The Basic Skills Committee developed a survey and reported the results in a breakout session at Fall 2008 Plenary. The survey was administered in early 2009. Results and next steps were discussed in a Spring 2009 Plenary breakout. The consensus for next steps was to write a Rostrum article, not a position paper. A Rostrum article was written in September 09 (Read about Reading) and another in Rostrum Reading May Be the Key to Unlocking Basic Skills Success the issue was directly addressed. Additionally, the Basic Skills Supplemental report has disaggregated reading from English success, progress and number of sections providing a continuous and regular measure of the reading needs and accomplishments for each college.
Whereas, Reading skills and strategies are core competencies fundamental to all information acquisition, measurements of success in student progression, and achievement;
Whereas, There is a lack of emphasis on learning reading as a necessary life-enhancing skill, yet no individual is considered literate or educated unless his/her reading skills exceed basic comprehension or vocabulary use for both academic and career success; and
Whereas, Reading instruction stresses acquisition of knowledge that empowers thinkers to investigate ideas far beyond initial textual representation, develop conceptual thinking, and acquire theoretical knowledge necessary for practical application in problem solving and analytical thinking;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges research current practices and the need for reading competency systemwide to develop a position paper on this topic.MSC Disposition: Local Senates