Basic Skills Across the Curriculum

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Basic Skills Across the Curriculum
Barbara Illowsky, Project Director ASCCC
Curriculum Institute, July 2008
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Who are you?

• How many came to last and/or this years BSI
  trainings?
• How many are on your BSI committee?
• How many have read the Basic Skills as a
  Foundation for Success in CCCs literature
  review?
• How many teach a basic skills course?

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What is the BSI?

• A little history
• A little money
• A system-wide effort

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What are Basic Skills?

• Basic skills are those foundation skills in
  reading, writing, mathematics, learning skills,
  study skills, and English as a Second Language
  which are necessary for students to succeed in
  college-level work.

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Approximately what percent of California
Community College students place into at least
one basic skills course in Reading, Writing, ESL
or Mathematics?

• A. 0
• B. 25
• C. 35
• D. 50
• E. Over 70

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What percent of the students in your class
probably require additional pre-collegiate
training in order to be successful in
college-level course work?

• A. 10
• B. 20
• C. 40
• D. 60
• E. Over 70

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What percent of students who start 3 or more
levels below college-level actually make it to a
college-level course?

• A. Less than 10
• B. 15- 30
• C. Approximately 40
• D. Over 60
• E. 80 or more 

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Of the CCC students who work, what is the AVERAGE
number of hours they work per week? (as reported
by the CCCCO)

• A. 8 hours/week
• B. 16 hours per week
• C. 24 hours per week
• D. 28 hours per week
• E. 32 hours per week 

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Some California Data

• 70-85 of First Time Freshmen Require
  Developmental Education
• Less than 10 of students who start 3 or more
  levels below ever reach college-level
• Most of these findings extremely consistent in
  last two decades

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The Literature Review

• Basic Skills as a Foundation for Student Success
  in California Community Colleges
• Review of the literature on successful basic
  skills practices identification of effective
  practices based upon review
• Self-assessment instrument for colleges to assess
  their own status
• Cost/Revenue Estimation Tool

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Phase II Regional Trainings2007

• All community college districts
• Training and technical assistance on the use of
  the Self-Assessment Tool

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Phase III The BSI Today2008

• Provide statewide research, training and support
  in basic skills to address
• professional development needs
• both credit and noncredit instruction
• adjunct and full-time faculty
• administrators and staff
• diversity and equity disparities
• CTE and general subjects

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Funding

• 33.1 million funding (includes 1.6 million for
  professional development)
• 100,000 minimum per college
• Based upon number of students in basic skills/ESL
  courses in 2006-2007
• Only noncredit and non-degree applicable courses
• Colleges must submit an Action Plan each year to
  continue to receive basic skills funds (around
  October 15th)

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Basic Skills Areas

• Traditionally
• English writing
• Reading
• Mathematics
• English as a Second Language
• But also
• Career and Technical Education (CTE)
• General Courses

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Research and Data Collection

• Literature Review Addendum
• Equity Issues Strategies
• High School to College Transition
• Non-credit to Credit Transition
• CTE Strategies, including Contextualized Learning
• Data base
• Survey of programs, strategies and projects
• Includes California and national data

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Student Equity

• Evaluate all 109 College Student Equity Plans
  (2005)
• Identify common statewide trends
• Develop state resources for general needs
• Gather baseline data
• Identify discrepancies and provide technical
  assistance to individual colleges

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(No Transcript)
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Ethnicity
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Professional Development

• Regional Meetings
• Integration of counseling student services into
  courses and programs
• Interactive learning, applying various assessment
  techniques and discussing case studies
• Audience administrators, counselors, basic
  skills and CTE discipline department chairs,
  coordinators and faculty

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Regional Meetings 2008

• May 9-10 Bakersfield College
• June 3-4 Sierra College
• June 3-4 Chaffey College
• June 5-6 Los Angeles Southwest College
• June 6-7 Fresno City College
• June 9-10 Cañada College
• June 9-10 San Diego Mesa College

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Summer Teaching Institute

• August 10-13, 2008, Newport Beach
• 300 faculty registered
• Focus on pedagogy for basic skills, ESL, and CTE
• Registration, hotel, travel, and food covered for
  adjunct faculty and new faculty

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Communications

• Newsletter
• Web Site www.cccbsi.org
• Conference presentations

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Under construction

• Workshops to Order
• Online and face-to-face
• Individual or department or college
• Fall CTE workshops
• Online pedagogy training
• Online resources for adjuncts
• BSI Handbook (will be online) Constructing a
  Framework for Success A Holistic Approach to
  Basic Skills

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On-Going Challenges

• What are the on-going challenges your college
  faces as you move forward with your basic skills
  efforts?

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How Can You Be Involved?

• College Action Plan
• Professional Development - Teaching strategies
  programs for ESL, Basic Skills, and CTE students
• BSI Handbook
• BSI Trainings
• BSI Institute
• BSI Web Site

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Its all about the students! http//www.cccbsi.or
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