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Community colleges can improve graduation rates by offering a course that teaches students how to navigate college with lessons on study skills, time management and how to find the bursar's office. Yet while "student success" courses are increasingly common, resistance remains strong at many community colleges. (Inside Higher Ed, 02/21/12)

Joyce Foundation approach to systems change for state policy for ensuring that state postecondary, adult basic education, skills, and credentials needed to advance and succeed in our changing economy. Their approach: uses data to foster improvements;pursues policy changes to leverage improvements; engages the field to generate ideas for buy-in; and builds strategic communications to cultivate skakeholder support for systemic change.

Powerpoint on the implementation of the Fasttrac program in Minnesota that integrates basic skills instruction in contextualized career training

The newspaper article from the Business Gazette (MD) details the efforts of Maryland communities colleges and Montgomery College, in particular, to redesign remediation by integrating basic math and English skills into vocational and specialized major courses. By including remedial curricula within major content areas, faculties hope to increase retention and completion rates for students who require college prep.

College Board ACCUPLACER tests provide students with useful information about academic skills in math, English, and reading. Resource for students from the College Board.

Summarizes the objectives of and lessons learned from Washington's Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program. The program pairs English as a second language (ESL)/adult basic education (ABE) instructors and professional-technical instructors in the classroom to concurrently provide students with literacy education and workforce skills. (Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, December 2005)

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)

Examines student performance at the University of Phoenix through several internal and external measures. The report outlines three initiatives, including Just-In-Time Remediation. The University of Phoenix has instituted a program of integrative learning on a gradual plane to provide just-in-time skills. Remediation is provided through online tools and offers study skills support. (University of Phoenix, December 2009)

This could be the next wave in innovation in developmental education. Just in time remediation.

Examines learning assistance centers and specialized skills labs in 15 community colleges and found that these approaches increase students' academic preparedness for postsecondary study. It is recommended that future research compare the effectiveness of learning assistance services and developmental education courses in boosting students' basic academic skills. ( Dolores Perin, Columbia University, Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 28: 559-582, 2004)

Executive Summary from MDRC on their latest research on the scaling up of strategies at community colleges to instruct students, particularly basic skills students, in learning communities. Findings have more to do with coordination of the scale up, than actual results. Findings consistent with earlier research that the learning communities did not result in effective curriculum integration or alignment.

Session at AERA featuring papers on the Texas College and Career Readiness Initiative. Includes a paper on extent that placement tests accurately measure student knowledge and skills.

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.

Washington Post article on the need for basic skills/remediation among adults returning back to education after leaving the workforce.

Published by the Association for Career and Technical Education(ACTE), this 2-page document asserts that career readiness combines academic, "employability," and technical skills, and is not the same as more traditional "college readiness." The document itself is undated, but is footnoted (though most of the sources are also undated).

In this edition, we feature the Workforce Competitiveness Collection, which covers Workforce Education, English Language Acquisition, and Technology. Each month, Collections News features one of the three LINCS Resource Collections - Basic Skills, Program Management, and Workforce Competitiveness - and introduces research-based resources that you can use in your adult basic education and family literacy programs and classrooms.

Facing dwindling state dollars and more pressure to graduate students, Texas community colleges may begin steering students who test at the lowest skill levels toward shorter vocational programs or adult basic education before attempting college academics. (San Antonio Express-News, 01/21/11)

Positive outcomes have been reported for university preparation courses for students without disabilities. Little is known about whether these courses can offer the same benefit to students with learning disabilities and whether the inclusion of psychosocial factors, in addition to academic skills, would benefit both groups.

The Undereducated American is a report from the Center on Education and the Worforce that highlights how America has not been producing enough highly skilled college-educated persons for the workforce.

Mission is to provide adults with educational opportunities to acquire and improve their literacy skills. State's longitudinal data study mentioned in Jam.

From Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. I-BEST is an instructional model that pairs education and professional-technical instructors in the classroom