Abstract
The first year of college is a critical time for students to set a foundation for learning and the academic success necessary to persist (Reason, Terenzini, & Domingo, 2006). However, a number of students embark on their college journey underprepared to meet this academic rigor (Jackson & Kurlaender, 2014). The development of summer bridge programs has been a popular college readiness intervention. In this study, I examined the relationship between academic success, first-year retention, academic momentum, four-year graduation rate, and summer bridge program participation. The sample consisted of two cohorts of first-year students who participated in the 2013 and 2014 summer bridge program at a four-year Florida State University System institution in Southwest Florida. I chose these two cohorts due to the adoption of Florida Senate Bill 1720 (2013), which changed regulations pertaining to Florida’s developmental education requirements. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze demographic and pre-college success data. I then explored the relationship between academic success and participation in the summer bridge program for each cohort. I also explored the relationship between first-year retention and summer bridge program participation. I then examined the relationship between academic momentum and summer bridge program participation. Finally, I examined the relationship between four-year graduation rate and summer bridge program participation. Significance was found for the relationships between summer bridge program participation and first-semester academic success, first-year academic success, and academic momentum. There was no relationship found between first-year retention or four-year graduation and summer bridge program participation. These findings contributed to the further exploration of the effectiveness of summer bridge programs. Future research should be conducted to further explore the impact of summer bridge program participation, including specific program components, qualitative outcomes, and demographics.