APPENDIX

The work of the Task Force promoted lively discussion and elicited many useful ideas. In effect, we began thinking like the proposed advisory committee.  This section of the report captures some of that thinking.

Organizational Structure

Conduct the business of the advisory committee like the Tools Team or the campus Technology Committee

·         Create a plan that is connected to the EMP and uses existing plans or portions of plans as the source for some of the activities;

·         Prioritize activities;

·         Identifies lead persons for each activity

·         Identify barriers to actualization and devise strategies to remove them.

Curriculum

Review current Basic Skills offerings

• Modify and or delete curriculum as needed;
• Convert curriculum to other formats and delivery modes such as short-term, open entry/open exit courses.
• Reinstate courses such as ENG 206-ESL and SKLDV 251 Diagnostic Learning that assist students in transitioning to college-level course work.

Offer basic skills courses at off-campus sites i.e. high schools, the Family Learning Center; 

Develop “life skills” courses that address issues that are typically barriers to education;

Provide year-round GED preparation classes and other basic skills classes at Calaveras Center and Oakdale Center;

Infuse curriculum for all courses with objectives and activities that promote

• Writing
• Information competency
• Computer literacy

Explore the possibility of exit-level competencies for graduation and certificates.

Disarm an underlying belief that basic skills are a Math and English department issue and therefore, it is the job of “those” instructors to ensure skill development.

Create norming sessions and staff development activities to assist all faculty in dealing with the students who demonstrate a lack of skills in writing. 

List prerequisites and advisories in the Class Schedule. 

Staff

Hire a full-time Learning Disabilities Specialist to provide not only the necessary LD assessment but also much needed intervention for disabled student, disability awareness training and liaison with college staff and community agencies.

Hire well trained basic skills instructors, who can also teach at the college level, for instance in English or Math.

Secure the Instructional Assistant for the Academic Achievement Center as a permanent 30 hour a week position, to support the effective practices of Tutoring and Supplemental Instruction.

Staff Development

Create regular, ongoing staff development opportunities that support a college-wide, consistent approach to student success and access.

Create/offer staff development activities that encourage faculty

• to clearly and more uniformly communicate collegiate expectations/demands (i.e. upholding standards for writing across the curriculum)
• to recommend/assist students in seeking appropriate/needed support. (i.e. peer tutoring/counseling/LD testing) 

Invite outside experts to offer training and guidance, e.g. Jennifer McBride, SPEC grant director from Merced College Basic Skills  mcbride.j@mccd.edu.  

Suggested topics for Staff Development activities include but are not limited to

• Writing-Across-the-Curriculum;
• Forming standards of assessment for writing;
• Classroom Assessment methods;
• Learning Communities;
• Using rubrics for assessment; norming assessment.
• Information competency skill building
• Study Skills in the context of courses

Facilities:

Clearly identify the need for a center for learning support in the Master Facilities Plan.

• Such a center should to include permanent space for Basic Skills, DSP&S, and ESL instruction.
• Expand and develop the idea of a “One-Stop Shop” for learning support.

When designing the permanent Calaveras site, take steps to develop a center that can be used as a classroom and lab for skills development, including ESL.

Evaluation:

The need for a college Researcher is paramount to accomplishing the recommendations in this report.  The following activities would be more like to occur if we had a college researcher:

• Reinstate and improve the Early Alert System
• Improve follow-up for at-risk students, especially monitoring students who are on academic probation and dismissal
• Explore means to actualize mandatory placement to ensure that students have pre-requisite skills
• Explore the use of Flashlight Technology for assessment and monitoring purposes.
• Create and measure college-wide, program, and course SLOs related to reading/writing/math/computer competency.
• Monitor progress of students who transition from GED/Basic Skills into college-level work;
• Track number of EOP&S, DSP&S, CalWORKs participants who successfully meet their goals;

Develop a college wide Student Learning Outcome that specifically addresses competency in reading, writing, mathematics, and computer literacy.

Partnerships

Develop partnerships with other county/community agencies, i.e. Job Connections of the Mother Lode, Department of Social Services; ATCCA, WATCH, Valley Mountain Regional Center to

• Facilitate appropriate referrals
• Create bridge opportunities
• Share resources

During outreach to local feeder schools, explain and promote college-wise skills and sufficient information about pre-requisites and advisories