Encourage Local Flexibility and Innovation in Revision of Basic Skills Delivery

Fall
2011
Resolution Number
09.01
 
Assigned to
Curriculum Committee
Category
Curriculum
Status
Completed
Status Report

Update 6/25/2015: Completed, held breakouts on innovations in Reading/English and Math requirements; CB21 Coding review in September.

Whereas, Innovation in basic skills instruction has become a high profile issue both state- and nation-wide, and various external and internal bodies, including the California Community Colleges Task Force on Student Success (established in response to Senate Bill 1143, Liu, 2010), have called for California community colleges to develop and implement alternatives to traditional basic skills curriculum, sometimes with the proposal of incentives or benefits to colleges that would encourage curricular revision and innovation;

Whereas, Creativity and innovation in the delivery of basic skills instruction are important aspects of curricular revision that rightfully should be encouraged throughout the California Community College System; Whereas, Various attempts have been made to promote specific approaches to the revision of basic skills delivery across the California Community College System, often privileging time to completion over quality of instruction and leading to an attempt at standardization through a “one size fits all” model; and

Whereas, California community colleges have tremendously diverse student populations, community needs, and local cultures and must therefore be allowed to develop or adopt the most appropriate approaches to basic skills instruction for their own local circumstances without having a specific model imposed on them or being pressured to adopt specific practices;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges support the intent of the California Community Colleges Task Force on Student Success recommendations (as of September 30, 2011) to encourage and incentivize innovation in the delivery of basic skills instruction; and

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges request that the California Community Colleges Task Force on Student Success modify its recommendations to emphasize consideration of all approaches for revising basic skills instruction without promoting adoption of any specific model or approach.

MSC

Appendix A: California Community Colleges Task Force on Student Success