Basic Skills Advisory Group (BSAG) Meeting
Thursday, December 9, 2010, 1:00-2:00 p.m., H306
Minutes
Those in attendance:
Sabra Sabio, Lisa Hall-George, Mary Barrios, Jason Suarez, Sara Blake, Julie Land.
Those not in attendance:
Barbara Jaffe, Theresa Clifford, Sheryl Kunisaki, Cynthia Mosqueda, Suzanne Gates, Arturo Hernandez,
and Jose Villalobos, Art Martinez, Chelvi Subramaniam.
Facilitator: Sara Blake, Humanities Basic Skills Coordinator
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Updates:
o 2010-11 Action and Expenditure Plan – plan completed, due12-10-10
o 2010-11 Funding – estimated to be the same as last year, but subject to change
o Management Group BSI Presentation – On 10-2-10, Francisco Arce, Irene Graff, Art
Martinez, and Sara Blake gave a presentation on basic skills in the Alondra Room to
the Management Group from Torrance and Compton campuses.

Report on Reading Apprenticeship Workshop – Sheryl and Sara reported on the Reading
Apprenticeship Workshop that was held at ECC on October 22, 2010. The focus of the
workshop was to give instructors across all disciplines the tools to support students. 28
people attended.

Report on 3CSN LINKS Workshop – Trudy Meyer, Sara Blake and Rosemarie Kistler
attended the 3CSN LINKS 2 Workshop on October 29, 2010, at Los Angeles Valley College.
Key ideas were presented about the research on accelerated courses and exit point data:
o Importance of establishing intermediate milestones (completion of basic skills
sequence) in addition to terminal milestones (certificate, degree, transfer).
Intermediate completion measures propel students toward future achievement.
o Momentum Point 1: Fall to Spring Persistence – increased by
 learning communities/1st year experience
 priority enrollment for basic skills
 removing exit points (points where students are potentially lost)
 look at campus persistence data available in ARCC report to start dialog
o Momentum Point 2: Attrition in Developmental Sequences – decreased by curricular
redesign
 Removal of “gatekeeper” courses
 Accelerated Course Model more effective for basic skills
 Start with key transfer course skills and work backwards in designing basic
skills curriculum to target those skills
 Increase scaffolding to increase student learning
o Momentum Point 3: Benchmarking and Transfer Pathway
 Include benchmarks in Action Plan
 Make data visible at department meetings and Academic Senate
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AA/AS degrees greatly increase transfer numbers
Definitions differ for transfer cohort and time frame
CA.gov CCC Office Transfer Velocity Cohort Report

Goals for Spring 2011
o Spotlight on Basic Skills - Overcome “That’s not my job” attitude
o Disseminate information campus-wide on basic skills.
o Visit department meetings to hear concerns about basic skills students in content area
classes and offer resources to address these concerns.
o Share WestEd video on reading.

Future Agenda Items
o Reading Tutoring
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Other?
o Talk with Staff Development about getting Basic Skills on the Spring Flex program
The meeting was adjourned at 2:00 p.m.
****The next BSAG meeting will be held on Thursday, March 10, 1-2:00 p.m. in H306.