Saddleback Colleges Basic Skills Initiative for Student Success

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Saddleback Colleges Basic Skills Initiative for
Student Success

• Beginning Fall 2008
• Students are our business!

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What are basic skills?

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

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Who are the students with basic skills needs?

• 2,621,445 students enrolled in California
  Community Colleges in 2006-2007.
• 1. What percent of these students assessed into
  Basic Skills classes? ?
• 70 to 85 of students assess into a
  pre-collegiate level - in one or more of the
  basic skills areas.

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• Do you know what percent of the total number of
  students placed in transfer level math?
  Transfer level English?
• Recent survey of CCC placement test results
• 9 of students place in transfer level math
• Over 70 place in remedial math
• 27 of students place in transfer level English
• 42 place in remedial English

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2. How many students enroll in basic skills
classes?

• Out of that 70-85 assessing for basic skills
  placement only 27.44 actually enrolled in
  basic skills classes in 2006-2007.
• Where were the rest?
• Attending non-basic-skills courses
• your classes!

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SADDLEBACK COLLEGE STUDENTS WRITING
PLACEMENTSAccuplacer students placed into Comp
classes
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Saddleback College Students Reading Placements

• Nelson-Denny Students placed into Reading
  classes
• Eng 170 180
  340 180 340
• 2005 12.1 49.1 36.9 86
• 2006 11.8 40.4 37.5 78
• 2007 12.9 43.8 38.8 83
• 2008 12.5 47.1 38.9
  86

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A Mismatch!

• 3. Almost 50 of our students test below
• 10th grade reading level
• Approximately 65 of our students do not have
  college-level writing skills
• But
• They are asked to read and respond to textbooks
  written at reading levels far above their ability.

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Reading Level of Textbooks used at Saddleback

• Human Anatomy textbook grade level 15.3 16.7
• Physiology textbook grade level 15.6 16.3
• 4. Psychology textbook grade level
• 14.6 16.7
• Business Communication textbook grade level
• 13.3 14.3
• 5. Automotive Service textbook grade level
• 11.3 13.5
• Sociology textbook grade level 13.6 14.5

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What about math?

• Math presents the same type of challenges for
  students.
• The math Program Review, with data from
  2003-2005, shows a student success rate of 52.6.
  
• Department offers 15 sections of Pre-Algebra
• 26 sections of
  Beginning Algebra
• All these sections together make-up 38 of the
  math departments total course offerings
  involving 1,640 students.

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GOAL OF BSI

• It is the
• responsibility of all faculty, teaching in all
  disciplines at all levels, to communicate
  appropriate expectations and utilize effective
  methods for communicating information, support
  student growth in reading and writing skills,
  develop critical thinking processes, and evaluate
  student work to advance the overall state of our
  students basic skills. (BSI, 9)
•  

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Intent of the Initiative?

• Get colleges to try some things that they have
  not tried before.
• Get the entire college community (not just the
  faculty who teach basic skills) in a dialogue
  about the problems we face when students in our
  classes are academically unprepared.

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BSI/SS Advisory Committee Ideas

• How can we enhance our students success,
  persistence and retention?

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Campus Awareness Dialogue

• Intracollegiate Academic Forum
• to discuss common concerns and
• problems with students skills and
• how we might address these issues
• to increase success and retention
• Address questions such as
• Are your students
• Reading the course textbook?
• Writing clear essays?
• Following directions?
• Taking good lecture notes?)
•  

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Meet the BSI Advisory Group

• Faculty serving as discipline experts
  
• Reading- Jan Bagwell ESL Roni
  Lebauer
• Writing Bruce Gilman Math Larry Perez
• Other Committee Members
• Academic Senate Bob Cosgrove
• Counseling Jo Ann Alford Juanita Baltierra
• BSI /ESL Counselors Frances Diaz Mary
  McCarthy
• Enrollment Management Kevin OConnor
• Information Competency April Cunningham
• LAP Patti Weekes

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How can we help to enhance Curriculum?

• Paired classes Match a content area course with
  a reading/writing class.
• Supplemental Instruction Create courses aligned
  with content-area classes i. e. a
  reading/writing lab class or workshops for
  specific courses.
• Create a Learning Community or Freshman
  Experience cohort group.
• Require students to take basic skills classes
  before they enroll in content area courses.

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Refer students to our Campus Resources

• Counseling Center
• Learning Assistance Program (LAP)
• Interdisciplinary Computer Center (ICC)
• Reading Lab
• Writing Center
• Financial Assistance Programs
• EOPS/CARE/CalWORKS
• Special Services (Disabled Student Programs and
  Services)

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• BSI Competitive
• Funding Projects
• Funds are strictly for projects that enhance
  basic skills.
• Applications and selection Fall 08, due 12/1/08
• Implement projects in Spring 09.
• Applications Spring 09, March 1, 2009
• Implement for the 2009/20010 academic year

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YOURE HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE NEED YOU!