Seamless Alignment and Integrated Learning Support (SAILS), a program designed by Chattanooga State Community College in 2012 that is now employed statewide, has increased college readiness in Tennessee by providing college remediation courses in English and math to high school seniors. Completing SAILS in high school enables students to graduate ready for college-level coursework.
Danny Wilson, the principal of South Pittsburg High School in Marion County, has long supported the SAILS Program. This year, South Pittsburg High experienced remarkable success in their SAILS classes, as they reported graduating 100 percent of their seniors as college-ready in reading, writing, and math. This impressive accomplishment was made possible through the instruction and facilitation of math teacher, Tim Bible and English teacher, Stephanie Lewis. Mr. Bible believes that one of the most powerful aspects of the program is the differentiation with the self-paced, online course. He said, “I had 30 students in my class and every single student was working on a different mathematical concept. It made for a very busy class, but no students were sitting and waiting on others.”
South Pittsburg guidance counselor, Lynn Cooper, another major proponent of SAILS, commented on the overall impact of the program: “It is wonderful to see students graduating at college readiness levels. This increases their probability for success in postsecondary studies significantly.”
SAILS Tennessee served close to 16,000 students this year and is projected to serve 17,000 students in 282 high schools during the 2016-2017 academic year. Tennessee residents can expect to hear more about the SAILS Project and its rising success of college students served by this program. For more information, contact SAILS Tennessee at sailstennessee@chattanoogastate.edu or call 423-697-3397.