BASIC SKILLS RETREAT

River MillOctober 24, 2008

AGENDA

8:30-9:00 Check-in/Continental Breakfast9:00-9:15 Overview of the Day9:15-9:45 Icebreaker/Introductions9:45-10:30 Institutional SLOs10:30-10:45 Break10:45-11:15 Brief BSI Overview and Delta’s Student Success Initiative11:15-12:00 Sharing of Basic Skills Mini Grants12:00-1:00 Buffet Lunch1:00-3:00 Inquiry Work Groups3:00-3:30 Wrap-up

THANK YOU…

Micaela Smith - Retreat arrangements

Kathy Hart - Supervision and support

Raul Rodriguez - Sponsorship of retreat

Favorite movie Pet peeve

Favorite relaxation Craziest thingactivity I’ve done

ICEBREAKER/INTRODUCTIONS

INSTITUTIONAL SLOs

Dr. Kathy Hart

15 MIN. BREAK …

Basic Skills InitiativeOrganizational and Administrative Practices

Institutional choices concerning program structure, organization, and management have been related to the overall effectiveness of developmental education programs

• Revision of Mission Statement to include Basic Skills

• Establishment of a Student Success Coordinator

• Highly Coordinated Basic Skills

• Revision of Math Assessment cut scores

Basic Skills InitiativeProgram ComponentsAccording to the literature, a number of specificprogrammatic components are characteristic of highly effective developmental education programs

• Review and revise current orientation policy to mandate orientation for all new students.

• Establish learning communities, which integrate basic skills english, reading, math and orientation guidance courses

• Establish counseling outreach program to basic skills english students. Classroom presentations were scheduled in basic skills english courses, with follow up student counseling appointments.

• Establish an Academic Recovery Program for students who are in at least one basic skills course and do not satisfactorily complete their second semester of college.

• Establish a Learning Differences Awareness Training program for basic skills instructors. LD specialist will start with training GED instructors about Learning Differences and accommodations available to students.

• Establish a pilot counseling assessment that

examines student expectations and student learning skills to be utilized in the orientation of basic skills students.

Basic Skills Initiative

Staff DevelopmentAccording to the literature, the importance of comprehensive training and development opportunitiesFor faculty and staff who work with developmental Students cannot be overestimated…

• Conferences: Guest Speaker: Education Policy Institute Vincent Tinto NASPA NADE Noel Levitz Student Success Bass Lake BSI TRPI UMOJA

Basic Skills Initiative

Instructional PracticesEffective instructional practices are the key to achieving desired students outcomes for developmental programs.

• Program utilizing a selection of readings and creating writing prompts for english lab writing assignments to improve critical reading skills and writing skills in response to text based prompts.

• Reading Diagnostic Center. Through an appropriate reading assessment, identify specific areas of weakness and assign students to work on specific corresponding learning modules.

• Utilize My Writing Lab and My Computer Lab with accompanying texts to provide self paced practice sets and more active learning.

2008 Approved Basic Skills Mini GrantsMark Mekjavich, Debra Louie, Jazmin Amen

English 70 Counseling Project

Mark Mekjavich, Stacey Bagnasco, Dan Baker

Academic Alert

Mark Mekjavich, Dan Baker

Summer Planning Academy

Nina O'Connell, Joe Gonzales

Reading Writing Learning Center

English 73A & 73B Writing

Nina O'Connell, Joe Gonzales

Reading Writing Learning Center Reading Diagnostic Center

Nina O'Connell , Joe Gonzales

Reading Writing Learning Center

Writing Software

Eva Chavez Professional Development Disability Training

Kindra Beale Learning Community

Evelyn Chapman 3 R's of Academic Recovery

Manga

Manger

Itadakimas

Lets Eat!

Strengthening Pre-Collegiate Education in Community Colleges (SPECC)• Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching• The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

Participating Colleges:Cerritos CollegeChabot CollegeCity College of San FranciscoCollege of the DesertCollege of the SequoiasGlendale Community CollegeLaney CollegeLos Medanos CollegeMerced CollegePasadena City CollegeWest Hills College

Faculty Inquiry Groups (FIG)

…a conversation about learning undertaken in a collaborative setting to identify and investigate questions about student learning. Findings from the process come back to the classroom in the form of new curricula, newassessments, and new pedagogies, which in turn becomes subject for further inquiry.

August 2008 The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

Inquiry #1

Formulate a question or a set of questions, that when examined, would help you to understand how to make Delta’s students’ learning environment more effective.

What evidence would you explore/analyze in order to help answer your question?

What are some possible answers?

1. Rearrange in mixed colored dot groups2. Choose a recorder in each group3. Report out in 45 Min.

Inquiry #2

What are some possible collaborative solutions to youranswer/s? Think out of the box.

Make sure to use all of the resources your group members offer.

Design an interdisciplinary common course outline and teaching strategies for a course that might contain yoursolutions. 1. Choose a recorder in each group2. Report out in 45 Min.

What Next?• Faculty Inquiry Groups grant application

• Future Professional Development Activities

• Additional Basic Skills Mini Grants with a focus