Bridges

The Bridges Program Mission is to provide alternative educational options in schools to actively engage students in learning, positively responding to individual learning styles and promoting each individual's success and growth as a life-long learner. The Bridges Program strives to meet the District's mission: "To successfully educate all students to reach their fullest intellectual, academic, and social/emotional and physical potential."

Bridges Program Description

Bridges is a regular/alternative education program for secondary students in Kenosha Unified School District No. 1. Bridges was developed and is maintained in collaboration with community partners: Kenosha County Division of Children & Family Services (Dept. of Human Services,) and Community Impact Programs. Other Prevention Services Network agencies are now working with the program as well, including the Boys & Girls Club and Lincoln Neighborhood Center.

School sites for the Bridges Program include:

High Schools:

Reuther Central High School

Tremper Senior High School

Middle Schools:

Lincoln Middle School Bridges House

McKinley Middle School's McKinley House

Washington Middle School "No Limit Learners"

Off campus program:

Hillcrest Bridge Center

The Bridges Program is designed to actively engage students by offering a combination of standardized and customized instruction. Students are encouraged to nurture their academic interests and strengths while developing fundamental skills. Teachers plan instruction for students to experience success in all academic areas. Finally, students are taught to use feedback as a learning tool.

Each student is engaged in planning his/her goals for learning using a Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP) which serves as a guide for student progress. Along with academic mastery, students set goals for independence, generosity and belonging to develop stronger relationships with school, family and community. Teachers record updated student information related to academic achievement and other student supports or activities as a part of the CEP. This is useful when planning and conferencing with the student and parent/guardian. In this way, Bridges teachers help guide an ongoing communication of growth and progress.

Bridges teachers and classrooms provide flexibility in meeting the student's need for mastery. For example, students usually participate in group taught classes using District curriculum, but supplemental materials/activities may be introduced so that students experience the curriculum in different ways. Modifications to instruction and assessment may be used to emphasize a student's particular interests, increasing engagement in the learning process. Teachers work with students to understand their unique learning styles over time so that the students learn to be responsible for their own learning choices. Students experience integrated methods of instruction with an emphasis on authentic, portfolio and performance-based assessments. Opportunities for independent study allow some students to make up credits at the high school level. Students may also take courses in classes other than those taught by Bridges teachers.

Teachers are able to develop relationships with their students because class sizes are maintained at a 15 to 1 student-teacher ratio and students may remain with the same teachers for up to three or four years. A supportive atmosphere is created in each classroom where it becomes possible to "reclaim" academic success, restoring value to students who may have been lost in the larger bureaucracy. Personal development curriculum such as career interests and development or conflict resolution skills are integrated into existing classes such as Health, Communications, and Leadership.

The Bridges Programs' classroom environments rely heavily on home and community involvement to support students. Parent input is actively sought and supported. Where community services are in place or needed, communication is maintained by the Bridges teachers. Generally, students are enrolled in a Bridges Program on a "choice" basis and may continue with Bridges as long as the student, teacher and parent/guardian agree that it is the best educational option to support the students continued achievement.

The Bridges Program is supported by a philosophy called the Circle of Courage described in Reclaiming Youth At Risk, Our Hope for the Future, a book written by authors and educators Brendtro, Brokenleg, and Van Bockern.

Bridges Program Goals:

• To foster opportunities for students to become life-long learners and contributing members of society through home, school and community involvement. To provide superior and meaningful educational experiences for youth at-risk. To increase academic acheivement for youth at-risk for school failure. To reduce truancy and drop-out rates by providing educational options that consider the needs of the each student.
• To reduce the number of deliquency adjudications by providing quality prevention and intervention services for youth.