Basic Skills Task Force Minutes

12/19/07 – C-106

Present: Maria Armstrong, Ayesha Randal, Christina Anketell, Michael Wheeler, Linda Cole, Alison Tom-Muira, Bradley Vaden

Basic Skills Report

• The Basic Skills Assessment report is updated. Report sections are accessible through accred.mentorlounge.net.

• Now need to create action plan. Goal is to have something for Academic Senate review on Feb. 12.

Section 1 – Organizational and Administrative Practices

• Basic Skills is still not currently highly coordinated or organized.

  • Associate Dean position should be filled, but the main focus of the position should be to coordinate services. The results of this task force should be the basis of the duties of this position.

  • The Assessment Center has moved to the C building, which was a recommendation of the Basic Skills Task Force Report of 2004.

• Basic Skills offerings are occurring in the following areas:

  • Learning Skills

  • English – 64, 21, 94, 46, 47

  • Math – 101, 105, 112, Lab (tutoring)

  • Non-Credit – CASHEE

  • Counseling – PD courses, counseling services

  • Matriculation – Assessment, orientation

  • CTE Programs – most have a basic skills math course

  • CALWorks

  • DSPS – tutoring, assessment

  • EOPS – tutoring, PD

• This past year saw a fracture in services between the Learning Skills Center and Student Services (EOPS/CALWorks).

  • Tutoring services should be recombined and coordinated. Math Lab/Tutoring needs to be integrated/coordinated within the tutoring services

  • Policies should be created so that this does not occur in the future.

• This task force should become a permanent college committee to review, assess, and coordinate efforts for Basic Skills on the campus.

• Training

  • We do not have any training for faculty/staff to address concerns/needs of basic skills students

  • Most instructors are ignorant of their students’ reading, computational, writing, and study skills.

    • Instructors should have access to student assessments at the beginning of the course.

    • Instructors should be able to give quick 10-minute assessments of students’ reading and computational skills and then be able to refer them to the appropriate service/course.

Section 2 – Program Components

• Assessment

  • Current Assessment results

    • Math

    • Writing/English

    • Reading

  • All programs should pilot ACT Compass during Spring 2008

    • ESL (currently piloting), Math, English, Reading, Learning Skills

  • Accuplacer needs to be revalidated during Spring 2008 and/or pilot of ACT Compass.

  • CTE Programs should have first semester students assess as a class during the first two weeks of the semester.

• Reading

  • Reading needs to be looked at for a prerequisite for courses

  • Reading program/curriculum needs to be created.

  • Reading Specialist needs to be hired/assigned

    • Pat Hollingsworth

• Non-Credit

  • CASHEE

• Counseling – Intake Process

• Do we have scores from CASHEE tests

  • What areas are they deficit in

• Students need to be funneled into either CASHEE prep or GED

• What is the CASHEE course prep curriculum

• Middle/High School Students

  • What are the services offered to these students?

  • How will they be funneled into credit courses

• Adult Learners

  • Literacy/Citizenship

  • Other programs?

• DSPS

  • Faculty need to understand referral process

  • Do we have the ability to assess students in a timely fashion?

• Counseling

  • Need a case management system that allows of the maintenance of SEPs and referrals to services on campus

  • Specific counseling services for CTE programs

• Financial Aid

  • Expansion of EOPS-like services to students that fall within low-end of assessment

    • Freshmen Experience or Digital Bridge type of program

Staff Development

• President needs to dedicate a full semester or year on basic skills

• Need staff development in developmental education and learning theory and practice. How to adapt strategies to one’s own discipline

• Need a peer mentoring program for new faculty members that runs for their entire first year of teaching at the college.

• Conferences and workshops need to be targeted to specific areas of instruction. Faculty should be personally invited to attend conferences/workshops and then present materials back to department/discipline.

• Training in Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) theory and Active Learning

Instructional Practices

• Curriculum

  • Look at eliminating Math 101 and English 64 (see PDFs with cohort analysis of courses)

  • Create modules for basic math, reading and writing skills in Learning Skills

    • These modules would be a lecture/lab combo

    • Modules are 4-7 weeks and our more specific than current course offerings.

    • Modules can be adapted to CTE programs for integration within 1^st semester curriculum

  • Create Prereqs/Advisories for Reading, replacing current English 21 advisories/prereqs (see cohort analysis for English 21)

  • English 21 has a co-requisite Reading course

  • Create an integrated reading, writing, math, study skills project program similar to the Digital Bridge project

  • Create and implement tutor training and certification

• Early Alert

  • Create a better system that gives instructors the tools to assess and refer students to services in a more efficient and informed manner

• Facilities

  • C-building is becoming central location for services.

    • Better sound barriers between ASO and other services (assessment, labs, classrooms)

  • What are the future plans for basic skills in facilities master plan?

  • Creation of reading lab

Next Meeting: January 23, 1:30 – 3:00 pm, C-106