| Alexandria, VA - StraighterLine ( announced today that | | | | high tech expectations of today's high school students, |
| The Bridge School ( a leading provider of online high | | | | will help maximize our students' acquisition of |
| school education based in Houston Texas, has | | | | knowledge." |
| partnered with StraighterLine to offer a dual enrollment | | | | About The Bridge School |
| option for their students. Bridge School students who | | | | The mission of The Bridge School is to enable |
| successfully complete StraighterLine courses will | | | | students to become self-motivated, independent |
| receive high school credit from the Bridge School and | | | | learners who are in charge of their educational future. |
| college credit from any of StraighterLine's partner | | | | The Bridge School accomplishes this by providing a |
| colleges or any of the one thousand or more colleges | | | | flexible and individualized opportunity to achieve a high |
| that award credit for courses approved by the | | | | school diploma through the use of open enrollment, |
| American Council on Education's Credit | | | | on-line instruction. The Bridge School allows students to |
| Recommendation Service. | | | | start a course at any time and move through a course |
| The Bridge School is the first high school to partner | | | | at their own rate. The Bridge School offers more than |
| with StraighterLine to offer high school students the | | | | 160 Middle School, and High School courses, including |
| ability to take college courses while still in high school. | | | | Dual Credit and AP, taught by highly qualified and |
| This program will provide high school students with | | | | certified teachers. The Bridge School offers High |
| college credits and save them thousands of dollars on | | | | School diplomas and transferable credit, since it is |
| their college degrees. | | | | accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges |
| In addition to being reviewed by partner colleges, | | | | and Schools Council on Accreditation and School |
| StraighterLine courses have been evaluated and | | | | Improvement (SACS CASI) using online solutions for |
| recommended by the American Council on Education's | | | | students who want an alternative to the traditional |
| (ACE) Credit Recommendation Service and have met | | | | classroom environment. It is also approved by the |
| or exceeded the Distance Education and Training | | | | Texas Education Agency as an accredited nonpublic |
| Council's standards for online course quality. | | | | school. |
| Currently StraighterLine offers nine entry-level college | | | | The Bridge School is designed for students who are |
| courses online, including College Algebra, Precalculus, | | | | interested in taking single courses to augment their |
| English Comp I, English Comp II, Accounting I, | | | | current educational experience, and for full time |
| Accounting II, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, | | | | students seeking a high school diploma. The Bridge |
| Business Statistics and two developmental courses, | | | | School helps students who are facing challenges, stay |
| with more to be offered soon. StraighterLine partner | | | | on track with their preparation for a career and college. |
| colleges include the following institutions: | | | | Additionally, the Bridge School helps highly motivated |
| * Charter Oak State College ( | | | | students move ahead more rapidly, to give them an |
| * Fort Hays State University ( | | | | advantage in today's competitive academic |
| * Jefferson Community and Technical College ( | | | | environment. |
| * Kaplan University ( | | | | About StraighterLine |
| * Lake City Community College ( | | | | StraighterLine provides students with a new online |
| * Potomac College ( | | | | option for getting started on a college degree - |
| * Western Governors University ( | | | | freshman-level college courses for only $99 a month, |
| "With StraighterLine's courses, Bridge School students | | | | plus a one-time $39 per course started fee. The |
| can dramatically reduce the cost of college," says | | | | program includes up to 10 hours of one-on-one |
| Burck Smith, StraighterLine's CEO. "Further, by starting | | | | instructional support. |
| college with existing credits, research shows that | | | | StraighterLine is a great way to tackle the escalating |
| these students are more likely to complete their | | | | cost of four-year college tuition and avoid a mountain |
| degree." | | | | of student debt with their distance learning courses. |
| "Providing an open enrollment opportunity to deliver | | | | For students that move at the same pace as a |
| dual credit courses is one important way for The | | | | traditional semester schedule courses ultimately cost |
| Bridge School to address individual student goals, says | | | | less than $43 per credit hour. Many students move |
| Dr. Spyros Catechis, The Bridge School founder and | | | | through the material even faster though which allows |
| CEO. "Partnering with StraighterLine to offer these | | | | for greater savings. |
| distance learning courses in a way that matches the | | | | |