Learn more about Math and Science Summer Bridge.
General Information
- When should the Summer Bridge Portal Agreement be submitted?
The Portal Agreement should be submitted as soon as you know which programs will be offered and the materials needed (e.g., teacher curriculum guides, student interactive notebooks), but no later than at least eight weeks prior to program implementation. - Is the curriculum aligned with national standards?
The Math for 7th Grade and Algebra Readiness programs are aligned with the rigorous national math standards.
The Mission Possible and ProPhone and the Environment science programs align with the Next Generation Science Standards. - If our district implemented Summer Bridge last year and has the teacher curriculum guides, do we need to purchase new ones this year?
The math curriculum guides were last updated in 2023 and science in 2018. These versions may be used for returning teachers. New teachers of the programs need new curriculum guides. - May we view the curriculum before applying for Summer Bridge?
The curriculum samplers located on the Program Overview page contain a sample program introduction for teachers, as well as tables of contents and sample lessons for each program. - Can the 60-hour curriculum for each program be shortened?
If your summer programs do not allow for the full 60 hours of student contact time, the program teachers can identify and omit or shorten the lessons/activities in which their students are already proficient or those not included in the district/state content requirements.
If the program hours are shortened, please do not omit all of the team-builders or brain breaks. These are important to student engagement in the program.
Math programs used for student acceleration should not be shortened. - Are the end-of-bridge math exams available from AVID Center?
Individual districts or schools provide the end-of-bridge exams, which can be prepared to correspond specifically with Summer Bridge, or from released state exam questions or school-year exams.
The results of the exams, along with students’ state exam scores and school year math averages, can be used to determine math course placement for the following school-year. Please keep in mind that Summer Bridge programs do not cover a full year of instruction. - Please note: Physical curriculum will be shipped once contract is signed, and payment (PO, Check, CC) has been received.
Student Recruitment
- Which student groups should be recruited for Summer Bridge?
This is determined by your school/district purpose for Summer Bridge: math acceleration from regular to honors/advanced courses, enrichment, or additional instruction prior to the subsequent school year. The science programs are designed as enrichment opportunities. - What is an appropriate class size?
A reasonable class size is 20–25 students for the high-engagement, hands-on programs.
Teachers and Training
- Are there criteria for the teachers who should teach the programs?
The teachers should be knowledgeable of the subject matter and willing to teach in a high-engagement, collaborative classroom.
Teachers do not have to be trained in AVID strategies, though that provides them with a better understanding of the strategies used throughout the programs (e.g., focused note-taking, Costa’s Levels of Thinking, quickwrites, reflections). - How are teachers trained?
On-demand training modules are available for all Summer Bridge programs. AVID will provide access to the individuals whom you designate as Summer Bridge teachers or administrators. The modules will remain available until May 31 of the contracted school year.
The modules require 2–2½ hours for a simple review, but additional time for deeper study.
Each program requires items such as game cards or charts that aren’t in the student interactive notebooks and daily set up of supplies. It is beneficial for teachers to be given additional time prior to or during Summer Bridge to prepare these items.
Districts with several teachers of a single Summer Bridge program may want to have the teachers view the training modules together to facilitate discussions among the group.
Supplies and Print Materials
- What supplies are required?
Supply lists for all programs can be found on the Program Overview page and in the appendices of the curriculum guides. Many of the supplies for each program are typical classroom supplies. For the science programs, specific science-related supplies are required. - Are student interactive notebooks required?
Yes. The student interactive notebooks can be purchased from AVID Center or printed and bound locally. Digital files of the interactive notebooks can be accessed in the online, on-demand training modules once access is granted. The individual handout pages are also available through the training modules for the programs. - What additional materials are required?
Each program requires printing, cutting, and sorting of handouts that aren’t in the student interactive notebooks. The specific lists of documents to be printed are in the appendices of the teacher curriculum guides.
Data Collection
- What data collection is required?
The only data collected is the number of schools and number of students participating in each of the Summer Bridge programs.
Schools and districts are strongly encouraged to collect math student-level data (e.g., course enrollment and grade average) prior to and after Summer Bridge in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the math programs for participating students.