For many students, the transition from middle to high school can be overwhelming and intimidating. There are new buildings and classrooms to get used to, rules and expectations to understand, and teachers and peers to meet. Rising ninth graders have to navigate these changes at a critical point in their adolescent development. However, Grade 9 Summer Bridge programs can help ease this transition.
RISE Network partner schools have implemented and improved upon Summer Bridge programs over the years to help incoming Grade 9 students successfully adjust to high school. Though the curriculum may be different at each school, Summer Bridge programs help incoming students prepare for and get excited about high school by helping them to build critical relationships, sharpen skills, and familiarize themselves with routines and expectations.
And the positive impact that Summer Bridge has on students who participate is clear.
A newly released Summer Bridge learning brief found that, across the RISE Core Network schools that implemented a Summer Bridge program, Summer Bridge participants finished Quarter 1 with on-track rates 10 percentage points higher than their non-participant counterparts.
“Through Summer Bridge, students get an early exposure to high school and can build connections with adults in the school, through which they feel supported and become part of the school community,” said Melanie Gonzalez, RISE’s Senior Program Evaluation and Analytics Specialist and primary author of the report. “Summer Bridge gets young people in the mindset of knowing what it means to be on-track in high school. It establishes those expectations early on and sets them up for success.”
Significantly, the brief also found that Summer Bridge most benefited students who struggled in middle school and/or represented historically marginalized subgroups. This includes students who were identified as “high-risk” or “vulnerable” based on their 8th-grade experiences, as well as students in special education programs, multilingual learners, and students who identified as Latine, Black, or female.
“Students who have been identified as high-risk or vulnerable in eighth grade start high school academically behind, and Summer Bridge provides an early opportunity to address those gaps,” said Gretchen Philbrick, RISE Senior Freshman Success Coach and a contributing author of the brief. She explained that many Summer Bridge programs include academic skill-building in specific content areas, so students who may be weaker in writing or math have the opportunity to learn in a smaller cohort where they can receive more individualized attention to build those skills. Many programs also focus on emotional regulation and self-advocacy, which are particularly beneficial to these students.
Summer Bridge also provides an opportunity for high schools to present a positive first impression to their students. “Many of the larger gains we saw in the brief were among students who were identified as high-risk or vulnerable in middle school, so they have likely had negative experiences with school,” said Philbrick. “Summer Bridge helps rebuild students’ trust in school. It shows that this is a place that cares about you and will provide clear expectations and guidance.”
As we are approaching the end of the 2024-25 academic year, the findings in the brief are especially timely. Building on the strong student impact demonstrated across last year’s programs, the brief recommends that schools start or continue Summer Bridge programming and specifically recruit students with the highest needs to attend.
“We know this is a tough year, in terms of budget and resources,” Philbrick noted. “Yet the return on investment for Summer Bridge programs cannot be overstated, particularly when measured against state accountability goals. Now is the time to invest in strategies like this that improve student outcomes and support long-term academic success.”
If your school is looking to implement or improve its Summer Bridge program, please review the following strategy and planning tools RISE has developed:
- Summer Bridge Programs: A RISE Network Strategy Guide
- Summer Bridge Fact Sheet: The Case for Summer Bridge
- Summer Bridge Planning Template
If you are interested in learning more about the importance of the ninth-grade year and transition programs like Summer Bridge, read about our upcoming Grade 9 Symposium (June 25-26, 2025) and consider forming a team of educators to attend. You can also email partnerships@ctrise.org to connect with our team and learn more ways you can partner with RISE.