STATE OF CALIFORNIA

/

JACK SCOTT, CHANCELLOR

California Community Colleges
SYSTEM Office
1102 Q street
Sacramento, Ca 95811-6549
(916) 445-8752
http://www.cccco.edu /

August 9, 2010

TO: Chief Executive Officers

Chief Instructional Officers

Chief Student Services Officers

FROM: Barry Russell, Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs

SUBJECT: Update on Basic Skills Initiative

I want to take a few moments and provide you with an update on the California Basic Skills Initiative. It has been more than three years since the initiative began with an initial investment of state funds. We have come a long way and many positive things have happened across the state to improve the success of basic skills and ESL students.

What Happens Next Year?

Recently, some questions have come up in relationship to the 2010-11 Fiscal Year (FY) Budget. There are two central issues: flexibility and a possible change in funding formulas. Both issues are being debated in the legislative budget process and will not be completely settled until the budget process is complete…although it looks doubtful that either of these will be enacted. To suggest a date for completion of this process and predict the outcome would be strictly a guess at this point…but we are hoping things will be settled soon.

Planning for the Future

My suggestion for the future would be for colleges to move forward with programs and processes similar to previous years and continue to focus attention on your five-year plan. Although there is much discussion in the air, I do not believe there will be a fundamental shift in purpose as far as the Basic Skills Initiative is concerned. The fact of the matter is that students still need basic skills and ESL support. At this point, you should be settling in on activities that are proven to work so you should begin spreading the word and encouraging others to participate in those effective practices. In addition, the calculation of the BSI allocation has always come from your enrollment figures (FTES in basic skills) and I do not expect great changes across the state from last year to this year.

Providing Leadership

As the Chancellor’s Office moves forward with the Basic Skills Initiative and all the related activities, we will be looking for input from the field. In the past, this has come from various groups and various methods. This summer, the Chancellor’s Office will be establishing a Basic Skills Initiative Work Group that will provide guidance for legislation, initiatives and projects directly related to basic skills and ESL.

Update on Basic Skills Initiative

August 9, 2010

Page 2

The composition of this group will include six faculty appointed by the Academic Senate of California Community Colleges and five administrative representatives (e.g., Chief Executive Officer, Chief Instructional Officer, Chief Student Services Officer, Research and Planning Group). Additional representatives from the Chancellor’s Office or other associations may attend the meetings to provide feedback or input on items of interest. The group will be co-chaired by a faculty member and one member from the administrative group and overseen by the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs.

It is intended that this group will meet on a regular basis, most likely 3-4 times a year and that all appointees or their appointing organizations will be responsible for all travel expenses. The agendas and minutes will be published and kept as part of a permanent record. All decisions will be accomplished by consensus and will serve as advice to the Chancellor’s Office for future statewide strategies and activities. The first meeting will be in early September.

Reporting Our Success

During this year’s budget process, there have been many questions from several sources concerning the efficacy of the Basic Skills Initiative at the California Community Colleges. In many cases, the questions are asked by legislative staff with no community college experience in general or with basic skills programs specifically. In an effort to provide better information to this group in the hopes of securing future funding, the Chancellor’s Office will ask for a bit more information in this year’s annual report that will be due in late October or early November. In addition to the budget report (due July 31, 2010), we will also do an interim summative evaluation (3 years of the 5-year plan) of the statewide Basic Skills Initiative. The new Basic Skills Initiative Work Group will provide direction and the format and content will be closely connected to reports and information you already provide…just possibly in a different format.

Summary

These are exciting times. There are many opportunities for growth and expansion and the situation with basic skills instruction in the State of California needs support, improvement, and change. Collaborative leadership will be our strength as we move toward sustainable change for if we don’t take up the reins and chart our own course…others will chart it for us. As we move toward this new time for the Basic Skills Initiative, I ask for your understanding, your support, your ideas, and most of all your guidance.

cc: Juan Cruz, CCCCO Basic Skills

Jane Patton, Academic Senate for California Community Colleges

Michelle Barton, RP Group