Hill College increases student access to higher education through Texas College Bridge program
Jessyca Brown
Monday, March 1, 2021 11:49 AM
General Events
Hillsboro, TX
Hill College is providing more college access options for high school students by participating in Texas College Bridge, a program offering online college prep courses in math and English to juniors and seniors.
Hill College Vice President of Instruction Dr. Kerry Schindler signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on behalf of the college in January, which guarantees students who master the Texas College Bridge curriculum will be admitted to Hill College without being required to take developmental math or English courses.
“If a graduating student doesn’t demonstrate mastery of college readiness through one of the state-approved performance assessments such as the TSI [Texas Success Initiative], then they typically have to take developmental courses when they get to college,” Schindler explained. “A Texas College Bridge course completion certificate now qualifies as a TSI exemption at Hill College. It shows a student is college ready, and we will advise them accordingly.”
Schindler said being college ready upon high school graduation helps students obtain their postsecondary certification or degree more quickly.
“Demonstrating college readiness allows students to immediately enroll in college-level classes that can be applied toward a certificate or degree,” he said.
Texas College Bridge’s self-paced, adaptive learning platform helps students efficiently reach their learning goals. Courses are adapted based on a student’s pre-assessment of their college math and English readiness, as well as their progress, and students can follow a personalized study path through course completion. From the dashboard, students can view their progress, access study materials and ask a teacher facilitator for help.
“This might be a great option for students who have test anxiety or don’t do well on standardized tests because it allows them to demonstrate college readiness over the course of a curriculum at their own pace,” said Schindler.
When a student successfully completes a course, they can electronically submit their verified certificate of completion directly to their college of choice through the Texas College Bridge’s database, GreenLight. Participating colleges, such as Hill College, will also have access to GreenLight and can easily review student information, including transcripts.
Disruptions in learning because of COVID-19 created numerous challenges for graduating seniors statewide. In response, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is funding the Texas College Bridge program statewide for a year to provide free options for districts to help 2020-2021 high school seniors become college ready.
“With students being displaced and learning from home, partnering with the Texas College Bridge program was a natural solution for us to support our local districts and ensure students were able to seamlessly continue their educational journey,” Schindler said.
To learn more about the Texas College Bridge program, visit https://www.texascollegebridge.org/. For information on applying for admission to Hill College, call 254-659-7600 or visit https://www.hillcollege.edu/Admissions_Aid/Admissions/Adm_index.html.
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