ECC deems summer bridge program a success

By the numbers, the Alliance for College Readiness' pilot summer bridge program has been deemed a success.

Twenty recent high school graduates from Elgin Area School District U-46, Central Community Unit District 301, Community Unit District 300, and St. Charles District 303 participated in the free program at Elgin Community College this July.

After taking two classes - a one-credit "College 101" class that prepared students for the rigors of college life, and a noncredit reading or math class, 14 of the 20 students placed into higher level college courses.

ECC officials also said students reported making friends in the program, feeling more comfortable with upcoming college course work, and overcoming academic weaknesses they had struggled with in high school.

The Alliance for College Readiness was formed in 2006 by a group of Elgin Area Educators, seeking to redefine exactly what "college ready" means.

The bridge program was the second Alliance program to involve area students.

Last spring, the Alliance invited 120 area high school freshman to ECC. These students were identified as being possibly college-bound. The alliance plans to sponsor several more activities this school year.

Get graphic: Judson University will feature a lecture series on Jewish graphic novels. Beginning Sept. 16, Professor Terrence Wandtke will lead discussions of novels by authors Will Eisner, the "inventor" of the graphic novel, Pulitzer Prize winner Art Spieglman, and Joann Sfar. All lectures are held in classroom 221 in Judson's Harm A. Weber Academic Center. They are free and open to the public.

College cred. spreads: The Illinois State Board of Education announced last week that a record number of Illinois high school students took Advanced Placement (AP) tests during the 2007-08 school year. More than 60,000 public and private school juniors and seniors took AP exams - an increase of more than 8 percent from the year before, according to College Board. The group also reported that more minorities than ever are taking college-level classes. In Elgin Area School District U-46, a major focus this year will be encouraging more juniors and seniors to take the exams, Superintendent Jose Torres outlined in his listening and learning plan.