Helping Students Become College-Ready
El Paso Community College (TX)
http://www.epcc.edu/

El Paso Community College (EPCC) entered into the College Readiness Initiative to increase the number of high school graduates who meet the Texas Success Initiative standards and place into credit bearing courses upon entry into college. The program is conducted at local high schools and includes a comprehensive orientation on ACCUPLACER (the college’s placement test) for students and their parents, followed by testing during a student’s junior and/or senior years in high school. As part of the initiative, students in the Summer Bridge program learn about college resources and develop college success strategies. Since the College Readiness protocol was established, fewer EPCC students have placed into developmental courses. ACCUPLACER scores rose for students who scored in the college-ready range, and those who placed in the lowest levels of developmental math decreased while those placing in the highest levels increased.