Policy
Bridge to Success aims to coordinate and implement policy changes within and across educational institutions in San Francisco to increase students’ post-secondary success.
To date, two major policy changes were made to support the post-secondary success of San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) students transitioning to City College:
- SFUSD students receive early enrollment for core courses for every semester that they attend City College; and
- Students may re-take the English and math Placement Test after two weeks, rather than three months, if they feel that they scored below their level ability.
These policy changes were driven by data analysis, and were systematically implemented to correct challenges that students have faced for decades. Data indicated that a high proportion of SFUSD students scored low on their City College Placement Tests, and were therefore placed into remedial math and English courses. For some students, it took several semesters of remedial courses before they were eligible to enroll in college-level courses that earned them credit toward their completion goals. In addition, these students were last in priority for registering for core classes. The attrition rate for students placed in remedial courses was high. In an effort to overcomes these challenges, SFUSD students were given the guarantee to enroll in one core class each semester that they attend City College, and the time before a student was able to re-take their placement tests was shortened from three months to two weeks, allowing more students to re-test before their first semester of college begins
Bridge to Success is also creating forums for faculty from City College and SFUSD to discuss and explore ways to align curricula across institutions.
Practice
Bridge to Success identifies needed changes in practice and introduces new practices within and across educational institutions in San Francisco to increase students’ post-secondary success.
Many of these practices focus on collaborative approaches across institutions to double the number of students earning college degrees or credentials. These new practices focus on ways in which education systems – such as the school district and City College – can work together rather than separately to accomplish mutual goals. For example, Bridge to Success has brought counselors from the school district and from the community college together for joint trainings, networking events, and sessions to brainstorm ways they can enhance each others’ efforts.
Bridge to Success has also introduced new events that increase students, families, and school staff’s knowledge about post-secondary success. For example, in 2010 Bridge to Success launched FRISCO Day – a citywide series of events for graduating high school seniors to learn the skills and information they need to be successful in college.