Group items tagged

The Early Assessment Program is a collaborative effort between the California State University (CSU), the California Department of Education (CDE), and the State Board of Education to determine a high school students' readiness to do college-level work in English language arts and math and to provide students opportunities to improve skills during their senior year.

This brief makes a case for using cohort and momentum point data, disaggregated by gender, ethnicity, and institution, to improve program practices and community college system policies in California. Findings indicate that too few students reach transfer, retention, and completion milestones, and that a large percentage of students do not always follow enrollment patterns or degree checkpoints, as intended by policy. The brief outlines three recommendations: improving campus data collection practices, creating accountability structures through new funding models and assessment policies, and using data to align institutional and system-level efforts (Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy at California State University Sacramento, October 2010).

Research on the power of the California Cal-Pass and EAP programs to provide "early alerts" to high school students about remediation needs.

Report that sets ambitious goals to increase the college completion rates and decrease achievement gaps at California Community Colleges

The first in a series, this paper provides an overview of basic skills education in California, including descriptions, need for service, financing, populations served and results. (California Budget Project, October 2009)

Policy brief from Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy outlining higher education policies in Florida that should be considered by California. Issues include standardized assessments and placement policies. Also comments on common course numbering/transfer policies and Florida's data system

A breakdown of allocations to California community colleges for basic skills instruction

Large research studies inside and outside California have established that the more levels of developmental courses a student must take, the less likely the student is to ever complete college courses in English and Math. The California Acceleration Project stresses that we can't keep attributing this problem to students' low skills or low motivation.

Urges policymakers to focus the mission of community colleges in three core areas: basic skills education, career technical education and preparation for transfer to four-year universities. The Commission called for shifting adult basic education from the state education department to the community college system, and for giving more authority to the chancellor to oversee the campuses. (Little Hoover Commission, February 2012) Link to executive summary: http://www.lhc.ca.gov/studies/210/Executive%20Summary.pdf

Editorial offering support for Common core standards as tool to decrease college remediation rates.

Blog post providing an overview of the new report by West Ed entitled "One Shot Deal". The report describes how confusing the assessment and placement process is at many California Community Colleges

This literature review was conducted for the California Basic Skills Initiative. It reviews research on the most effective practices for teaching basic skills to college students. (Center for Student Success, 2007)

Identifies current state policies that impede student attainment of basic skills for postsecondary education. The report recommends using standardized assessments, requiring remediation upon enrollment and provides flexibility to community colleges to address issues. (Elizabeth G. Hill, California Legislative Auditors Office, 2008)

Research at Sacramento State University on the California State University Early Assessment Program (EAP). Research finds a positive impact of the program on college readiness for students entering Sacramento State University

Interview with author of new book on the history of remedial education at California Berkeley. Looks at how Cal's remediation efforts balanced the age old question of access and excellence in higher education.

Instructions for developing Basic Skills Action and Expenditure Plan at California Community Colleges

Article discusses growing resentment of public employees and union workers. Higher education faculty organizations are meeting to discuss concerns and to review draft of California Faculty Association's, "Quality Higher Education for the 21st Century." http://qualityhighered.wordpress.com/
(Inside Higher Ed, 01/21/11)

Discusses concerns over college remediation rates and disconnect between high school completion and college readiness. Describes the California Early Assessment Program, as well as the problem with a lack of data about its impact. (Education Week, premium article access compliments of edweek.org, 01/20/11)

Examines the experiences of Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia in developing statewide diagnostic assessments for course placement at their community colleges. Looks at the implications for California's community colleges, which have been charged with developing diagnostic exams. (EdSource and Learning Works, June 2012)

The study follows a cohort model and tracks the course-taking patterns of first-time community college students over a seven-year period. The data suggest that aspirations, age, ethnicity, and institutional factors affect students' completion of a developmental course sequence. After presenting the descriptive data, the authors outline five policy implications for their research. Three are particularly relevant to policy discussions we have had at Getting Past Go: using common assessments and early interventions to reduce the need for developmental education; identifying delays in course-taking to develop better-aligned support; and, addressing the issue of students not completing remediation from the lowest course levels.