College of the Redwoods
Basic Skills Committee
April 3, 2015 Meeting
Agenda
1. Call to Order:
2. Approve 2/20/15 & 3/6/15 Notes:
3. Action Item(s):
3.1 Funding Proposal Acceleration Conference- Jacqui Cain (attached)
3.2 Funding Proposal Writing Center Student Tutors for 2015-2016
4. Discussion Items
4.1 Update McCann CTC proposal
4.2 Update Growth Mindset Community of Practice Application
4.3 Update Multiple Measures Process (English and Math)
5. Other/Future Agenda Items
Next meeting: Friday, April 17, 2015 9:00am -10am, SS 104
Dial your telephone conference line: 1-719-785-4469*
Participant Passcode: 590780
*Toll free number available: 1-888-450-4821
Participant Conference Feature
*6 - Mute/unmute your line
888‐450‐4821 8737609 College of the Redwoods
Basic Skills Committee
March 6, 2015 Meeting
Agenda
1. Call to Order:
2. Approve Notes – none available
3. Action Item(s):
3.1 Funding Proposal for CTC partnership – Matt McCann (see attached)
CTC collaborative background- researchers from Stanford and is related to the
Student Success Summit talk about mindsets. The Collaborative works with 12
colleges per year and would come and tailor interventions for our college. We’d be
their first community college as far as Matt knows. University of Texas has
worked with them and has raised graduation rates from 52% to 70%. They have
also cut the socioeconomic achievement gap by about 50%.
We’d have to decide who would be the point person at CR. There is a question of
who would do this work. Could also be an initiative Student Equity and SSSP
funding could support. We also have 3CSN Growth Mindset Community of
Practice. Maybe wait to see what comes out of this.
Matt explained an advantage of this is it is “abilities based” and incorporates
“belonging” concepts. Without belonging students tend to disconnect and
eventually drop out. They’ve also taught students about transitions so they don’t
feel like the difficult times are unique to them.
This proposal does seem to support other initiatives we are already doing. It could
pull them altogether. Right now does seems like a pivotal moment.
It was decided that Steve and Erin, as co-chairs, will meet with Keith about timing
and buy-in from administration. The BSC is willing to commit funds. Matt will
check with CTC about the time commitment for the point person first before Steve
and Erin talk with Keith.
4. Discussion Items
4.1 Multiple Measures Update – Cheryl Tucker
Background: Chancellor’s Office didn’t have their usual oversight groups coming
out in the early 2000s because of budget issues. There is a Chancellor’s Office
workgroup that oversees placement validation. This group didn’t meet for a few
years due to budget issues. Also with all the SSSP regulations it seemed everything
was changing and the changes were difficult to follow. All of these things led to us
not realizing that we were off in our interpretation of the multiple measures
requirements. We are not the only college going through this catch-up process.
888‐450‐4821 8737609 College of the Redwoods
Basic Skills Committee
March 6, 2015 Meeting
Agenda
Cheryl, has seen a lot of students go through directed self-placement as part of
multiple measures at other colleges. The RP group has and is doing a lot research
in this area. The ASC is charged with giving the placement test and then
Counseling and Advising with faculty put the multiple-measures process together.
English will be meeting later today to talk about their multiple measures process
and Math has a meeting scheduled later in March to talk about their process.
4.2 Growth Mindset Community of Practice
There has been interest indicated by some faculty. There’s one group of faculty
that said they are already to apply. The BSC wants to focus on getting more faculty
involved with the 3CSN, giving preference to faculty who have not yet participated
in a Community of Practice. The Community of Practice in Acceleration that
English and Math have participated in has led to a lot of excitement and innovation.
We’d like more faculty to have this experience, building the College’s capacity to
support innovation.
5. Other/Future Agenda Items
Next meeting: Friday, April 3, 2015 9:00am -10am, SS 104
Dial your telephone conference line: 1-719-785-4469*
Participant Passcode: 590780
*Toll free number available: 1-888-450-4821
Participant Conference Feature
*6 - Mute/unmute your line
888‐450‐4821 8737609 College of the Redwoods
Basic Skills Committee
February 20, 2015 Meeting
Agenda
1. Meeting Called to Order: Erin Wall, Steven Jackson, Pam Kessler, Tracey Thomas, Angelina
Hill, Cliff Clendenen, Kristy Carlsen, Harry Pyke, Crislyn Parker-support
2. Approve 12/5/14 and 2/6/15 Notes:
 2/6/15: approved as corrected
 12/5/14: approved as stand
3. Action Item(s):
3.1 Approve an addition to the Basic Skills Fund request form (regarding alternate funding)
 Agreed to change the language for item 8 to include: are you receiving or applying for
funding from other sources? If so, where from (then BSC we can check with Pru).
 The deadline for new requests is open, but must be received by Friday, February 27 for the
March 6 meeting.
4. Discussion Items
4.1 Information from Monthly Basic Skills Coordinators Webinar (please refer to the attached
document provided by Katie Hearn for the webinar-see the highlighted sections)
 The Chancellor’s office chose Canvas as the common course management system for the
Online Education Initiative; Unicom for the common assessment (for math and English).
and LinkSys for content.
 Katie Hearn presented an acceleration draft report. Some items of note:
o It was found, of students who completed English acceleration courses with CAP in
2011-12, that their odds of completing college level gateway courses were “2.3 times
higher in effective accelerated English pathways than in traditional remediation and
4.5 times higher in accelerated math pathways.”
o Raw data by math equity showed increased success in black students.
o Katie emphasized the need for support of and professional development for faculty who
are learning to teach in new ways.
 Madelyn Arballo presented statistics, allocations and the need for basic skills and non-credit
programs; and steps for creating a Professional Learning Community of NC Basic Skills
Practitioners.
 Discussed how to interact with the community and build networks, to increase incentive for
certificates and enrollment in non-credit.
4.2 Basic Skills Funds Budget Review
 Suggestion to submit a request for some type of funding for the Hmong community.
 The BSC Annual Report due by July 31st.
4.3 Multiple Measures Update – Angelina
 Angelina, Keith and others met with Debra Sheldon and a representative from the
Chancellor’s Office, who confirmed non-validated skill assessment tests must be approved
by the chancellor’s office and we must immediately stop if we are using any which have not
been approved, including Optimath, until validated. This applies to English, chemistry, etc.
as well. A larger conversation will be initiated.
888‐450‐4821 8737609 College of the Redwoods
Basic Skills Committee
February 20, 2015 Meeting
Agenda


For now, advising guidelines will have to be revised. This affects other schools. The
Chancellor’s office will actively clarify to these schools.
Reasons we use these placement tests are to aid in student success, and possible changes to
funding based on completions. We can move to High School GPAs for recent high school
grads, but we need processes in place for returning adults.
5. Other/Future Agenda Items
 Other: The Community of Practice in Growth Mindset application is due end of March, and
is northern CA specific. Priority to mixed discipline teams.
 Future: How to spend the balance of $25,000 BS funds.
 Future: Determine a team to attend the COP-Growth Mindset. BSC will fund/support cross a
discipline team (2 to 4 faculty). How to communicate to faculty that BSC will support and
find out if there is interest.
 One day CAP conference available-Pam Kessler will let people know.
Next meeting: Friday, March 6, 2015 9:00am -10am, SS 104
888‐450‐4821 8737609