Carmel, CA, May 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The NROC Project (NROC), the developer of EdReady, an adaptive math and English learning platform, partnered with the Texas Education Association (TEA) and The Commit Partnership (Commit) to design and implement Texas College Bridge. This program offers each participating student an individualized college readiness pathway which improves student knowledge and provides the opportunity to register for credit-bearing, college math and English courses without an SAT, ACT, or TSIA (Texas Success Initiative Assessment) score. Since the summer 2020 pilot, the program has experienced steady growth and has now been adopted by nearly 300 school districts and 30 institutions of higher education.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of Texas—like many states—was grappling with the challenge of identifying and then supporting the large number of students who were deemed unprepared for college-level studies. The pandemic meant that students were unable to take the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA), an instrument that is intended to measure college readiness, so it became even harder to figure out which students might be at risk. With funding from TEA, and leadership from Commit, NROC worked with both secondary and postsecondary leaders to design the Texas College Bridge program so that students could assess their readiness and fill in any identified knowledge gaps. The program is customized to meet the specific expectations of Texas colleges and universities.
Dallas College, an early adopter of Texas College Bridge, recently released summer 2020 efficacy data which indicate that students who took advantage of the program significantly outperformed other college students in both non-algebraic and algebraic math courses, as well as English composition.
“I feel very fortunate to have been part of the group that helped form and reshape the Texas College Bridge Program. I think we started with a great program and software, which made it easier for faculty to pinpoint what needed to be added and changed to make the learning bridge between high schools and college seamless. The transition from high school to college is hard enough without having any gaps in your education, and I think this program helped these students take some of that burden from their shoulders, as they do not need to pay for extra developmental classes and are ready to enroll in their college courses,” said Leticia Escobar, Dallas College Professor of Mathematics.
As Texas College Bridge continues to mature, the technology and onboarding processes are being refined based on participant feedback. Additionally, program efficacy will continue to be monitored and reported as more students matriculate to Texas colleges or universities.
“NROC is a nonprofit organization that collaborates with leaders to solve thorny issues, especially where they intersect with educational access, equity, and college readiness. We’re grateful to have had the opportunity to work with agency and nonprofit leaders as well as administrators and educators on the ground to realize the Texas College Bridge vision in a nimble fashion. As a team, one of our greatest strengths is supporting large-scale, system- and state-specific implementations in a responsive and community-oriented manner. We’re excited for what’s next,” said Ahrash Bissell, President of NROC.
About The NROC Project and EdReady
The NROC Project is a nonprofit educational technology firm that serves secondary, postsecondary, and adult education institutions, systems, and states. EdReady is an adaptive math and English platform that personalizes a student’s path to subject mastery within the context of a specific educational goal. Learn more at NROC.org.
About Texas College Bridge
Texas College Bridge is an initiative underwritten by the Texas Education Agency’s Home Learning Program, supported by The Commit Partnership, and powered by The NROC Project’s adaptive EdReady learning platform. The statewide initiative was launched as a response to a persistent college readiness problem further aggravated by COVID-19. Learn more at TexasCollegeBridge.org.