Research & Evaluation Studies

Brentwood High School: A Case Study

Brentwood High School implements school-wide strategies to support SIFE and newcomer students at different levels and prepare them for success both in and out of school. This high school also demonstrated high appreciation for students’ cultural and linguistic background, not only as a tool for second language and content learning, but also to affirm and embrace them in all aspects of their identity. The district made the strategic choice of partnering with Bridges at the high school to improve the literacy and math skills for their SIFE and entering newcomer multilingual learners. This strategic partnership, in tandem with the district’s existing strategy for welcoming newcomers, led to a successful implementation of Bridges programs, and helped build student language, literacy, social-emotional, and content learning.

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NYSITELL to First NYSESLAT: Scale Score Improvement

Bridges-NYSED Math Program Evaluation

The Math curriculum for SIFE and Newcomers was  piloted  across New York State during the 2022-23 academic year, and an internal research  study  was conducted to  evaluate the program during the pilot year. Study results showed that students made significant improvements in their mathematical assessment scores and their social emotional learning skills.

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Math: Mean Curriculum Assessment Scores

A Cross-Case Site Study of a Curriculum for
Students with Interrupted Formal Education

This study examined how implementation of a curriculum (INT ENL/ELA and STA ENL) designed for refugee and immigrant students with interrupted formal education (SIFE) affected student learning in three bilingual and multilingual secondary schools in New York State. Results showed that students in all settings made growth in foundational literacy skills and reading comprehension in English. Moreover, the study documents the tremendous obstacles a majority of the students regularly overcame to attend and participate in the classroom.

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Cultivating a Culture of Bilingualism:
Evaluating a Home Language Arts Curriculum for SIFE

This study is a mixed methods evaluation of a Spanish Home Language Arts (HLA) pilot curriculum designed for Students with Interrupted Education (SIFE) as it was implemented across six different schools in New York State during the 2019–2020 school year. Results of the evaluation showed that teachers made improvements in their practice and students were able to develop language and literacy skills and had increased engagement and collaboration in the classroom. 

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Home Language Arts: Mean Curriculum Assessment Scores

Getting newcomer English learners off the sidelines:
Strategies for increasing learner engagement
while developing language and literacy

In order to increase newcomer and SIFE engagement, students need to be thoughtfully integrated into classroom learning practices. This article offers dynamic strategies from Bridges partner classrooms that leverage home language to support newcomer EL engagement.

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Bridges-CUNY ELA/ELD Program Evaluation

The Bridges-CUNY ELA/ELD Program effectively addresses the ELA content and language development needs of Newcomers and Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE).

The research involved collecting and analyzing data from 44 classrooms across 30 schools, including SLIFE and newcomer students from diverse urban and suburban settings in eight states: California, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Washington.

Study results demonstrate significant student growth in language and literacy skills. This improvement was not only highlighted by the teachers but also demonstrated through a quantitative analysis of students’ curriculum-embedded assessment data, which showed gains across writing, speaking, and academic discourse domains. Teachers view the program as a structured, culturally relevant resource.

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