Chattanooga, TN --- When the SAILS Program (Seamless Alignment and Integrated Learning Support) was piloted at Red Bank High School several years ago, educators had high hopes. During its first year of the statewide expansion, statistics show that “786 out of 1,043 students in Hamilton County who participated in the SAILS Program wiped out their need for developmental math in college,” states Dr. Robert Denn, Dean, Honors and Special Programs at Chattanooga State. “Many schools had near or at 100 percent completion rate,” he adds.

The SAILS Program introduces the college developmental math curriculum in the high school senior year. By embedding the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) Learning Support Math competencies in the high school Bridge Math course, students can get a head start on their college career. Students who successfully complete the program are ready to take a college math course, saving them time and money while accelerating their path to graduation.

Looking ahead to the 2014-2015 school year, 1,495 students from all 19 high schools in Hamilton County will be participating in the SAILS Program thus potentially eliminating the need for remedial math classes when they graduate. As part of Governor Haslam’s Drive to 55 Initiative, SAILS has attracted national attention for its innovative and practical solution to the college readiness program, and Chattanooga State is leading the way in transforming the college-readiness landscape in the State of Tennessee.

For more information about SAILS, visit http://www.chattanoogastate.edu/high-school/sails or contact Dr. Robert Denn at 423.697.2648.