than one summer bridge program,                         accommodating the unique needs of their student population.  What               should become apparent is that individualization of the program to              the campus is critical.  Conducting an audit of your own campus'                needs is essential. RESEARCH TO SUPPORT THE IMPORTANCE OF SUMMER              BRIDGE PROGRAMSThere has been a significant body of research on             first generation college students, examining the factors that                   inhibit and enhance success. This research consistently shows that              some of the major barriers to success include: 1) lack of                       self-confidence; 2) inappropriate expectations or knowledge about               college environment; 3) lack of connection to the college community             or external community; 4) lack of early validation within the                   college environment; 5) family members who do not understand the                goals of college; and, 6) not involving faculty in summer bridge                programs and the transition process (Terenzini, Rendon, Upcraft,                Millar, Allison, Gregg, Jalomo, 1996). BENEFITS FOR                           STUDENTSLittle empirical research of programs exist.  Some                  initial studies illustrate that students provide strong ratings for             the social aspects of the program such as mentoring, community                  development, and building self-confidence (York & Stuart).  The                 impact of academic components are rated lower in some self-studies,             most likely reflecting that significant progress in academic support            is quite difficult in a few weeks or months. This suggests that                 programs need to be realistic about their goals. However, some                  programs' students pass entrance exams they were unable to pass                 prior to the program (Garcia, 1991). 
Studies examining retention              and grade point average indicate that students in support programs              tend to perform better (GPA) than students who did not receive the              same type of support (Santa Rita & Bacote, 1996).  Few studies have             control groups, thus these findings are not conclusive. Studies also            illustrate that programs are helpful to transition, but not                     necessarily retention (York and Tross, 1994).  Yet, the results are             mixed with some evaluations showing increased retention in                      successive years (Garcia, 1991).  Also, research typically examines             one type of program, since programs vary, making generalizations                about impact quite difficult. One study examining schools that are              high producers of minority science and engineering degree recipients            discovered that a component of these colleges' and universities'                curriculum is summer bridge programs (Brazziel & Brazziel, 1995).               High producers include a range of institutions:  Cornell University,            University of Oklahoma, University of California-Los Angeles,                   Arizona State University, Morgan State University, University of                Maryland-Baltimore County, and Hampton University. MODEL PROGRAMS:            INDIVIDUALIZING TO MEET TARGETED CAMPUS NEEDSA few model                    programs are described to assist campuses in developing innovative              programs. Citations to articles about these programs are provided in            the references. The University of Wisconsin offers an ESL/Bilingual             Pre-collegiate Program for Southeast Asian refugee high school                  students. One of the main components of the program is cultural                 storytelling to build a bridge between self and the new academic                setting.  Peer counselors are Southeast Asian, providing mentors and            role models for students. 
Community colleges offer many bridge                programs and can be an important sector for identifying models.  One            model is the Comprehensive Minority SEM Program at Santa Fe                     Community College that aims at increasing minority involvement and              retention in the sciences.  The program is extensive, moving beyond             the components typically offered (skills development, etc., already             mentioned), including support for tuition, books and fees; a faculty            mentoring program; an Hispanic organization on campus; specific                 tutorial labs for students in their first year who complete the                 summer bridge program; and placement in work study positions in the             math department. 
Another program designed by the Native American              Preparatory School in Rowe, New Mexico focuses more on character                development through community service, the arts, and athletics.  The            school blends Native American and Western beliefs. The program                  focuses on writing fluency, communication skills, critical thinking             skills and computer literacy. 
In general, model programs are                  individualized, have strong faculty support and involvement, are                tied to the institutional mission, have partnerships with area K-12             schools, are supported by senior administration, use small group                collaborative learning, build community, and conduct student                    assessment /evaluation. EVALUATION OF PROGRAMSProgram                     evaluation is important since many programs find that they are                  missing a needed component.  Since funds are always limited, it is              critical to determine the range of activities most important to your            particular campus.  Although it would be nice to include parent                 involvement, mentoring, community outreach, study skills, and                   academic support, it is usually not possible to offer all activities            and to all populations you want to serve.  In addition to range of              activities offered and target population, programs also should                  examine length of program, schedule, learning approaches                        used (lecture versus small group learning), technology, involvement             of different members of campus and other issues important to program            success. 
Every program should begin by developing a mission                   statement and goals, as these are the foundation on any evaluation.             There is a very helpful list of such standards for student support              services offered by the CAS Council for Academic Standards in                   Student Support Services. These standards can be obtained from at               the following website http://www.ksu.edu/nacada/Profres/                        standard.htm.  In addition, a helpful resource to conducting                    evaluations was developed by Michael York and Stuart Tross in a                 paper they presented at the Annual SUCCEED conference on the                    Improvement of Engineering Education. SUMMARYSummer bridge                programs will continue to be important as higher education continues            to expand, increasing access to more and different populations.                 Bridge programs are also gaining support internationally as other               parts of the world expand their higher education systems.  Many                 countries are looking to the U.S. for models.   With the federal                government making it a goal that all Americans have the opportunity             to attend at least two years of college, institutions need to                   support and nurture these important                                             programs. REFERENCESBrazziel, W. & Brazziel, M. (1995).  The              distinctives of producers of minority science and engineering                   doctoral starts. Chagrin Falls, OH:  Chadbourne & Chadbourne,                   Inc. 
Garcia, P.  (1991).  Summer bridge: improving retention rates            for underprepared students.  Journal of Freshman Year Experience,               3(2), 91-105. 
Native American Prepatory School (1994). ED 403                 086 
Pantano, J. (1994).  Comprehensive Minority SEM Programs at               Santa Fe Community College.  Paper presented at the Annual                      International Conference of the National Institute for Staff and                Organizational Development on Teaching Excellence and Conference of             Administrators in Austin Texas. 
Santa-Rita, Emilio & Bacote,                  Joseph (1996).  The benefits of college discovery prefreshmen summer            programs for minority and low income students.  ED 394                          536 
Terenzini, P,, Rendon, L., Upcraft, L., Millar, S., Allison,              K., Gregg, P., & Jalomo, R.  (1996).  The transition to college:                Diverse students, diverse stories. In F. Stage, G. Anya, J. Bean, D.            Hossler, & G. Kuh, ASHE Reader on college students:  The evolving               nature of research, pp54-79, Needham Heights: Ginn                              Press. 
Werner-Smith, Anne Marie & Smolin, Laura (1995,                        Summer/Fall). An ESL/Bilingual Pre collegiate Program for Southeast             Asian refugee high school students.  Bilingual research Journal,                19(3), 3-4. 
York, M. & Tross, S. (1994).  Evaluation of student               retention programs:  An Essential component.  Paper presented at                Annual SUCCEED conference on the Improvement of Engineering                     Education in Raleigh, NC. 
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The mission of the ERIC system              is to improve American education by increasing and facilitating the             use of educational research and information to effect good practice             in the activities of learning, teaching, educational decision                   making, and research, wherever and whenever these activities take               place. 
This publication was partially prepared with funding from              the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department             of Education, under contract no. RR-93-00-0036. The opinions                    expressed here do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies             of OERI or the department.  Permission is granted to copy and                   distribute this ERIC-HE Digest.                                              **Title:** Summer Bridge Programs: Supporting All Students. ERIC Digest.                **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education, One Dupont Circle, N.W.,                Suite 630, Washington, DC; Tel: 800-773-3742 (toll free); fax:                  202-452-1844; Web site: http://www.eriche.org.                               **Descriptors:** Access to Education, Accessibility (for Disabled),                              Diversity (Student),  Educational Counseling, Educationally                     Disadvantaged, Elementary Secondary Education, Equal Education,                 Foreign Students, Higher Education, Limited English Speaking,  Non              English Speaking,  Nontraditional Education,  Remedial Programs,                School Business Relationship, School Community Relationship, Student            Subcultures,  Summer Programs,  Transitional Programs                        **Identifiers:**  ERIC Digests                                                                
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