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A Report from

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

STRENGTHENING PRE-COLLEGIATE EDUCATION

IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES

2008

A D I F F E R E N T W A Y T O T H I N K A B O U T D E V E L O P M E N T A L E D U C A T I O N

51 Vista Lane

Stanford, California 94305-8703

650 566 5100 tel

650 326 0278 fax

www.carnegiefoundation.org

© August 2008. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Printed in the United States of America.

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has been making grants since 1966 to solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. The Foundation concentrates its resources on activities in education, environment, global development, performing arts, and population. In addition, the Foundation has programs that make grants to advance the field of philanthropy, and to support disadvantaged communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. More information may be found at www.hewlett.org.


Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and chartered in 1906 by an act of Congress, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is an independent policy and research center with the primary mission “to do and perform all things necessary to encourage, uphold, and dignify the profession of the teacher and the cause of higher education.” The improvement of teaching and learning is central to all of the Foundation’s work. The Foundation is located in Stanford, California. More information may be found at www.carnegiefoundation.org.

Carnegie SPECC Staff

Rose Asera, Project Director and Senior ScholarRandy Bass, Consulting ScholarLloyd Bond, Senior ScholarMolly Breen, Program AssociateAndrea Bueschel, Consulting ScholarLisa Glenn, Administrative AssistantSherry Hecht, Assistant to the Vice PresidentMary Taylor Huber, Senior ScholarPat Hutchings, Vice PresidentCheryl R. Richardson, Research Scholar

Recommended Bibliographic ListingThe Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Basic Skills for Complex Lives: Designs for Learning in the Community College. A Report from Strengthening Pre-collegiate Education in Community Colleges (SPECC). Stanford, Calif.: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 2008.

DAVID S. TATEL

Board ChairU.S. Circuit JudgeU.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. Circuit

CATHARINE R. STIMPSON

Board Vice ChairDean of the Graduate School of Arts & ScienceNew York University

RICHARD C. ATKINSON

President EmeritusUniversity of California System

JÜRGEN BAUMERT

DirectorMax Planck Institute for Human Development

ANTHONy S. BRyK

President (beginning September 1, 2008)The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

yEHUDA ELKANA

President and RectorCentral European University

BERNADINE CHUCK FONG

President EmeritaFoothill College

SUSAN H. FUHRMAN

PresidentTeachers College, Columbia University

ELAINE TUTTLE HANSEN

PresidentBates College

KATI HAyCOCK

DirectorThe Education Trust

JANET L. HOLMGREN

President and Susan Mills ProfessorMills College

FREEMAN A. HRABOWSKI III

PresidentUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore County JASON KAMRAS

Director of Human Capital Strategy, District of Columbia Public Schools 2005 National Teacher of the Year

RICHARD A. MIDDLETON

Superintendent of SchoolsSan Antonio North East Independent School District

RENÉE A. MOORE

English InstructorMississippi Delta Community College

LyNN OLSON

Senior Program OfficerBill and Melinda Gates Foundation

EDUARDO J. PADRÓN

PresidentMiami Dade College

THOMAS PAyZANT

Professor of PracticeHarvard Graduate School of Education

ROB REICH

Associate Professor of Political Science & Ethics in Society, andCourtesy Professor in the School of EducationStanford University

GORDON RUSSELL

Chair of the Carnegie Foundation Finance CommitteeMember of the Executive Committee (ex officio)General Partner (retired), Sequoia Capital

LEE S. SHULMAN

President (through July 2008)The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

NINA ZOLT

Co-chair, Co-Founder, Chief Program ArchitectePALS, Inc.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Board of Trustees

A D i f f e r e n t W A y t o t h i n k A b o u t D e v e l o p m e n t A l e D u c A t i o n

Basic Skills for Complex Lives DESIGNS FOR LEARNING IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

A report from

the carnegie foundation for the Advancement of teaching

S t rengt hening pre- collegiAt e eDuc At ion

in communit y college S

2008

basic skills for complex lives i i i

Table of Contents

iv Foreword LeeS.ShulmanandRoseAsera

vi Acknowledgments

vii AWordAboutLanguage

1 IntroductionandOverview

5 I:TooManyChutes,NotEnoughLadders UncertainSuccess JobOneforCommunityColleges ThePushforImprovementinCalifornia

8 II:ADifferentWaytoThinkAboutBasicSkills ReadingandWriting Mathematics StudentIdentity

12 III:CreatingPowerfulClassrooms FivePrinciples 1)HighStructure 2)HighChallenge 3)Intensity 4)IntentionalityandLearningHowtoLearn 5)InquiryandAssessmenttoMakeLearningVisible IntegratingtheFivePrinciples

26 IV:ANewVisionforProfessionalDevelopment FacultyInquiryGroups KeyFeaturesofPowerfulProfessionalDevelopment NewRolesforInstitutionalResearch Challenges InstitutionalSupport

33 V:ImplicationsforWorkAcrossCampuses:BuildingtheTeachingCommons ConnectingPeopleandIdeas SharingWorkthroughMulti-MediaTechnologies ApproachesattheStateandSystemLevel 37 VI:TheLinktoStudentLearning PatternsofImprovementinEnglishandMathematics TrackingSuccessinaLearningCommunity BetterToolsforTrackingStudentLearning CommonExamsasPromptsforImprovement TheImpactofFacultyInquiryGroupsonFacultyandStudentLearning NavigatingChange

44 VII:Recommendations

49 References

i v a different way to think about developmental education

Foreword

ConceivedaspartofalongercollaborationwithTheWilliamandFloraHewlettFoundation,Carnegie’sworkwithCaliforniacommunitycollegesoverthepastthreeyearshasbeenbothchallenginganddeeplyinspiring.Ithasbeenchallengingbecausetheneedsaresogreat.Largenumbersofstudentsbegintheirworkincoursesbelowcollegelevel,andfartoomanyofthemfallbythewayside—alosswithgraveconsequencesforstudentsthemselvesandforoursociety.Thisnumberisfarlargerthaneitherofusimaginedbeforetheworkbegan.Ithasbeeninspiringbecausecommunitycollegesarepowerfullaboratoriesforpedagogicalinnovation,andwehavehadtheopportunitytoworkwithremarkablycreative,thoughtfulteacherswhohavetreatedthisdauntingsituationasachallengeratherthananexcuse.Theyhavemuchtoteachallofusabouttheconditionsthatsupporteffectivelearning.

Throughoutthiswork,wehavelearnedfromandendeavoredtobuildontheeffortsofothersworkinginthisarena,someformanyyears.Asourorganization’snamemakesclear,theCarnegieFoundation’sdistinctiveangleondevelopmentaleducationistoenhancethequalityoflearningthrough“theadvancementofteaching.”Weareguidedbytheviewthatonecriticalkeytoeducationalimprovementliesincreatingopportunitiesforteacherstodeveloptheirpedagogicalpowersbylearningaboutandimprovingtheirownpractice.Theprojectyouwillreadaboutinthepagesthatfollow—StrengtheningPre-collegiateEducationinCommunityColleges(SPECC)—wasdesignedtoexploreanddocumentwhatisneededtomakesuchimprovementpossible.

Tobegin,theparticipatingSPECCcollegestookthechallengeofbasicskillsseriously.Theyunderstoodtheinherentchallengeofteachingacademicmaterialtostudentswhohaveoftenseenthesametasksbeforeandhaverepeatedlynotmasteredthem.SPECCcampusesrespondedtothiseducationalchallengewitharangeofprogramsandapproaches.

Whatanimatedtheseapproacheswasnotonlythecommitmenttostudentlearning,butaspiritofinquiry.EducatorsparticipatinginSPECCbroughttheirintellectualcuriosity,aswellastheirskillsasthinkersandproblemsolvers,tothestudyoftheirstudents’learning.Individuallyandcollaborativelytheyworkedwiththeircolleaguestoshapequestions,gatherandanalyzearangeofevidence—fromfine-grainedclassroomobservationstolargerpatternsofstudentperformance—andimplementwhattheylearnedintheirownclassroomsandprograms.

Moreover,wealllearnedthatthechallengeofdeveloping,sustaining,andadaptingthecapabilitiesofteachersisnotamatterofgetting“it”rightandthenensuringthat“it”keepsrunning(withregularlyscheduledmaintenanceandtune-ups).Educationalinstitutionsareever-changing,adaptivesystems.Oldproblemsaresolvedmoreslowlythannewonesdevelop.Newpopulationsofstudentsarriveatthecampusgates,newexpectationsarisefromrapidlyevolvingworldsofworkandofcommunityengagement,newtechnologiesbecomecommonplaceasoldonesbecomeobsolete,andthusneweducationalgoalsdemandrefreshedcurricula,newprograms,andbettercourses.Theserealitiesrequirethatinquirybetreatedas

basic skills for complex lives v

anongoingandcentralfeatureofthejobdescriptionoffacultymembersandtheinstitutionalmissionofcolleges.Ongoingappliedresearch,evaluation,andinquirybyfacultymembersthemselvesemergeashallmarksofthecommunitycollegeasaneffectivelearningcommunity.

TherearemanylessonstobedrawnfromtheeffortsoftheeducatorswehaveworkedwithinSPECC.Thechallengesofbasicskillsgowellbeyondthe11participatingcampuses,thestateofCalifornia,andthecommunitycollegesector.Butthecommitmentandcreativitydemonstratedonthesecampusesbegintoshowwhatispossible.Individualeducatorscancometoseetheireffortsthroughthelensofwhatworksforstudents.Institutionscancometoseeprofessionallearningasanintegralpartoftheirongoingwork.Andthelargerpublicandpolicymakerscancometoseecommunitycollegesnotonlyastheinstitutionsthatdomuchoftheteachingbutasplacesthatknowagreatdealaboutit—andfromwhichneedednewknowledgeislikelytof low.

lee s. shulman, president

rose asera, senior scholar

the carnegie foundation for the advancement of teaching

spring 2008

v i a different way to think about developmental education

Acknowledgments

ManypeoplehavebeenpartofandpartnersinStrengtheningPre-collegiateEducationinCommunityColleges.MycolleaguesandIattheCarnegieFoundationdeeplyappreciatethecontributionsofallthosewhohaveworkedwithustocreate,study,anddisseminatetheworkreportedinthesepagesandotherSPECCproductsandpublications.

OurpartnersatTheWilliamandFloraHewlettFoundation,MarshallSmith,JorgeRuizdeVelasco,andPamelaBurdman,haveprovidedthesupportandwherewithaltomakethisprojectpossibleandthegoodcounseltomakeitasgoodasitcouldbe.

Participantsonthe11SPECCcampuseshavebeenthoughtful,creative,andgenerousbeyondcompare,andtheprojectwouldliterallynotexistwithoutthem.Thecampuscoordinators,particularly,havebeenactivepartnersinleadingnewwork,learningalongtheway,andhelpingthoseofusfrombeyondthecampusesmoredeeplyunderstandthecultureofthecommunitycollege.

Anumberoforganizationshavebeenimportantpartnersinsharingideasandaction:thegrowinggroupofprogramsthatmeetunderthebannerofthePartnershipforStrongCommunityColleges—CaliforniaTomorrow,MDRC,CareerLadders,CalPASS,theCenterforUrbanEducation,theFoundationforCaliforniaCommunityColleges,theDaleTilleryInstituteandtheBasicSkillsInitiative—aswellastheResearchandPlanningGroupandthewonderfulteamthatorganizedtheStrengtheningStudentSuccessConference.

Asthedirectoroftheproject,Iwanttoexpressmyheartfeltthankstothefullteam:RandyBass,LloydBond,AndreaBueschel,LisaGlenn,SherryHecht,MaryHuber,andCherylRichardson.AspecialthankstoPatHutchingsandMollyBreenfortakingtheleadonthisreport.AllofusaregratefulinturntoourcolleaguesattheCarnegieFoundation,wherewearenurturedbygoodconversationandopenexchange,andtoourpresident,LeeS.Shulman,forhisleadershipandvision.

rose asera

spring 2008

basic skills for complex lives v i i

A Word About Language

Throughout SPECC’s work, all of us involved—including and especially

the authors of this report— have grappled with finding the right language

to capture our focus on underprepared students. As readers will see, we

have used several terms: pre-collegiate, developmental, remedial, and

basic skills, recognizing that these are not synonymous and that, for better

or worse, each brings its own history and values. The term “basic skills”

has recently gained ground in California because of the ambitious state-

wide Basic Skills Initiative now moving into a third phase of activity, and it

is thus a term that connects SPECC’s work to a larger set of activities from

which we have learned and to which we hope to contribute.

Our intent throughout is to point to the importance of knowledge

and capacities without which students cannot achieve higher levels of

learning or thrive as workers and citizens in today’s world. These include

foundational skills in reading, writing, and mathematics, as well as attitudes

and habits related to effective learning: study skills, confidence, and an

ability to persevere and succeed.

� a different way to think about developmental education

Introduction and Overview

Thetableinroom303isclutteredwithbooks,studentpapers,andthepredictablecollectionofcaffeinatedbeveragesinpapercupswithplasticlids.It’slateafternoonandeightEnglishdepartmentfacultymembershaveassembled,astheydoeachweek,todiscusstheirstudents’workinabasicskillsreadingandwritingcourse.

Overthelastseveralyears,theseeducatorshavebeenexploringrecentresearchonliteracy,sharingwhattheydointheirclassrooms,anddevisingmoreeffectivewaystoworkwiththeirunderpreparedstudents.Oneoftheinnovationsthey’remostexcitedaboutisamovefromseparatereadingandwritingcourses—thelong-standingmodelontheircampus—toanintegrated,team-taughtapproachthatoffersstudentsamoreintensive,engagingexperienceinonecourse.Thenewcoursefeaturesaradicallyrevisedcurriculum,newassessments,areorganizedclassandlabschedule,andregularmeetings(likethisone)wherefacultycanref lectonandexaminetheeffectsoftheirnewapproach.

Thiskindofchangeishardworkintellectually—andanemotionalrollercoaster.There’splentyofroomforfrustrationaspassratesinthenewcourserefusetobudgefromthelevelseenincoursestaughtbythetraditionalmodel.Atthesametime,theseteachersareexcitedaboutsignsofrealprogress:studentsgrapplingwithgenuineissues,writingandreadingabouttheseissuesinwaysthatmattertowhotheyareandwhattheydowiththeirlives,comingtoseethemselvesasreadersandwriters.Determinedtogetabettersenseofwhichelementsofthenewcourseareworkingandwhy,thegrouphasbeendiggingdeeperintoawidearrayofevidenceandartifacts:analyzingstudentwritingsamplesandexams,conductingfocusgroupswithstudents,and,mostrecently,designingportfoliosinwhichstudentscollectandref lect

ontheirworkinwaysthatcanalsohelptheirteachersunderstandmoreclearlywhatfurtherchangesinteachingandcurriculumwillbemostpowerful.Attoday’smeetinginroom303,thegroupisdevelopingarubrictheywillallusetoevaluatetheirstudents’portfolios…. rSceneslikethisonearenowunfoldingat11Californiacommunitycollegesthathavebeenpartofathree-yearinitiativesponsoredbyTheCarnegieFoundationfortheAdvancementofTeachinganditsfundingpartner,TheWilliamandFloraHewlettFoundation:StrengtheningPre-collegiateEducationinCommunityColleges(SPECC).

Anaction-researchprojectfocusedonteachingandlearninginpre-collegiateEnglishandmathematics,SPECCisperhapsbestdescribedasalaboratoryforexploringwhatworksandwhatittakestobringaboutrealandlastingimprovement.Oneachoftheparticipatingcampuses,educatorshavebeenexploringavarietyofapproachestoclassroominstruction,academicsupport,assessment,andprofessionaldevelopment.Inparallelwiththeseinnovations,theyhavesystematicallyexaminedtheeffectsoftheirefforts,gatheringandevaluatingawiderangeofdata,includingexamplesofstudentwork,classroom

j Cerritos College

j Chabot College

j City College of San Francisco

j College of the Desert

j College of the Sequoias

j Glendale Community College

j Laney College

j Los Medanos College

j Merced College

j Pasadena City College

j West Hills College District

Campuses partiCipating in speCC

basic skills for complex lives 2

observations,interviewswithstudentsandfaculty,andquantitativedataonstudentretentionandsuccessacrosscourses.Asparticipantsinthiscollaborativeventure,theycontinuetosharetheirsuccesses,disappointments,andsurpriseswithothercampusesintheprojectandbeyond.

a preview of key messages from carnegie’s work

ThisreportbytheSPECCprojectteamattheCarnegieFoundationprovidesanoverviewofprojectactivities,centralthemes,andlessonslearned.BecausetheclassroomwasSPECC’scentralfocus,facultyareacentralaudienceforitsworkandconclusions,andwehaveincludedclassroomexamplesthatcapturethecomplexitiesofteachingandlearninginwaysthatwill,webelieve,speaktofacultyandperhapsinspirethem.Additionally,readerswillfindasetoffiveprinciplesforteachingunderpreparedstudents.

Butthevisionofdevelopmentaleducationsetforthherecallsforactiononmultiplelevels,notonlybyfacultyintheirownclassrooms.Thisreporthasimportantmessagesforadministratorsandpolicymakersaswell.Indeed,ourargumentisthatthesuccessofunderpreparedstudentsmustbeaninstitution-wide,coreresponsibility.Basicskillscannotbelearned—ortaught—inisolationasasetofdiscretemechanicalskills.Infact,oneofthereasonsthey’resoimportant(sobasic)isthattheyenableotherkindsoflearning,skills,andcapacities,beitinapre-collegiatewritingclass,atransfer-levelsociologycourse,thenursingprogram,orautomotiverepair.Thus,thesuccessofunderpreparedstudentscannotbetheresponsibilityofasmallgroupoffacultyteachingspeciallydesignatedcourses.Itmustbeaninstitutionalresponsibility:givenvisibilityandprioritybycampusleadersatthehighestlevels,attendedtoineveryclassroomandeveryinteractionwithstudents,andconstantlytrackedandevaluatedsothatimprovementscanbemade.

Akeycomponentofinstitutionalresponsibilityliesintheareaofprofessionaldevelopment.Iffacultyaretoimplementandsustainmoreeffectiveapproachesintheirclassrooms—andtocontinuetoimproveuponthem—campusesmustreinventprofessionaldevelopmentasanintellectuallyengaging,integralelementoftheirongoingwork.Professionaldevelopmentisacontractualobligationformostcommunitycollegefaculty,buttoooftentheopportunitiespresentedareepisodic,uncoordinated,anddisconnectedfromanysharedgoalsforstudentlearning.Theresult,notsurprisingly,iswidespreadcynicismaboutwhatshouldbeacorecommitmentofprofessionallife,whateverthearena,tolearnfrompracticeandtoworkwithcolleaguestoadvancethefield.Inthisspirit,professionaldevelopmentforcommunitycollegeeducatorsmustberevitalizedinwaysthatmakeitmoresustained,collaborative,andfocusedonevidenceofstudentlearning.Theseconditionsarecriticaltoongoingimprovement;theyshouldbepartoftheexperienceofalleducatorsandbuiltintothefabricoftheinstitution.Ourrecommendation,morespecifically,isforaformofprofessionaldevelopmentthattookshapeonSPECCcampuses,whichwecallFacultyInquiryGroups,whereeducatorsworktogetherinsustainedwaystoinvestigateandimprovetheirstudents’learning.

Butsuchaprocesscannotoccurorthriveinavacuum.What’sneededisacultureinwhichrich,reliableevidenceaboutstudentlearningisavailable,understood,andengagedatmultiplelevels.Thus,theCarnegieteamalsorecommendsthatinstitutionalresearchmustbeexpandedtofocusmoredirectlyoncoreissuesofteachingandlearning.


Traditionally,institutionalresearchofficesfocusoninstitutionaldata(aboutenrollment,retention,andthelike),ofteninresponsetoexternalreportingrequirements.Thesearecriticalpatternstotrack,buttheyonlyindirectlyspeaktoquestionsaboutstudentlearning,andarethereforenecessarybutnotsufficient.Makingthesuccessofallstudentsarealandsharedprioritymeansthinkingmoreboldlyaboutinstitutionalresearch.Itmeansinstitutionalresearcherscollaboratingwithfacultyandothereducatorsoncampustoshapeconsequentialquestionsaboutstudentlearning,generateevidenceinresponsetothosequestions,andworktogethertowardimprovements.Thisvisionwillrequireareshapingofrolesaswellasexpandedcapacity.

Rethinking—andremaking—institutionalresearchandprofessionaldevelopmentisasignificantchallenge,requiringchangesininstitutionalpolicyaswellascommitmentsfromthosewhocontrolfundingandshapeprioritiesbeyondthecampuslevel.Thesechangesareespeciallyurgentintoday’sclimateofaccountability,ashighereducationstrugglestodocumentitseffectiveness.Themetricsmostcommonlyusedforthispurpose(studentgrades,retention,persistence,anddegreeattainment)willcontinuetoplayanimportantrole.ButCarnegie’sexperiencewithSPECCpersuadesusthatcommunitycollegescanbepowerfullaboratoriesforcreatingafuller,richersetofassessmenttools—aimednotsimplyattrackingprogress(oritslack)butatunderstandinghowtofacilitateimportantformsoflearningandpersonaldevelopment.Thus,webelievethatcommunitycollegesshouldleadthewayindevelopingricher,morerevealingmeasuresofstudentlearning.Progressonthisfrontmeansworkingtowardclear,explicitgoalsforstudentlearningwhilealsodevelopingtoolsandapproachesthatcapturemorecomplexaspectsofstudents’movementtowardthosegoals,

aswellasthestumblingblockstheyencounteralongtheway.Seeninthislight,accountabilityismorethananexternalreportingrequirement;itisanenactmentofourprofessionalresponsibilityaseducators.

Finally,Carnegie’sworkwiththe11SPECCcampusesaffirmedoursense(enactedinmanyoftheFoundation’sprogramsoverthelastdecade)thatthereismuchtobelearnedacrosscampuses.Oneofthebiggestimpedimentstoeducationalimprovementisthatteachingasaprofession,andtheinstitutionsandsystemsinwhichteachingtakesplace,havesofewhabitsandpracticesthroughwhicheducatorscanlearnfromoneanother’swork.Thus,ourfinalrecommendationfocusesontheimportanceofbuildingalargernetworkandinfrastructurethroughwhichpromising

developmentsonindividualcampusescanbemadevisible,shared,andbuiltuponmuchmorewidely.Thegoodnewsisthathighereducationtodayisincreasinglyenjoyingthebenefitsofanemergingteachingcommons,aconceptualspaceinwhicheducatorsfromallsettingsandsectorscansharetheirquestions,explorations,andnewinsightsaboutstudentlearning.Participationinthiskindofexchangeisacriticalconditionforongoingimprovement.What’sneededthenispurposefulinvestmentonmultiplelevels,intheoccasions,structures,networks,andtoolsthroughwhicheducatorsinbasicskillsandbeyondcansharewhattheyknowinwaysthatbenefitstudentsandbuildthefield.

“Basic Skills for Complex Lives” is one of a number of SPECC products and publications developed by Carnegie staff members. For a full listing, see www.carnegiefoundation.org/specc.

speCC projeCt resourCes

basic skills for complex lives �

Inthefinalchapterofthisreportwereturntotheserecommendations,alongwithmorespecificpointsaboutwhatitwilltaketoachievethem.Readersshouldnotethatthisreportisoneofseveralrelatedpapersandproducts,includingasetofmulti-mediaWebsitescalledWindows on Learningdocumentingclassroompractice.AllcanbefoundontheCarnegieWebsiteatwww.carnegiefoundation.org.Theywerepreparedwithheartfeltthankstothescoresofgenerous,thoughtfuleducators—andtheirstudents—ontheSPECCcampuses.Wehopeyouwillthinkofthisdocumentasakindof“hub,”connectingyoutoothermaterialsandinformation—andasacatalysttofurtherworkbythemanygroupsandindividualswhoareworkinghardtostrengthenthelearningofallstudents.


Too Many Chutes, Not Enough Ladders

AtaSPECCgatheringearlyintheproject,CarnegieFoundationPresidentLeeS.Shulmanproposedametaphorforthechallengesparticipantsface:“Someofyou,”hesaid,“willrememberthechildren’sboardgame,ChutesandLadders.That’swhatwehaveindevelopmentaleducation.Studentswholandinthewrongplace(andthat’swhathappensmoretimesthannot)falldownthechute,outofthegame.Onlyaluckyfewfindtheladdersthatallowthemtoclimbtotheireducationalandpersonalgoals.Ourjob,ourresponsibilityaseducators,”hetoldthegroup,“istofigureouthowtobuildawholelotmoreladders.”DoingsoisSPECC’scorepurpose.

uncertain success

Lookingacrossthehighereducationlandscape,thechutesare,indeed,alltooevident.Whilemanystudentsinthiscountryhaveapowerfulundergraduateexperiencethatpropelsthemintosuccessful,fulfillinglives,alarmingnumbersfindtheireducationalaspirationsfrustrated.Thisrealityisevidentacrossallsectorsofhighereducationbutnowheresodramaticallyasinthetwo-yearinstitution,whichbyhistoryandmissionopensitsdoorstoallcomers.AccordingtotheCommunityCollegeResearchCenter,70percentofcommunitycollegestudents(whoconstituteapproximatelyone-halfofthestudentsinhighereducation)aspiretotheB.A.,butlessthanaquarteractuallytransfertofour-yearinstitutions;lessthanoneintencompletetheB.A.(Bailey,2003,p.1).

Thosenumbersarestartling—certainlytheyshouldbestartling.Buttheyarenotperhapssosurprising.InCalifornia,forinstance,upto90percentofincoming,first-timestudentstestbelowcollegelevelinmathandover70percenttestbelowcollegelevelinreadingandwriting(MooreandShulock,2007,p.12).Havingtomaketheirwaythroughmultiplelevelsofremediationbeforetheybegin“regular”collegecourses,theoddsthatthesestudentswill

stumbleintooneofShulman’schutesarehuge.Manycometocollegewithanegativeviewofschoolandoftheirownprospectsforsucceeding.Unfamiliarwiththepracticesandnormsofacademiclife,theyare“cluelessinacademe,”asliteraryscholarandeducationwriterGeraldGraffhasputit,andlikelypuzzledbythestylesofwriting,analysis,andargumentrequiredbyvariousdisciplines.Manyhavebeen“wounded”bytheir

priorschooling,experiencingepisodesoffailure,discouragement,andrejection(Rendon,1994).Studentssuchasthesearelikelytomakeonlyatentativeandpartialcommitmenttotheirfirstattemptsathighereducation.Theyentercollegewonderingifitisreallyforthem,iftheyhavearealisticchancetosucceed,andiftheywillbewelcomedandsupported.

Job one for community colleges

Studentsarenottheonlyonesunderpreparedforthechallengespresentedbythisscenario.Campuses,too,areunderprepared,andonseverallevels.Mostfacultyteachingdevelopmentalcourseshavenoparticulartrainingfortherole.Theylookaroundandrealizethatremediation

basic skills education on most campuses

has been shunted off to the margins, staffed

largely by part-timers, and underfunded.

expectations have been way too low.

I.

basic skills for complex lives �

isseenbymanyoftheircolleaguesassecond-classwork,andtheyrightlyunderstandthepotentialforfrustrationandburnout.Attheinstitutionallevel,developmentalprogramsareoftentreatedasthepoorcousinoftransfer-levelcourses.Historically,thetransferfunctionhasbeentheprestigemissionforcommunitycolleges(GrubbandAssociates,1999,p.5),andmanycampuseshavenotmadethecommitmentsorinvestedtheresourcesrequiredtomakepre-collegiateeducationmorethanarevolvingdoor.Nor,infact,dotheywanttobeseenastheplaceforremediation.Inshort,basicskillseducationonmostcampuseshasbeenshuntedofftothemargins,staffedlargelybypart-timers,andunderfunded.Expectationshavebeenwaytoolow.

Butthisrealityhasbeguntochange.Agrowingnumberofeducatorsandeducation-watchersarguethatdevelopmentaleducationmustnowbecome“jobone”forcommunitycolleges(McClenney,2007).Asenseofurgencyisintheair,witheventhemostmainstreammediatrumpetingthehighstakesforindividuals,ascollegeeducationbecomestheprerequisiteformiddle-classlife,andforsociety,whichneedscapableworkersandengagedcitizens.AsAlexanderAstinhasobserved,“effective‘remedial’educationwoulddomoretoalleviateourmostserioussocialandeconomicproblemsthanalmostanyotheractionwecouldtake”(2000,p.130).Thegoodnewsisthattherearenowmanyeffortsunderwaytorespondtothisneed:nationalprojects,state-basedinitiatives,newlytargetedgrantmoney,andanexcitingarrayofinnovations(albeitoftensmallscale)oncampusesthatarestrivingtodobetter.

strengthening California’s Community Colleges for the future

proJects supported by the william and flora hewlett foundation

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has shaped and supported numerous initiatives aimed at increasing student success and completion rates in California’s community colleges. In addition to the Carnegie program, Strengthening Pre-collegiate Education in Community Colleges (SPECC), Hewlett also supports:

j California Benchmarking Project j California Tomorrowj Cal-PASS (California Partnership for Achieving Student Success)j Campaign for College Opportunityj Career Ladders Projectj Digital Bridge Academy j Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy (IHELP)j Institute for College Access & Successj MDRCj The RP Group (The Research & Planning Group for California Community Colleges)

For information about these projects and Hewlett’s grant-making strategy, see www.hewlett.org.


the push for improvement in california

Inthischangingcontext,Californiaoffersaparticularlyrichlaboratoryforexploringwhat’shappeningandwhatispossibleindevelopmentaleducation.Bylong-standingpolicy,thestate’s109communitycollegesprovidetheonlyaccesstohighereducationfortwo-thirdsoffirst-timestudentsinpublicsectorinstitutions.Mostofthosestudentsnevermakeitthroughthesystem.Andthesituationwillonlyworsenifthe“tidalwavetwo”predictedbysomeresearchersbringstocampusesevenlargernumbersofunderprepared,first-generationstudentswhowillinevitablybeathighrisk(Hayward,Jones,McGuinness,andTimar,2004).Withthesechallengesbreathingdownthestate’sneck,anumberofhigh-visibilityventuresinpre-collegiateeducationhavegottenunderwayinthelastfewyears:amajor,agenda-settingreportfromtheAcademicSenateforCaliforniaCommunityColleges(2003),anumberofexternallyfundedprojectsand,perhapsmostnotably,astatewideBasicSkillsInitiativefundedbytheStateofCalifornia.

HowcanCarnegie’sprojectcontributeinthisbusyarena?Clearlytherearemanyfacetstothechallengeofdevelopmentaleducation,manyfactorsthatneedtoberethoughtandreshaped:fundingformulas,publicadvocacy,studentsupportprograms,betterdatasystems.SPECC’sspecialnicheistheleastvisiblebutcoreworkofeducation:howteachersworkwithstudentsintheclassroom.Often,forcommunitycollegestudents,theclassroom

istheonlypointofcontactwiththeinstitution.Manydevelopmentalstudentshavealreadystudiedthesubjectsinquestion;oddsarethattheyhave,infact,studiedthesamecontentseveraltimesbefore,andmayhaveevenmanagedtopassacourseoranexamofsomekind.Yetplacementtestsadministeredtoenteringstudentsmakeitclearthatmuchofthisearlier“learning”hasbeentooshallowandephemeraltoservethemwell.Thechallengefordevelopmentalcoursesinthecommunitycollegesettingistofindfreshnewapproachestoteachingthismaterialsothatitwillnotbeforgottenormisunderstoodsoeasily,andwillinsteadserveasafoundationforfuturelearning.

the California BasiC skills initiative

the california basic skills initiative is a statewide effort that aims to increase the ability to address basic skills and ESL needs through education on effective practices and professional development.

The BSI defines basic skills as “foundation skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and English as a Second Language, as well as learning skills and study skills, which are necessary for students to succeed in college-level work.”

The BSI is currently funded through the Foothill-De Anza Community College District which is working closely with the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. Each campus receives funds based on the number of students in basic skills classes. Along with campus funds, the BSI includes statewide professional development and research. This initiative began in 2006 when the Research and Planning Group conducted a thorough review of the literature on effective practices resulting in the report entitled Basic Skills as a Foundation for Student Success in the California Community Colleges. This work was widely disseminated in a statewide professional development campaign. During the next phase of activity, each community college prepared a self-assessment of their existing practices, and developed an action plan. The third phase, which began in 2008, is implementation of what colleges learn from their self-assessment along with further statewide professional development and further research.

For more information, see www.cccbsi.org.


A Different Way to Think About Basic SkillsTheeducationofunderpreparedstudentshasrecentlyemergedasahigh-profileagenda,butitcertainlyisn’tanewone.Americanhighereducationhasalonghistoryofadmitting(andthenstrugglingtoassist)studentswhowerepreviouslyshutoutassomehowunqualified.The1862MorrillLand-GrantCollegesActexpandedaccessbeyondtheprivilegedfewtoresidentsofthestatesinwhichthenewland-grantinstitutionswereestablished;manyofthesenewstudentscamefromsettingsthatdidn’tprovideevenahighschooleducation.Acenturylater,theGIBillbroughtawaveofstudentstohighereducationwhowouldotherwisehavehadlimitedaccesstocollegeandwho,inmanycases,didnotbringsophisticatedacademicbackgroundswiththem.Inthe1970s,theopenadmissionsmovementinTheCityUniversityofNewYork(CUNY)SystemmadehighereducationavailabletoallNewYorkCityhighschoolgraduatesregardlessoftheiracademicstandingandmadethetopicofremediationamatterofintensepublicdebate;inthe1990sthisfunctionwasrelegatedtothetwo-yearinstitutionsintheCUNYsystem,atrendoneseesinotherstatesaswell.(SeeMalnarichetal,2003,foranexcellentsummaryofthehistoryofdevelopmentaleducation.)Insomesense,then,thesituationindevelopmentaleducationtodaycanbeseenasthelatestchapterinalongstoryofwhathascometobecalledthe“massification”ofhigherlearning.

Whatisarguablynewtothestoryisanemergingbodyofscholarshipthatchallengeseducatorsandpolicymakerstothinkdifferentlyaboutwhathasvariouslybeenlabeled“remedial,”“developmental,”“pre-collegiate,”and“basicskills”education(thisreportusesallfourterms).Formanypeopleinthiscountry,theprocessofreading,say,themorningnewspaper,ordoingbasicarithmetichasbecomesoautomatic,sotakenforgranted,astobeessentiallyinvisible.Itishard,infact,tounderstandhowsomeonecouldhavetroublelearningtodosomethingsosimple.Butinfact,these“basicskills”arenotsobasic,andtheyaredefinitelynotsimple—eithertolearnortoteach.ThisperspectivehasbeenacentralprincipleofSPECC.

reading and writing

Considerreading—themostdailyofactivitiesformanyofus.Overthelastseveraldecades,scholarsinEnglishstudieshavedocumentedjusthowcomplicatedthereadingprocessreallyis,fornoviceandsophisticatedreadersalike(see,forexample,theworkofRobertScholes,WolfgangIser,MariolinaSalvatori,andPatriciaDonahue).Thecommonsenseviewthatatexthasamessagethatissomehowpassedfromwordsonthepageintothereader’sheadhasbeenlargelysetasidebythosewhostudytheprocess.“Mostauthoritiesnolongerbelievethatmeaningliesinthetextandthattheteacher’sjobistoseethatstudentsunderstandtheauthor’smeaning,”saysMarthaMaxwellinherreviewofliteracyeducation.“Psycholinguistictheoryarguesthatreadingandwritingaremodelsoflearningandsharecommonpurposesandprocesses.Thatis,theyarewaysthatstudentsconstructmeaningorwaysofthinkingandknowing.Reading

II.

a different way to think aBout developmental eduCation

“We have learned…that the typical paradigm around

Basic Skills must be exploded; it works against us,

inhibiting our thinking and short circuiting our dialogue.

We have learned that teaching skills and calling them

basic and associating this work with the term “pre-

collegiate” or remedial leaves us as a group of faculty

impotent to reach our students who really are struggling

and failing in large numbers.”

–Chabot College, SPECC Report, 2006


involvesaninteractionbetweenalearner’spriorknowledge,text,andcontext…”(Maxwell,1998,p.160).Itturnsoutthatreadersbringavastreservoiroflinguisticandculturalknowledgetobearastheyread,connectingnewideaswitholdones,figuringoutwordstheydon’tknow,andactivelyquestioningandconstructingmeaning.

Moreover,thereadingprocessdoesnotstartwithsimplediscreteskillsandmovetowardmorecomplexonesinsomelinear,predictable,“developmental”fashion.Theidentityandpurposesofthereadermatter,genreandmediummatter,and,asevenMortimerAdler’sclassicHow to Read a Bookremindsas,disciplinarycontentmatters.

Manyofthesameobservationscanbemadeabouttheso-calledbasicskillofwriting.PeterElbow,awell-knownteacherandscholarofthewritingprocess,observes,“Readingisjustlikewriting:aprocessofcognitive(andsocial)constructioninwhicheveryonebuildsupmeaningsandcuesinthetext”(Elbow,2004,p.13).Eventheapparentlymostbasicaspectofwriting—grammar—turnsouttobeacomplexbusiness,and,itmightbesaid,oneofthemostvexing,hair-pullingtopicsfacingteachersateverylevel.Recognizingthiscomplexity,oneSPECCcampusdecidedtodepartfromtraditionalgrammarexercisesandfocusinsteadonhelpingstudentsdevelopskillsofquestioning,predicting,summarizing,andclarifying.“Whiletherearemanyreasonsforthischange,”theyreport,“oneisourrealizationthattheteachingofgrammarishighlycomplex”(LosMedanosCollegeSPECCReport,2006,p.1).Clearly,studentsneedtoknowtherulesandconventionsofgrammar,butthoserulesandconventions

cannotbeunderstoodoractedonintheabstract.Whetherasemicolonistherightpunctuationdependsonthewriter’spurpose,onquestionsofrhythmandparallelism,evenonthemedium(withemailarguablycallingforlessformalpunctuation).Notsosimple.

mathematics

Thecomplicationsofcontextreartheirheadsinbasicmathematicsaswell.Considerthiscommentfromamathematicsfacultymember,quotedinawellknownstudyofcommunitycollegeteachingandlearning,abouttheuseofanapparentlysimplething,theminussign:“Sayyouhadthatsign,andafour.Somepeoplewouldsay[itsignifies]negativefour.Somepeoplewouldsayminusfour.Andthereisathirdmeaning,theoppositeoffour,theadditiveinverse.Therearethreedifferentmeaningsforthesamesymbol…”(GrubbandAssociates,1999,p.160).

writing and thinking

“I have become acutely aware of the pedagogical necessity of iteration with a difference in the developmental classroom. That is, the importance both of repeating key concepts in the course and of (re)presenting those concepts in as many ways and via as many diverse models as possible. Watching students learn and forget, relearn and forget again—over and over until a given idea or process finally holds (or does not)—has reminded me of a fundamental concept that I had forgotten as a teacher: how intimate the connectedness is between writing and deep-rooted processes of mind…And if this is so, then instilling in students new writing processes, new ways of manipulating language (however simple the lesson may seem), requires on the part of students a significant restructuring of their most habitual ways of ordering and discursively interacting with their intellectual (and lived?) experience.” –Monette Tiernan, Glendale Community College, SPECC Report, December 2006

basic skills for complex lives �0

Onceagain,simplethingsarenotalwayssosimple.Indeed,LipingMa,aformerCarnegieFoundationscholarofmathematicseducation,hascoinedthephrase“ProfoundUnderstandingsofFundamentalMathematics” (PUFM)topointtothecomplexknowledgeandskillsthatarerequiredinorderfullytolearnandtoteacheventhemostapparentlysimplemathematicalfunctions(1999).Howmanyofusactuallyunderstandtheneedtoinvertandmultiplywhendividingbyfractions,forinstance,orwhyanegativenumbermultipliedbyanothernegativenumberyieldsapositiveone?SPECCfacultyhavecometosimilarconclusions:“Werealizedthatarithmeticisfullofconceptuallyrichmathematicsandthatweneedtothinkdeeplyabouttheseconceptsinordertoteachthemwell,”participantsononecampusreported(LosMedanosCollegeSPECCReport,2006,p.3).

student identity

There’sanothersense,aswell,inwhichbasicskillsarenotsobasic.Indevelopmentalclassrooms,asinothereducationalcontexts,knowledgeandskillsareessentialgoals.Yetthemostpowerfulformsofgrowtharenotonlyaboutwhatthelearnerknowsbutaboutwhosheisandhowlearningshapesandreshapeshersenseofherself.Indeed,personal“formation”(toborrowatermfromCarnegie’sstudiesofprofessionaleducation)isbotharesultofandaconditionformeaningfullearning.

Toreturntoreading,forinstance,studentsmustnotonlylearnhowtomakesenseofatextbuttothinkofthemselvesasreaders—asignificanttransformationforindividualswhomaynothavehadeasyaccesstobookswhilegrowingup,andforwhomreadingmayfeellikeachore,arisk,anexerciseintheunfamiliar,orevenarecipeforfailure.Inwriting,too,studentsmustnotonlylearnthemechanicsandroutinesofproducingreadabletexts;theymustcometoseelanguageasatoolandresourcethroughwhichtheycanexpressthemselvesintheworld,makethingshappen,andconnectwithothers.Theroleofconfidenceandidentityisalsowellknowninmathematics,asref lectedintheextensivebodyofresearchonmathanxietyandtheeffectsofgenderandracialstereotypesonmathematicallearning(see,forinstance,Tobias,1978,1993;Steele,1997,1999).

Evenbeyondspecificdisciplinarycontexts,developmentalstudentsoftendonotthinkofthemselvesas“collegematerial.”Thoughtheybringpowerfullifeexperiencestotheirworkaslearners,theyoftenneedhelpseeingthoseexperiencesasassetsinanacademicsetting.Andwhileallstudentsneedencouragement,inspiration,andmotivation,theseconditionsareespeciallyimportantforstudentswhohavenotsucceededinthepast,whohavebeenawayfromformaleducationforanumberofyears,orwhocomefromsettingsinwhichhighereducationisnotanexpectation.Inshort,facultywhoteachinbasicskillscontextsplayanessentialrolenotonlyinteachingtheirdisciplinebutalsoinmovingstudentstowardsgreaterconfidenceandastrongeracademicself-image.

students must not only learn the mechanics

and routines of producing readable texts;

they must come to see language as a tool

and resource through which they can

express themselves in the world, make

things happen, and connect with others.

�� a different way to think about developmental education

Thisnot-so-basicviewofbasicskillshasthepowertotransformdevelopmentalteachingandlearning.HarnessingthatpowerhasbeencentraltotheworkofSPECCattheclassroom

level,atthelevelofinstitutionalpolicyandpractice,andinthinkingabouttheconditionsforchangeacrosscampuses.Thenextthreesectionstakeupthesethreecontexts.

this not-so-basic view of basic skills has the

power to transform developmental

teaching and learning.


Creating Powerful Classrooms

Basicskillscoursesarenotoriousfordumbed-down,“drillandkill”methodsofinstruction(GrubbandAssociates,1999).Alltoooftentheyoperateasakindoflock-stepmarchtoward“real”courses,withstudentsessentiallyquarantineduntiltheymakethegrade.Suchapproachesareanaturalconsequenceofaviewofbasicskillsassimpleskillsthatcanbedisconnectedfromcontextandengrainedinstudentsthroughroteandrepetition.Certainlythere’saplaceforrepetition,forpractice,forstep-by-stepskillsdevelopment.Butthemostpromisinginnovationsareshapedbyanunderstandingthatbasicskillsarenotsobasic(Asera,2006);thatevenunderpreparedlearnersbringassetstotheirwork(SmythandHeath,1999;Malnarich,etal,2003);and—asref lectedinthetitleofthisreport—thatlifetodaypresentsunprecedentedchallenges.Withthepaceofchangeaccelerating,vastamountsofinformationwashingoverusonadailybasis,anddevelopmentsinscienceandtechnologycreatingnewopportunitiesbutalsonewrisks,basicskillsmustpreparestudentsforcomplexlives.

five principles

Whatdoesitlooklikewhentheseunderstandingsdriveclassroompractice?AcrucialfirstlessonfromCarnegie’sworkwithcommunitycollegesisthattherearemanyanswerstothisquestion.Asanaction-researchproject,SPECCinvitedcampusestoexperimentwithavarietyofclassroomapproachesandbuildoneffortsthatwerealreadytakingshape.Themostwidespreadinterventionwastheuseoflearningcommunities.Additionally,somecampusesexperimentedwithtechnologyintheclassroom.Othersfocusedondesigningmoreeffectiveformsoftutoring,involvingbothstudentsandprofessionalsintheseroles.Allcampusesusedmorethanoneapproach.

Aspartoftheircommitmenttotheproject,campusesmonitoredandstudiedtheeffectsoftheirvariousinterventions,preparingreportsaroundcommonlydefineddataelements,conductinginterviewsandfocusgroupswithstudents,and,inafewcases,contractingwith

III.

the most promising innovations are shaped

by an understanding that basic skills are not

so basic, that even underprepared learners

bring assets to their work. basic skills must

prepare students for complex lives.

learning Communities

Learning communities are a flexible set of arrangements that link courses with one another to highlight the integration of ideas and the value of crosscutting skills, build a sense of community among students, and bring faculty together around shared goals. In SPECC these arrangements took different forms, including the linked, team-taught reading and writing course featured at the beginning of this report; a basic skills English course paired with a general education course in the social sciences; a developmental mathematics course linked with a counseling class; and a reading course connected to a child development course in the vocational program. Students enroll concurrently in these courses, which are sometimes but not always team taught, and move through as cohorts. Learning communities are now widespread in California and nationally, thanks in large part to work by the Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education, which has studied and promoted this innovation.


outsideevaluatorstostudytheirwork.Carnegie’srolewastolookacrossthevarioussettingsforgeneralpatternsbutalsotolookdeeplyintoindividualclassrooms.Whatwelearnedunderlineswhatmostfacultyalreadyknowbutwhichisoftenignoredinprescriptionsforreform:thatanypedagogicalapproach,whetherinnovative,likelearningcommunities,ortraditional,likelecture,canbedonewellorpoorly.Executioniseverything.Andexecutiondependsonhowoneunderstandsbasicskillsandthelearnersseekingtodevelopthoseskills.

Whatisthereforemorehelpfulthanasetofready-mademodelsisasetofprinciplesthatembodyanunderstandingofbasicskillsandcanshapehowdifferentmodelsareactuallyemployed.SPECChasidentifiedfivesuchprinciples:

1. HighStructure2. HighChallenge3. Intensity4. IntentionalityandLearningHowtoLearn5. InquiryandMakingLearningVisible

Ouraiminpresentingthesefiveprinciplesistoillustratehowtheycanshapeandstrengthenawidevarietyofclassroomapproaches.Indeed,becausewhatworksforunderpreparedstudentsoftenworksforothersaswell(alleducationisdevelopmental,afterall),theymaybeusefulforamuchbroaderarrayofcoursesandprograms,acrossawiderangeofinstitutions.Theyarenotsimpleformulastofollow,andbuildingthemintoone’spracticeasateacherisaprocessthattakestimeandthought.

1. High StructureChabotCollegeEnglishinstructorKatieHernrecallssomethingastudentsaidtoherinherofficeafewyearsback—“somethingI’verememberedmanytimessince”:

Hewasfreshoutofhighschool,inhisfirstsemesteratChabot,andonthevergeofnotpassing.“What’sgoingon?”Iaskedhim.“College,”hesaid.“There’stoomuchfreedom.”Itwasn’tlikehighschool,wherehisdayshadbeentightlyscheduledandteachersmightcallhisparentsifhewasn’tdoingwell.Itwasalluptohim.

Studentscomingfromahighschoolenvironmentsometimessayitseemsthat“collegeteachersdon’treallycare”iftheydothework,orthatthereare“noconsequences”whentheydon’t…Manystudents[fail]becausetheyhaven’tlearnedtohandlethe“freedom”…ofthecollegeenvironment.(2007a,p.3)

Theinsightthattoomuchfreedomcanbeparalyzingisprobablyfamiliartoallofus,andit’scertainlyfamiliartoeducatorswhoworkwithdevelopmentalstudents.Inherlandmark1976studyofnewstudentsenteringhighereducation,K.PatriciaCrossnotedthatunderpreparedlearnersmaylacktheorganizingframeworksneededtounderstanddifficultacademicconcepts,callingforlearningexperiencesthatareexplicitintheirexpectationsandhighlystructured.Hermessagehasweatheredwell,reinforcedbyfurtherresearchontheimportanceofstep-by-stepinstructions,explicitmodels,andexamplestoimitateandthenadapt(see

basic skills for complex lives ��

Bransford,Brown,andCocking,1999).Learnersatalllevels,thoughindifferentwaysanddegrees,benefitfromsuchscaffolding.Oneofthemostimportantpedagogicalstepsateachercantakeistobeexplicitaboutthepracticesand“moves”ofmoreadvancedlearners.

AtPasadenaCityCollege,forexample,alargenumberofintermediatealgebrastudentsfail(about50percent).WhenmathematicsprofessorYu-ChungChangbegantoexplorethereasonsforthislackofsuccess,shediscoveredthatherstudentshadparticulartroublewithwordproblems.Evenstudentswhocouldeasilysolveaspecificmathequation“werestymiedwhenthatsameequationwaspresentedasawordproblem”(Chang,Curtis,andWright,2007).Theirstruggle,Changsaw,wasnotsomuchwithmathaswithreadingandtheprocessoftranslatingEnglishintothelanguageofmath.Toaddressthisproblem,shecreatedamuchmorestructuredapproachtosolvingwordproblems.

Chang’sapproach,whichshedubbedWRAMPS(WritingandReadingActivitiesforMathProblemSolving),hashadamarkedeffect.Throughacarefullyscriptedprocessofrewritingthewordproblemintheirownwords,readingitaloud,receivingpeerfeedbackontheir“translation,”andrevising,studentsnotonlyachievedsignificantgainsonpost-WRAMPStestsadministeredbyChang;theyalsooutperformedstudentsinotherintermediatealgebraclassesonthewordproblemsegmentofthedepartment’scommonfinal.(Answersweregradedona1-4scale,with4pointsbeingthehighest.Onaverage,Chang’sstudentsscored3outof4points,whilestudentsinothersectionsscoredanaverageof1outof4points.)Changalsoobservedapowerfulqualitativeeffect:throughfrequentpracticewithwordproblemsusingWRAMPS,studentsreportedfeelinglessanxiousaboutmathandbegantoseeitas“relevantandapplicabletotheirdailylives.”Or,asonestudentputit,“Ifiguredouthowtodopayrollusingthewordproblemwehadinclass”(Chang,Curtis,andWright,2007).

HighstructurehasalsoemergedinSPECCasakeyelementofeffectiveliteracyinstruction.Severalyearsago,GlendaleCommunityCollegeEnglishinstructorChrisJuzwiakbeganexperimentingwithinteractivePowerPointpresentationsdesignedtomovehispre-collegiatestudentsthroughcriticalthinkingandwritingexercisesincarefullystructuredstep-by-stepfashion.Thepresentationsemploymulti-mediaelementsofsound,color,andmotiontokeepstudentsengagedinwhatisoftennecessarilyiterative(yes,evensometimesboring)work.Inresponsetothesurveyquestion“Didthetechnologyhelpyoulearnthecoursematerialsbetter?”some83percentofJuzwiak’sstudents(110studentstotal)answered“Yes,definitely.”ThemajorityofstudentsalsoreportedpreferringtheinteractivecourseWebsitetoatraditionaltextbook(EzellandJuzwiak,2006;JuzwiakandTiernan,2007).ThesepositiveperceptionsofFullE-mersionPedagogy,asJuzwiakandhiscolleaguescallit,havebeensupportedbystudentsuccessrateshigherthanthedepartmentalaverageandbyevidencethatFullE-mersionstudentsoftenoutperformthosefromtraditionalsectionsinsubsequentcourses.

one of the most important pedagogical

steps a teacher can take is to be explicit

about the practices and “moves” of more

advanced learners.


InconjunctionwiththeSPECCproject,Juzwiak’sdesignsandmaterialsarenowbeingadoptedbyothersatGlendale,andadaptedtoadditionalcoursesinthedevelopmentalsequence.MonetteTiernanhasbegunusingtheapproachinherEnglish120classes(onelevelhigherthanJuzwiak’soriginalcontext).Inprevioussemesters,typically50to60percentofstudentsfinishedthecourse,whileinthesemestersheimplementedFullE-mersion,76percentfinished,aconsiderablejump.ThesenumbersareespeciallyencouraginginlightofJuzwiak’soriginalgoaltoimprovesuccessrates,regardlessofvariousinstructors’teachingstylesandexperience.Itappearsthatthishigh-structurepedagogyisapracticethattravelswell(GlendaleCommunityCollegeSPECCReport,2006,n.p.).

Exampleslikethese(andwehaveseenmanymoreinSPECC)canusefullybeviewedthroughthelensofanapproachcalledReadingApprenticeship(RA)thathasbeencentraltoSPECC.DevelopedbyWestEd’sStrategicLiteracyInitiative,RAwasoriginallydesignedforworkwithK-12teachers,butitscentralprinciplesarerelevantatothereducationallevelsaswell,andSPECCparticipantsfromawiderangeofdisciplineshavefoundtheapproachpowerfullyformative.Atitsheart,ReadingApprenticeshipisadifferentwaytothink

aboutbasicskills,onefoundedonarecognitionthatreaders—noviceandsophisticatedalike—mustmakecomplicatedinterpretativemovesateverystepalongtheway;thateverytextpresentsdifficultiesandlacunaewherethereadermustfillinknowledgethatisnotinthetext;andthatdisciplinarycontextmattersdeeply(seeSchoenbach,Greenleaf,Cziko,andHurwitz,1999;andYbarra,2006).Thus,ReadingApprenticeshiphelpsteachersmakelearningvisibleandexplicitasChang,Juzwiak,andothersinSPECCaredoing.

TheprincipleofhighstructurehasbeenpowerfulinSPECC,andithasalsobeensomethingofahotbutton:Howmuchstructureisenough?Whendoexplicitstep-by-stepinstructionsbecomeacrutch?Orevendemeaningtostudents?Whatistherightbalancebetweenstructureandopenness,betweenguidanceandindependence,andhowdoesonestrikethatbalancein

aclassroomwithdiverselearners?ThesebalancingactshavebeenthefocusoflivelydebateamongSPECCparticipants,whichhasinturnbroughtintoviewtheimportanceofthenextprinciple.

2. High ChallengeAsecondprincipleoneseesineffectivepre-collegiateclassroomsishighchallenge—thef lipside,onemightsay,ofhighstructure.Yes,studentsneedclear,explicit,step-by-stepguidanceforundertakingcomplicatedacademictasks.Buttheyalsoneedsomethingtheycansinktheirintellectualteethinto,somethingthatengagesandchallengesthem.Oneofthelong-standingcritiquesofcommunitycollegesisthatthey’reinthebusiness,intentionallyorotherwise,of“coolingout”students,loweringtheirlevelofambition,teachingthemtosettleforless(Clark,1960;alsoseeGrubbandAssociates,1999,p.11).Allstructureandnochallenge

another example of high struCture

At Cerritos College, Lynn Serwin teaches basic skills

writing through a series of very explicit steps, from

brainstorming, to revision, to the submission of the

final draft, and she has developed different rubrics

for each assignment. Serwin believes this method is

working not because of her use of the rubric, “but

because the students have in their possession a clear

rubric by which they assess their own and peers’

work” (Cerritos College SPECC Report, 2006, p. 8).


makesJackadullandunmotivatedboy!ButSPECChasmadeitclearthatthisneednotbethecase.EvenatthemostfundamentallevelsofEnglishandmathematics,intellectuallyengagingproblemsandissuesexistinabundance.Withabalanceofchallengeandsupport,studentscanengageinauthenticdebateandintellectualexchange.

AtLaneyCollege,forinstance,AnnieAgardhasdonewhatmanybasicskillsinstructorsseeasaskingfortrouble:sheusespoetrytoteachEnglishlanguageskillsinalow-levelESLclass.Shebeganrethinkingherteachingpracticewhenshefoundherstudents—andtheirteacher—trappedinaformoflearningthatfeltlikelittlemorethandecoding:studentsstumbledover

anewword,lookedituporaskedtheteacher,andmovedon,effectivelylearningtoreadEnglishwithoutgaininganylargersenseofcontext,tone,ormeaningfromthetext.IntriguedbyReadingApprenticeshipanditsembraceofdifficulty,Agardturnedtopoetry.Assheputsit:“Inapoem,studentscanforthefirsttimeexploretherealmsofconnotation,implication,andculturalnuance—allthewaysinwhichunderstandingalanguageismuchmorethansimplyfindingthedictionarydefinitionsofwords.”

Thechallengesoftranslationandmeaning-makingarecompoundedbythediversityofAgard’sstudents.Onevideotapedsegmentfromatypicalclassshowsagroupoffourstudents,withasmanynativelanguagesbetweenthem,respondingtoapoembyMelGlennaboutastudent’sanxietyovershowingaplayshehaswrittentoherEnglishteacher.BecauseofthehighlevelofscaffoldingAgardprovides(shemovestheclassthrough13distinctsteps),herstudentsareabletorisetothechallengeofreadingandunderstandingpoetryintheirsecondlanguage.Indeed,asAgardtellsstudents,difficultyanduncertaintyareessentialtotheexperienceofreadingpoetry,andtolearningitself(Agard,2007).

Similarly,atWestHillsCollege,DavidReynoldsassignedthenovelPetals of BloodbyNgugiwaThiong’otohisIntroductiontoCommunicationSkillsclass.Withitsrivetingbutnon-linearplotandcollectionofmorallyambiguousnarrators,thenovelseemedperfectlysuitedtostimulatethecomplexinterpretiveskillsthatexpertreadersemploy.LikeAgard,Reynoldsdesigns

even at the most fundamental levels of

english and mathematics, intellectually

engaging problems and issues exist in

abundance.

the marriage of high Challenge and high struCture

At Merced College, SPECC participant Jennifer McBride asks her basic skills English students to grapple with complex analytical essays—for instance, about Hispanic immigration, a difficult topic at the very highest levels of policy making, and one that cuts close to the bone for her many Latino students. The assignment is shaped around contrasting point-of-view essays by Samuel Huntington, arguing that “Hispanic Immigration Threatens to Divide America,” and Jan Jarboe Russell, who believes that diversity strengthens community. (Both essays appear in Opposing Viewpoints, a reader edited by James E. Torr, 2005). Students are asked to write an essay that argues for one view or the other, using quotes from the essays as evidence—a strategy McBride explicitly models for them and which students then practice and try out on one another in carefully sequenced steps. What’s striking is the level of sophistication evident in students’ papers.


assignmentsthatgivestudentsstep-by-stepguidance(hisstrategiesincludereaderself-assessments,“talkingtothetext”throughannotation,andlogsinwhichstudentstrackthedevelopmentofthenovel’scharacters).Butwhat’smoststrikingishowtheyrisetotheoccasionofhighchallenge:“Mystudentsmustfittogethercharacters’confessions,reminiscences,reports,musings,andsometimesdimremembrancestounderstandthetruthofthestory,”hesays.Andtheydo.Asonestudentputit(inacommentthatcapturesoneofthemostfundamentalpleasuresofreadingliterature):“Can’twaittofinishittoseewhoreallydoneit”(Reynolds,2007).

Andwhataboutmath?Howdoestheprincipleofhighchallengeplayoutinadisciplinethatdealswithnumbersratherthanwords?Interestingly,theanswermaynotbemoreadvanced(harder)versionsoftheproblemscurrentlypresentedbutratheradifferentconceptionofwhat kinds of problemsbuildtruefoundationalunderstandings.Forstarters,thisshiftentailsamoreappliedapproach.AtCollegeoftheSequoias,forinstance,facultymemberReneeThornburg

hasbeenteachingandstudyingtheeffectivenessofacoursethatapproachesmathematicsthroughagriculturalapplications—anintersectionespeciallyaptfortheCentralValleywherethecollegeislocated.

Inasimilarspirit,mathfacultyatLosMedanosCollegehavereshapedthealgebrasequence,whichtraditionallyfocusesonproceduralskillsneededforcalculus.Theirgoalwastomakemathmoreengaging—moreconnectedtoeverydayapplications—butalsotopromoteinstudentsthehabitsofminddisplayedbymathematicians.“Ourcoursesemphasizereal-worldscenarios,”

saysMyraSnell,“butthemathematicalcontextismodeling,whichdefinitelypreparesstudentsforadvancedmath.”Putanotherway,facultywanttoprovidestudentswithopportunitiestothinkandreasonlikemathematicians.Thus,aproblemaboutcompoundinterestonaloanservesasamoreappliedapproachtoexponentialfunctions.Drawingonmathematicseducationresearch,thedepartmenthasdesignedlearningexperiencesthatpromote“mathematicalreasoningandnon-algorithmicproblemsolving”andarubricthathelpsfacultyformulatequestionsandassignmentsthat1)allowmultiplestrategies,2)require“mathtalk,”3)makeconnectionsandinvitemultiplerepresentations,and4)presenta“highcognitivedemand”(Holtmann,Poku,Snell,andWagener,2006).

Thechangessuggestedbytheseexamplesmaynotseemradicaltothoseoutsidemathematics,butitisimportanttonotethat—evenatthebasicskillslevel—thedisciplinehasbeendominatedbyaquitedifferentstance,one,saysRobertOrrill,thatvalues“anascendingpursuitofabstraction”andlooks“inward”inwaysthatkeepthefielddistinctfromtheoutsideworld(2001,p.xviii).Incontrast,themorereal-worldengagementbeingpursuedatLosMedanos,CollegeoftheSequoias,andothercampuses,representsashifttowardthecapacity

“literacy” is a term that sometimes

carries connotations of low-level skills, be

it in verbal or quantitative contexts. but

today’s students need and deserve higher

expectations and more sophisticated

understandings of both verbal and

quantitative literacy.


todealwiththemessyproblemsofaworldthatis,increasingly,“awashinnumbers”(Steen,2001,p.1).Insomecircles,thisshifthasaname.“QuantitativeLiteracy”(oroccasionally“numeracy”)pointsto

theneedtoknowmorethanformulasandequations.[Learners]needapredispositiontolookattheworldthroughmathematicaleyes,toseethebenefits(andrisks)ofthinkingquantitativelyaboutcommonplaceissues,andtoapproachcomplexproblemswithconfidenceinthevalueofcarefulreasoning.Quantitativeliteracyempowerspeoplebygivingthemtoolstothinkforthemselves,toaskintelligentquestionsofexperts,andtoconfrontauthorityconfidently.Thesearetheskillsrequiredtothriveinthemodernworld.(Steen,2001,p.2)

“Literacy”isatermthatsometimescarriesconnotationsoflow-levelskills,beitinverbalorquantitativecontexts.Buttoday’sstudentsneedanddeservehigherexpectationsandmoresophisticatedunderstandingsofbothverbalandquantitativeliteracy.SPECC’sworkshowsthateventhemostbasicskillscanbeaimedinthisdirection.

3. IntensityInhistelevisiondocumentaryoncommunitycolleges,Discounted Dreams: High Hopes and Harsh Realities at America’s Community Colleges(2007),award-winningjournalistandCarnegieFoundationVisitingScholar-in-ResidenceJohnMerrowprofilesseveralstudentsandthechallengestheyface:ayoungwomanwhogoesdirectlyfromhernight-shiftjobtoattendafullloadofclassesduringtheday,forinstance,andamanwhoisretoolingforanewcareerasachefwhileraisingafamily.Theseprofiles—familiartoandvaluedbycommunitycollegeeducators—remindusofabasicfactaboutbasicskillseducation:today’sstudentshaveheapingplates.Schoolisimportanttothem,andtheymakesignificantsacrificestobethere.Butitisoften,andnecessarily,notthehighestpriority.Childcareplansfallapart,carsbreakdown,financesfalter,spousesfallill….Ateveryturntherearedevelopmentsandneedsthatpullstudents’energyandattentionawayfromtheiracademicgoals.Thisrealityfrustratesvirtuallyeveryeducator,andthere’snoneatsolution.ButanumberofSPECCcampuseshavediscoveredthathighlevelsofintensity,whichmaytakeavarietyofforms,maybepartoftheanswer.

Forinstance,intensitycanmeanamoresustainedexperience,asillustratedbydatafromLosMedanosCollege,wheremathematicsfacultyworkedwithinstitutionalresearcherstotracktheprogressofstudentswhotookandpassedelementaryalgebra.“Ofthosewhocompletedelementaryalgebrabutwaitedtoenrollinintermediatealgebra,only25percentsuccessfullycompletedatransfer-levelmathcoursewithinthreeyears,”reportsMyraSnell,afacultymemberinmathatLosMedanos.“Ofthosewhowentdirectlytothenextlevel,47percentcompletedatransfercourseinthethreeyearperiod.”Asitturnsout,thesamepatternholdsintheEnglishdepartment,wherethenumbersare12and41percent,respectively.Snellconcludes,“Thispromptedamuchgreatersenseofurgencyabouttheneedtocounselstudentsaboutcontinuinginthedevelopmentalmathsequencewithoutstoppingout.Italsoprovidedaconvincingrationaleforencouragingfacultytogiveuppreciousclasstimeto


doactivitiesthatconnectstudentstocampusresourceslikethecareercenterandacademiccounseling.Wecannottakeforgrantedthatstudentswhosuccessfullycompleteourcourseswillpersist”(Snell,2008).

Intensitycanalsomeangreaterimmersion,or(assomeSPECCparticipantssay)higher“dosage,”asinseveralnew“mathintensives”developedbytheTeachingandLearningCenteratPasadenaCityCollege(PCC).Theseincludeatwo-week,no-credit,basicskillsmathbootcamp,called“MathJam,”forfirst-timePCCstudents;XL,anintensivesummerlearningcommunityfocusedonpre-algebra;andaNSFsupported“MathPath”oftwomathcoursesinthesamesemesterthatmakesitpossibleforstudentsstartingindevelopmentalmathematicstopursuemath-basedmajors.Eachoftheseintensiveimmersionexperienceshasprovedpowerfulinraisingstudentretentionandsuccess.InthesummerMathJam,forinstance,91percentofthestudentswereretained,89percentqualifiedforaselectivefallprogramcalledLifelines,and56percentsignificantlyimprovedtheirscoreswhentheplacementtestwasre-administeredattheendoftheexperience(PasadenaCityCollege,SPECCReport,2006,p.5).

Intensitycanalsomeangreaterconnectedness,asillustratedbytheSpringboardtoTransferprogramatChabotCollege,alearningcommunitywhichlinksapre-collegiateEnglish(readingandwriting)coursewithageneraleducationcourse—forinstance,historyoranthropology—atthetransferlevel.Springboardcontinuesforthreesemesters,sointensityisnotonlyafunctionofthelongertimeframebutalsoofsustainedrelationships,bothamongstudents(whomoveaheadinacohort)andwiththeEnglishinstructor,whocontinueswiththecohortfortheduration.(SeesectionVIlaterinthisdocumentfordataontheimpactofthisapproach.)“ManystudentsdescribeastrongsenseofconnectiontheyfeeltoeachotherandtotheEnglishteacherwhostayswiththemthroughouttheprogram,”Chabot’sevaluationoftheprogrampointsout.“Someusetheword‘family’todescribetheSpringboardenvironment,andseveralsaythatduringmomentswhentheyconsidereddroppingout,theystayedinbecauseoftheirpeersorEnglishinstructor…”(ChabotCollege,SPECCReport,2006,p.7).

4. Intentionality and Learning How to LearnMuchisknowntodayabouthowpeoplelearn,andeducatorsatalllevelsaretappingintonewinsightsfromcognitivescience,educationalresearch,andthescholarshipofteachingandlearning.Butteachersarenottheonlyoneswhoneedtounderstandthelearningprocess.Researchshowsthatstudentsaremorelikelytosucceediftheycanbecomeintentional learners,whounderstandandcanmonitortheirownlearning(AACU,2002).Indeed,thiscapacityisarguablymoreimportantnowthanever,astheworldbecomesmorecomplicated,asboundariesofallkindsshift,andaschangebecomesaconstantexpectation(HuberandHutchings,2005).

Forseveralreasons,intentionalityisespeciallyimportantforunderpreparedlearners.Forstarters,studentsinbasicskillscourses(andthemuchwidersetofcoursesinwhichbasicskillsareneededforsuccess)oftencomewithashortsupplyofwhatmightbecalled“studentingskills.”Manyhavenotdevelopedthehabitsofplanningandpersistenceneeded


forhomeworkproblemsandassignedreading.Theymaynothaveroutinesfornotetakingandstudying.Timemanagementisanissue.Besetbycompetingdemandsontheirtimeandenergy,theymaynotknowhowtosetgoalsandmonitortheirownprogress.

Inturn,teachershaveaspecialresponsibilitytohelpstudentsunderstandthemselvesaslearners.Thismightmeanteachingskillsofnotetakingandoutlining,asReadingApprenticeshippreparesfacultytodo.Itmeanshelpingstudentsmonitortheirprogress—tounderstandhowgradesarecalculated,forinstance,andwhatwillhappeniftheyreceive,say,aDratherthanaBonanassignedpaper.Itmeansbeingexplicitwithstudentsaboutwhatisexpectedandwhy,andmakingvisiblethestrategiesandprocessesthathave,perhaps,becomesecondnaturetomoreexperiencedlearners.Mostofall,itmeanscreatinganenvironment,insidetheclassroomandbeyond,wherestudentscantalkopenlyabouttheirlearning,theirchallenges,andwhatallowsthemtosucceed.

ConsiderCollegeoftheSequoias,whereagoalofbasicskillscoursesinEnglishistohelpstudentsbecomemoreableandconfidentjudgesoftheirownwork—akeycharacteristicofexpertlearners.Towardthisend,anumberoffacultyhaveadoptedtheWeb-based(andtrademarked)“CalibratedPeerReview”model,nowinuseonover500campusesworldwide,toteachwriting.Attheheartoftheprocessisarubricforevaluatingwritinginthreestages,witheachstagerequiringamorenuancedgraspofwhatwritingandreadingshouldaccomplish.First,studentsevaluatetextsproducedbytheinstructor,scoringthemasexcellent,mediocre,orweak.Next,theyscoreanonymouswritingsamplessubmittedbytheirclassmates.Finally,intheself-evaluationstage,theyapplythesamerubrictotheirownwriting.Attheendoftheexercise,studentsreviewthefullsetofscores(includingtheinstructor’s)andareencouragedtoexploreandquestionthegradestheyreceived.Atthebeginningofthesemester,reportsEnglishinstructorJeffMaryanow,fewerthanhalfofthestudentscouldscoretheirownworkaccurately—thatis,inwaysthataccordwiththeinstructor’sjudgments.(Typically,studentsstartoutseeingtheirwritingassignificantlymoresuccessfulthantheirinstructordoes.)Butbytheendofthesemester,90percentofthestudentscouldaccuratelyassesstheirwork(CollegeoftheSequoias,SPECCReport,2006,p.3).Thiscapacityforself-assessmentisnomeanfeat;evenforthemostsophisticatedwriters,judgingone’sownworkremainsasignificantchallenge.

Arelatedchallengemanystudentsfaceisevaluatingandprioritizingthematerialcoveredintheircollegeclasses.Whichofthemanyconceptscoveredinalectureorreadingassignmentarethemostimportant?Whichideasarefundamentalandmustbemasteredbeforemovingontothenextthing?AsLauraGraff,amathinstructoratCollegeoftheDesert,observed:“Werealizedthatstudentsdonotknowhowtostudymath…Theydonotknowhowtolearntheconceptsandapplythemtothehomework.”Inanefforttoteachherstudentstobecomemoreindependent,intentionallearners,Graffhasthemoutlinethechaptersin

teachers have a special responsibility to

help students understand themselves as

learners by creating an environment, inside

the classroom and beyond, where students

can talk openly about their learning,

their challenges, and what allows them to

succeed.

2� a different way to think about developmental education

theirmathtextbookaspartofeachhomeworkassignment.Earlyon,thestudents’outlineswerenearlyaslongasthechaptersthemselves,butlaterinthesemestertheydevelopedmoresophisticatedreadingstrategies,andtheoutlinesbecamemorecompact,morefocusedonkeyconcepts.Overtime,thisprocesshashelpedstudentsstudyfortestsmoreefficiently,andtheirscoreshavegoneup.Onestudentsummeduptheresponsesofmanyofherclassmateswhenaskedwhethertheoutlininghadhelpedthemgraspthemathconcepts:“Doingtheoutlinemademerealizehowmuchatoolthebookis…Idoplanonapplying[outlining]toeverysubject”(Graff,Culhan,andMarhuenda-Donate,2007).

Whattheseexampleshaveincommonisafocusonmetacognitiveroutines—practicesthathelplearnersgetsmarterabouttheirlearningprocess,and,inthespiritofhelpingstudentsunderstandandbemoreintentionalabouttheirownlearning,onesthatsomeSPECCfacultyhaveexplicitlyintroducedintheirclassrooms.(MetacognitiveroutinesarecentraltoReadingApprenticeship,whichhasinfusedtheworkofmanySPECCeducators.)It’sappropriate,perhaps,toletacommunitycollegestudentfromoneoftheseSPECCsitesexplaintheterm:

Ihavelearnedthatmetacognitioniswhenyouthinkaboutwhatyouread.MetacognitionhaschangedthethingsthatgooninmyheadbecausenowIthinkaboutwhatIreadmoreclearly.Ipredict,picture,question,makeconnections,identifyanyproblemsandcheckbackifIdon’tunderstandsomethingthefirsttimeIreadit.WhenIusedtoreadbefore,Ijustreadtogetitoverwithandbedone,butnowIreallygetintobooksandtrytopredictandmakeconnectionstohelpmesummarizewhatIread.(StrategicLiteracyInitiative,2007,p.23)

Asanotherstudentputit,“it’sabigwordwithasmallmeaning”(StrategicLiteracyInitiative,2007,p.23),butsmallisclearlynotthesameasbasic.Indeed,anawarenessofone’sownmetacognitiveroutines,an

abilitytobeintentionalandself-directed,isnotaremedialexercisebutacharacteristicofthemostaccomplishedlearnersandanecessityforthekindoflife-longlearningneededintoday’scomplex,ever-shiftingworld.

5. Inquiry and Assessment to Make Learning Visible Oneofthegreatimpedimentstoeducationalimprovementateverylevelisthatsomuchofwhatgoesoninthemindsoflearnersisinvisible.Itishard,afterall,todesignausefulinnovationorinterventionwithoutknowingwhatstudentsreallyunderstand,what

tutoring and intentional learning

Several SPECC campuses are exploring ways to make tutoring more effective for developmental students. Consider Merced College’s use of Supplemental Instruction—an approach developed at the University of Missouri-Kansas City—where students themselves serve as tutors. At Merced, students who have successfully completed a basic skills course are tapped to serve as tutors in a subsequent semester; they attend class, work with students during class activities, and hold special sessions where the focus is on learning how to learn. Unlike traditional tutors, who are more likely to work one-on-one and target specific homework problems, these students act as group leaders and facilitators of collaborative learning. Three years of qualitative and quantitative data from teachers, tutors, and students show that students attending Supplemental Instruction sessions have higher course completion, retention, and persistence rates, along with greater confidence. Equally important, this approach helps those students who serve as tutors, as they become more aware of what they do as successful learners and more intentional about their own future learning.


misunderstandingsblocktheirprogress,andwheretheygetofftrack.Intacklingawordprobleminmathematics,forinstance,dotheyunderstandwhattheproblemisabout?Whentheystumble,aretheirdifficultiescentraltothemathematicsormoreanissueoflanguageliteracy?Dotheyfreezeattheverythoughtofdealingwithnumbers?Dotheyhavecreative“workarounds”forgettingtoananswerbutlackthemorestreamlinedprocessestheyneedtobeefficientproblemsolvers?Ofcoursemanyteachersaskstudentsto“showtheirwork”(beitinmath,byrequiringthatallthestepsbedocumented,orinEnglish,throughmultipledraftsofawritingassignment),andmostfacultyspendhugeamountsoftimeandenergytakingthemeasureofstudents’learningthroughexams,papers,projects,andotherkindsofassignmentsthatarethenevaluatedandgraded.Butthestubborntruthisthatthestepsinvolvedinthinkingthroughanintellectualtasktakeplace“behindthescenes”andaredauntinglydifficulttopenetrate.Theyarehiddenbecausementalactivityis,bynature,mostlyinvisible,andtheymaybeevenmorehiddeninbasicskillscontextswherestudentsareoftenunsureofthemselvesandgotogreatlengthsnottohavetheirerrorsandmisunderstandingsexposed.Thus,afinalprincipleforpowerfullearninginbasicskillsistheimportanceofinquiryandassessmentinmakingstudents’experienceaslearnersvisible(toteachersandtostudentsthemselves)inwaysthatcaninformandsupportwhathappensintheclassroom.

Whilethisisnotanewidea,itisonethathasbeengaininggroundinthelastdecade.Sometimesmarchingunderthebannerofthescholarshipofteachingandlearning,facultyfromafullrangeoffieldsandinstitutionaltypesaretreatingtheirclassroomsaslaboratories,systematicallystudyingtheirstudents’learninginordertoimproveit(HuberandHutchings,2005).Suchworkref lectsarealizationthatteachingandlearningarecomplexendeavorsthatraiseconsequentialquestions—questionsthatcanusefullybeexploredandactedupon.Doingso,inturn,requirestoolsandprocessesforcapturingandanalyzingstudentlearninginpowerfulways.SPECCoffersmanyexamplesofsuchinquiry:interviewswithindividualstudents,studentfocusgroups,pre-andpost-tests,trackingstudentprogressovertime.Thesestrategieshaveplayedamajorroleintheprofessionaldevelopmentmodelwewillturntointhenextsection,FacultyInquiryGroups.Here,however,wehighlighttwomoreunusualexamplesofinquiryandassessment.

Thefirstexample—theuseofthinkalouds—isfromthemathematicsdepartmentatPasadenaCityCollege.FacultymemberJayChoandhiscolleagueshavebeendeeplyconcernedaboutunderpreparedstudents:80percentofnewstudentsatthecollegeplaceintobasicskillsmath;40percentofthemreceiveaD,F,orwithdraw;andonly15percentofallstudentswhoplaceintopre-algebrasuccessfullycompletethebasicskillsmathsequence.Overtheyears,manyinnovationshavebeentried,andsuccessrateshavegoneupanddowninmodestways,butprobablyit’sfairtosaythatmostoftheseefforts,andtheireffects,weretrialanderror.Determinedtobringamoreevidence-basedapproachtobear,Choworkedwithcolleaguestosystematicallyexplorewhatcouldbedonetoimprovestudentsuccess.Towardthisendtheygrappledwithinstitutionaldataaboutsuccess(orratherfailure)rates,reviewedtherecentresearchliteraturefrommathematicseducation,identifiedkeyconcepts,anddesignedreal-worldapplicationsforteachingthemmoreeffectively.

teaching and learning are complex

endeavors that raise consequential

questions—questions that can usefully

be explored and acted upon.


Inaddition,thisdedicatedgroupofmathematicsfacultyagreedthattheyneededdifferentkindsofdata—amorequalitative,in-depthsenseofstudents’experiencewiththespecialstumblingblockpresentedbywordproblems.Withthisinmind,theyemployeda“thinkaloud,”inwhichthelearnerdescribes,asfullyaspossible,thestepsinherorhisthinkingwhiletryingtosolveaproblemorperformatask.Therationalebehindthethinkaloud,whichwasdevelopedbycognitivepsychologistsstudyingthelearningprocess,isworthhighlighting:

Intheirclassicbook,Verbal Reports as Data,Ericcson&Simonlikentheverbalprotocol[ofthethinkaloud]toobservingadolphinatsea.Becauseheoccasionallygoesunderwater,weseethedolphinonlyintermittently,notcontinuously.Wemustthereforeinferhisentirepathfromthosetimeswedoseehim.Astudent’sverbalizationsduringproblemsolvingaresurfaceaccountsofherthinking.Therearenodoubt“underwater”periodsthatwecannotobserveandrecord;butwithexperience,theanalysisofstudents’verbalizationswhiletryingtoperformataskorsolveaproblemofferspowerfulinsightsintotheirthinking.(Bond,2007,n.p.)

Thoughithasanimpressivepedigree,thethinkaloudwasnewterritoryforChoandhiscolleagues,andtheygenerouslydocumentedtheirjourneyinamulti-mediaWebsitedevelopedaspartofSPECC(Cho,Curtis,Davis,andKlein,2006).ViewerscanseeavideoofmathstudentJoseMorenotalkingthroughawordproblem,andalsolistentoCho’s

analysisofMoreno’sthinking.Additionally,thesitepointstoimprovementsthatweremadeandtoanongoingprocessofinquiryandassessmentthatgeneratesfurtherevidencetoguidefurtherimprovements.Theseimprovementsarenot,certainly,aresultofthethinkaloudalone,buttheprotocolisawonderfulexampleofwhatCarnegiePresidentLeeS.Shulmancalls“lowstakes,highyield”assessment.Itislowstakesbecausethestudent’sstandingintheclassisnotatissueandtheresultsareforimprovementpurposes,notforanyexternalreportoraccountability.Itishighyieldbecause,saysoneassessmentexpert,“theverbalprotocolmaywellbetheonlyreliableroadintoastudent’sthinking”(Bond,2007,n.p.).

There’sanotherpotentialbenefit,aswell,whichisthatthethinkaloudmaybepowerfulforstudents.Thoughtheymayatfirststrugglewiththethinkaloud,overtimetheybecomemoreconfidentintheirownproblem-solvingprocessandmoreabletomonitorandassesstheirownlearning.Inthissense,thethinkaloudisanotherformofmetacognitiveroutine.

Asecond,verydifferentexampleofinquiryemergedatChabotCollege,wheretheyaimedtocapturestudentvoicesinawaythatwouldcatalyzeimprovementforbothlearnersandteachers.Determinedtoframebasicskillsasachallenge

reading Between the lives

Reading Between the Lives is available online at Internet Archive, a grantee of the Hewlett Foundation. The hour-long video was produced by teachers and students at Chabot College as part of their participation in SPECC and features Chabot students sharing their experiences of reading. The film is divided into four parts and can be viewed on the Internet Archive, at www.archive.org.

If you would like more information about Reading Between the Lives and other videos produced by Chabot, please contact:

Sean McFarland

The Making Visible Project

[email protected]

510-723-7427

basic skills for complex lives 2�

cuttingacrossthecurriculum—beyondEnglishandmathematics(thoughtheywerethecentralfocusofSPECC)andbeyondcoursesdesignatedasbasicskills—Chabotsetabouttomakereadinganissueofbroaderconcernandawarenessacrossthecampus:

WeatChabotCollegehavebeenref lectingonbasicskills‘issues’overthepasttwoyears,andwehavebeguntowonderwhetherourthinkingaboutreadingasabasicskill,assomethingourstudentsshouldhavelearnedinhighschoolorindevelopmentalEnglishclasses,mightbeworkingagainstus—andourstudents.ThediscussionofreadingasabasicskillneedstocomeoutofthehallwaysofEnglish/ESLdepartmentsandbetakenupbyalldisciplines.(FlyerforChabotCollegeregionalconferenceonreading,2007)

Towardthisend,thecampusbroughttogetheragroupofstudentswhocollaboratedonaone-hourvideothatmakesreadingissuesdramaticallyvisible.Themanystudentsfeaturedinthevideotalkabouttheir(sometimesimpoverished)historyasreaders,theirreactions(frustration,withdrawal,excitement,urgency)whenfacedwithunfamiliaranddifficulttexts,andthehelpthatteachersdoand(mostly)donotgivewhenhandingoutreadingassignments.Theresult,Reading Between the Lives,hasbeenusedinfacultydevelopmentsettings,andalsoinclassrooms,whereithassparkedconversationswithandamongstudentsabouttheirroutinesasreaders,wheretheyencounterroadblocks,andwhatstrategiestheyfindhelpful.Projectsliketheseextendthemeaningofinquirybygivingacentralplacetothestudentvoiceandunderliningtheneedtofindorcreatemanymoreoccasionswhenthatvoicecanbecapturedandheard(Bueschel,2008).

Thesetwoexamplesofinquiryandassessmentareambitiousandprovocative.Overseeingastudentvideoorundertakingaroundofthinkaloudsisnotsomethingmostfacultycandoonaregularbasis.Andyettheprinciplebehindthem—thecommitmenttomakelearningvisible—isonethatcanandshouldbeintegraltotheeverydaybusinessofteachingandlearning—throughsimpleclassroomassessmenttoolsliketheone-minutepaper(AngeloandCross,1993),assignmentsthatinvitestudentstotalkabouttheirprocessand“showtheirwork,”andnewtechnologies(electronicorotherwise)thatdocumentstudents’experienceaslearners.Seeninthisway,asaformofinquiry,assessmentisnotabureaucraticaccountabilityrequirementbutawaytoenactone’sprofessionalresponsibilitytostudents. integrating the five principles

Ofcoursemanyclassroomsembodymorethanoneofthefiveprinciplesdescribedabove;themostpromisinginnovations,infact,liveattheirintersection,andatthenexuswhereprincipleandpracticecometogether.Consider,forexample,theworkthatKatieHernhasbeendoinginherdevelopmentalEnglishclassesatChabotCollege,bringinghighstructure,highchallenge,intensity,intentionality,andinquirytogethertocreateapowerfullearningenvironmentforherstudents.Aspecificclassactivityisillustrative:InEnglish101A,thelowestlevelEnglishclassofferedatChabot,studentswereaskedtoread15pagesfroma

seen in this way, as a form of inquiry,

assessment is not a bureaucratic

accountability requirement but a way to enact

one’s professional responsibility to students.


chapterofEricSchlosser’sFast Food Nation.Hernprovideddiscussionquestionsto“guideattention”butotherwiseletherstudentsgrapplewiththetextindependently,anexampleofscaffoldingthatissupportivebutnotprescriptive.Shewasalsocarefultokeepthereadingassignmentrelativelyshort,trustingthatifherstudentsreadcarefully,theywouldidentifythelargerthemesatplayinSchlosser’swork—atacticshedescribesas“achievingcoveragebygoingdeep.”

Theclassdiscussionthatfollowedthisassignment(fortunatelycapturedonvideo)waslively,contentious,thorough,andalmostentirelystudent-driven,withHernactingmoreasaguideandoccasionaltrafficcopthanlecturer.Notonlywereherstudentsengagedwithachallenging,culturallycurrenttext,theywerealsodeterminingforthemselveswhatmostmeritedthoughtanddiscussion,somethingallexperiencedreadersroutinelydo.Whentheygotofftrack,orrevertedtovaguegeneralizations,Hernrefocusedtheconversationwithaprompt—andnotasimplepromptwithaonelineanswer:“Prompts[should]askstudentstodosomethingwiththekeyideatheyjustexplained,”shesays,“takeaposition,applyittoanewcontext,connectittootherpartsofthereading—i.e.:engageinhigherorderthinkingaboutit.”

Ofcourse,noteverystudentjumpseagerlyandequallyintodiscussionslikethese,butHerndirectlyconfrontstheissueofparticipation.Atthestartoftheclasssession,sheasksstudentsto“fessup”aboutwhethertheyhavedonethereading.Ifthe“fess-uplist”islong,Hern“remindsthemthattheclassjustdoesn’tworkwhentheyaren’tpreparedtoparticipateinourdiscussion…theycan’tgetbyonlectureandskipthereadinginthisclass[because]thereisnolecture.”Inthissamespiritofexplicitness,Hernspendsclasstimeteachingstudentshowtocalculategradesandmonitortheirownprogress.Partofbeingintentionalasastudent,afterall,isknowingwhereonestands(forinstance,realizingthattogetaBinthecourseoneneedsanAonthenextexam),andunderstandingwhat’satstake.AsHernsaysinsummary,“byreachingoutlikethis,Iamsimplymakingmorevisibletostudentswhathasbeentrueallalong:Icarewhentheydon’tdothework.I’mconcernedwhentheydon’tshowup.Iwantthemtobesuccessful”(Hern,2007b).

Hern’sclassroomisawindowonwhatitlookslikewhenpowerfulprinciplesofbasicskillseducationareplayedoutonthegroundwhereteachersandstudentsmeet.Shebringstogetherhighstructure(studyquestions,discussionprompts),highchallenge(meaty,difficultbooksoncomplexsocialissues),andintensity(classesmettwiceaweekintwo-hourblocks).Theclasspromotesintentionalityonthepartofstudents(showingthemhowtomonitortheirownprogressinthecourse,coachingthemabouthowtoparticipate),andintheprocessmakeslearningvisibleinwaysthatbothinstructorandstudentscanseeandref lectupon.Inshort,bothteacherandstudentsareinthebusinessofbuildingacultureofinquiryandref lectioninwhicheveryonecancontinuetoimprove.

Thiskindofteachingandlearningdoesn’tcomeeasy,andacrucialpartofHern’sstoryisaboutwhathasnotworkedinthepastandhowshehasdelvedintoherstudents’experienceinordertorethinkandremakeherclassroom.Thisprocess,andtheinsightsthatfollowedfromit,iscentraltothemulti-mediaWebsitedocumentingherclassroomthatHernhasdevelopedaspartofSPECC’sWindows on Learningcollection(seeHern,2007b).Thestoryshetellsthereisalsoastoryabouttheimportanceofthelargerprogramandcampuscontext,whichisthefocusofthenextsectionofthisreport.

basic skills for complex lives 2�

A New Vision for Professional Development

Changesattheclassroomlevel—tomakebasicskillsinstructionmorestructured,challenging,intenselyengaging,intentional,andinquiry-based—arethebedrockofimprovement;ifchangesdon’thappen“ontheground,”whereteachersandstudentsmeet,norealgainscanbemade.Butpowerfulclassroomsdonotcomeoutofthinair;theclimatemustberight.Thequestion,then,iswhatcanbedoneattheprogramandinstitutionallevelstoimprovethelearningandsuccessofunderpreparedstudents.Andthis,inturn,isaquestionabouthowinstitutionsareorganized(ornot)tosupporthighqualityteaching.

Ontheonehand,thecommunitycollegesectorisdistinctinthehighereducationpantheonforitsunambiguousteachingmission.Andyet,thatmissionissometimesexpressedmoreastheabsenceofresearchthanthepresenceofpolicies,resources,andpracticesthatactivelysupporteffectiveteachingandlearning.Fundingformulasarenotoriousinthisregard,based,astheyare,onhowmanystudentscomeinthedoorratherthanthequalityoftheirlearningandtheirabilitytoprogresstowardtheirgoals.Policiesshapingfacultyrolesaretroublesomeaswell.Atremendousamountofteachinggetsdone—uptofiveclassesasemesterforthoseteachingafullload—butasaconsequencefacultyhavelittletimetostepbackandworkwithcolleaguestoimprovewhattheydo.Inmanysettings,largenumbersoffacultyteachingbasicskillsarepart-time,makingarealsenseofcommunityaroundsharedlearninggoalsdifficulttoachieve.Asoneobserverquips,“Mostcommunitycollegesdolittlesystematicallytohelptheirinstructorsimprovetheirteaching…Butthisisn’tnecessarilyso;itissobecausecommunitycolleges,likesomanyeducationalinstitutions,havefailedtoassumemuchinstitutionalresponsibilityforthequalityofinstruction”(GrubbandAssociates,1999,p.49).

Whatkindsofinstitutionalsupportareneededtostrengthenpre-collegiateteachingandlearning?SPECC’sansweristhatthesinglemostimportantmissingingredientiseffectiveprofessionaldevelopmentforeducators(faculty,counselors,studentsupportstaff,andadministrators)whoseworkiscriticaltostudentsuccess.Anumberofstudiesoverthelastdecadepointtothisasakeyvariableinimprovingstudentlearning(seeforinstancethesectiononstaffdevelopmentintheBasicSkillsInitiativeliteraturereview,CenterforStudentSuccess,2007).Oneprominentresearchersummarizesfindingsbysaying,“Nomatterwhatcomponentofdevelopmentaleducationwasbeingstudied,anemphasisontrainingandprofessionaldevelopmentimproveditsoutcome”(Boylan,2002,p.46).Butnotallprofessionaldevelopmentiscreatedequal.Inthisspirit,oneofSPECC’sgoalshasbeentodevelopamodelofprofessionaldevelopmentthattrulycontributestolearningbystudents,faculty,andtheinstitution.

IV.

a tremendous amount of teaching gets

done—up to five classes a semester

for those teaching a full load—but as a

consequence faculty have little time to step

back and work with colleagues to improve

what they do.


ThiseffortbuildsontheCarnegieFoundation’sten-yearinitiativeonthescholarshipofteachingandlearning—theCarnegieAcademyfortheScholarshipofTeachingandLearning(CASTL)—whichhasworkedwithfacultyfromafullrangeofdisciplinesandinstitutionaltypes,includingmanycommunitycolleges.Atitsheart,thisapproachinvitesteacherstoposequestionsabouttheimpactoftheirworkonstudentlearningandtoinvestigatethosequestionsinwaysthatcolleaguescanbuildon.Suchworktakesmanyforms,adaptedtoparticularinstitutionalcontextsanddisciplines,anditspowertoaffectwhatgoesonintheclassroomiswelldocumented.FacultywhoparticipatedintheCASTLprogramreportthattheyhaveredesignedtheircourses(93percent),usednewkindsofassessment(92percent),andidentifiedimprovementsintheirstudents’learning(81percent)(Cox,Huber,andHutchings,2004).

faculty inquiry Groups

InSPECC,theprinciplesofthescholarshipofteachingandlearninghavebeenusedtodesignamodelforprofessionaldevelopmentcalledFacultyInquiryGroups.FIGs,astheyhavecomebecalledamongprojectparticipants,arenowakeyfeatureofworkonall11campuses.Oneexampleappearsintheopeningsectionofthisreport:thegroupofEnglishdepartmentfacultycomingtogethertoexploreandrefinetheirnewlyintegratedapproachtotheteachingofreadingandwriting.CityCollegeofSanFrancisco,theinspirationforthatexample,nowhasmultipleFIGsatworkandsignificantfindingsabouttheirimpact:“Iammuchmoreawareofmyowndecision-makingprocessaroundissuesofteachingandlearning,”oneparticipant

reports.“Thereisnobetterstaffdevelopmentprojectthanregularmeetingswithacommittedcoreofteachersthatsitsdowntogethertoanalyzethemyriadissuesthatweface,”saysanother.Theworklooksgoodfromthepointofviewofthedeanaswell,whonotes,“theparticipatingteachersreportedthattheyarebetterequippedtofacethemanystudentlearningchallengesthatariseintheclassroom”(CityCollegeofSanFrancisco,SPECCReport,2006,p.9,1).

AdifferentmodelhasemergedatLosMedanosCollege.Inf luencedbyfindingsfromtheThirdInternationalMathematicsandScienceStudyshowingthatprofessionaldevelopmentmustbefocusedoncontenttomakeadifferenceinstudentlearning,11mathematicsfacultyonthatcampuscreatedaFIG(theyusethelanguageof“teachingcommunity”)intheformofbi-monthlyseminars.Participantsexploredkeyquestionsintheteachingandlearningofpre-algebra,applyingtheirfindingstotheirownclassrooms.TheylaterdocumentedtheirworkusingCarnegie’sKEEPToolkittoillustrateandsharetheirfindings(Holtmann,Poku,Snell,andWagener,2006).Assummedupintheirfinalreport:“Overtime,bydocumentingtheworkoftheseteachingcommunities,andrepresentingitin

faCulty inquiry groups

j Create professional communities in which educators can share what happens in classrooms

j Articulate and negotiate the most important outcomes for student learning

j Use the tools of classroom research to understand the experience of students more deeply

j Share insights and findings

j Examine a wide range of evidence, from examples of student work to campus-level quantitative data tracking patterns of student performance

j Invite and offer critical reflection and peer review

j Foster collaboration in the design of curriculum, assignments, and assessments

j Build trust as an essential component of ongoing improvement

j Support professional identity and responsibility among educators


accessibleways,suchasWebpagesorelectronicportfoliosthatallowotherstoseeandsometimesheartheworkofourstudents,weareabletodrawonabodyofevidence-informeddecisionsthatimproveteachingandlearning”(LosMedanosCollege,SPECCReport,2008,p.1).

TakingapagefromLosMedanos,themathdepartmentatCollegeoftheDesertalsocreatedseveralcontent-focusedFIGs,organizingaroundkeycoursesinthedevelopmentalsequence:collegearithmetic,elementaryalgebra,andintermediatealgebra.Involvingbothfull-andpart-timefaculty,theirworktogetherfocusedonidentifyingtheirlearninggoalsforstudentsanddesigningcommonfinalexams—tasksthatareoftenresistedwhenimposedfromtheoutsidebutthatbecomeengagingwhenseenascollaborative,investigativestudy.

Inothersettings,amoremultidisciplinaryFIGformathasemerged.LaneyCollegebegantheirfacultyinquirywork(theyusetheterm“Ref lectiveInquiry”)withfacultyparticipantsfrommath,English,ESL,andProjectBridge,alearningcommunitydedicatedtoat-riskandreturningadultlearners.ThesecondcycleoftheirFIGworkbroughttofruitionanideatheyhadfromthestart:bringingvocationaleducationfacultyintocommunicationwithtraditionalbasicskillsfaculty.Facultymembersfrommachinetechnologyandenvironmentalcontroltechnologymetwithbasicskillsfacultyforayear.Theadditionofperspectivesfromtechnicalandvocationalfieldsincreasedfacultyawarenessofbasicskillsissuesoutsidethecoredisciplines.AsMerylSiegal,wholeadsthisprocessatLaney,putsit:“Ourvocationalfacultyrealizethatastheworldbecomesmorecomplextechnologically,studentsneedmoreliteracyskillsthanbefore;Ref lectiveInquiryprovidedfacultywithideason‘technicalliteracy’andwaystobegintoimplementatechnicalliteracyprogram”(LaneyCollege,SPECCReport,2006,p.16).

Astheseexamplesillustrate,FIGsprovideaf lexibleformatforpowerfulprofessionaldevelopment.Butthreefeaturesthatcrosscuttheirvarietiesareimportanttohighlight.

key features of powerful professional development

First,theworkissustainedovertime.Professionaldevelopmentincommunitycolleges(andelsewhere)hasoftentakentheformofone-timeworkshopsandactivitieswhichmayormaynotbeconnectedtotheprogramorcampus’sgoalsforstudentlearning.SPECCparticipantshavebeenforcefulinpointingouttheshortfallsofthatmodel.Asonecampusputit,“Webelievethattheone-hour,lunch-timefacultydevelopmentworkshophaslittleimpactonthetransformationofafaculty’sattitudesandbehavior.”Incontrast,theFIGprocess“hastaughtusthatifweareseriousaboutmakingradicalchangestothewaywedeliverinstruction,wemustworkintensivelywithaselectgroupoffacultyoveranextendedperiodoftime”(PasadenaCityCollege,SPECCReport,2006,p.8,6).Timeframesvaryfromseveralmonthstoseveralyears,butclearlytheopportunitytolearntogetherover time isacriticalelement.

the keep toolkit

The Carnegie KEEP Toolkit is a set of software applications that allow educators at all levels to record and publish their pedagogical work online. Visit the KEEP Web site at www.cfkeep.org.


Second,FIGstreatprofessionaldevelopmentasacollaborativeenterprise.Oneofthemostpersistentimpedimentstoeducationalimprovementisthatteachershave—becauseinstitutionsprovide—sofewpurposeful,constructiveoccasionsforsharingwhattheyknowanddowithoneanother.Thus,oneofthemostimportantmovesacampuscanmakeistocreateoccasionsforeducatorstotalk,tofindcolleagues,tobepartofacommunityofpractice.AsanadministratoratMercedCollegeremarkedduringaSPECCsitevisit,“Goodthingshappenwhenteacherstalk.”FIGsareonemodelforinvitingsuchtalk.

Ofcoursetalkisnotenough,andnotalltalkisequallyvaluable.SkepticsworrythatFIGsmayproduceenergeticconversationbutnorealadvanceinknowledgeorimprovementinpractice.OneexternalreviewerofSPECCwonderediftheopenexchangeencouragedinFIGsmightreinforcemisguidednotionsaboutthecapacityofcertaingroupsofstudentstosucceed.Thus,itisimportanttostressthatcollaborationisnot“justtalk.”Indeed,manyofthecampuseshaveworkedtheirwaytowardFIGswithcarefullystructuredroutinesand

protocolsforcollaboration.TheEnglishgroupatLosMedanos,forinstance,operatesasakindofgraduateseminar,withcleartasksandhomeworkforeachmeetingandanemphasisondevelopingnewunderstandingsandproducts—courseassignments,forinstance,andassessmentinstruments.AtGlendaleCommunityCollege,FIGsemployedbythemathdepartmentarededicatedtothedesignandanalysisofcommonfinalexams,andatCerritosCollegeonefocushasbeenonidentifyingexplicitstudentlearningoutcomes.AtCityCollegeofSanFrancisco,severalFIGsnoworganizethemselvesaroundacarefullystructuredprocessofclassroomobservation,whichisthengristfordiscussionduringtheirmeetings.Onemightinfactobserve

thatFIGsbenefitfromthesameprinciplesthatoperateineffectivedevelopmentalclassrooms:highstructure,highexpectations,intenseengagement,intentionality,andinquiry.Teachersaredevelopmentallearnersaswell.

ThethirddefiningfeatureofFIGsisthefocusonevidenceaboutstudentlearning.FIGshaveservedaslaboratoriesforexploringhowtobringdifferentkindsandlevelsofevidencemoreeffectivelytobearontheimprovementofteachingandlearning.

Mostimportant,certainly,isinformationattheclassroomlevel.Asaformofpractitionerresearch,FIGsdependfirstandforemostonevidencegeneratedintheregularroutinesofteachingandlearning:studentperformanceonexams,projects,papers,problemsets,officeconsultations,andgrades.Theseshouldbeattheheartofpowerfulfeedbackloops.Buthavingevidenceathandisnotenough.Teachersneed—andFIGsprovide—achancetostepbackfromtheirownpracticeandseetheirstudents’work,andtheirown,anew.ToborrowametaphorthatcirculateswidelyattheCarnegieFoundation,theyneedmirrors(toseethemselvesmoreclearly)andlenses(toviewfamiliarrealitiesindifferentways).Looking

one of the most persistent impediments to

educational improvement is that teachers

have—because institutions provide—so few

purposeful, constructive occasions for sharing

what they know and do with one another.

thus, one of the most important moves a

campus can make is to create occasions for

educators to talk, to find colleagues, to be

part of a community of practice.


together,asagroup,atsamplesofstudentwriting,forinstance,isanexerciselikelytopromptnewinsightsabouttheteachingofcomposition.WorkingwithinaFIGtodevelopanewassessmenttoolorarubricforassessingacommonfinalexamisaprocessthatmovesfacultytowardarticulating,andsometimesbattlingover,otherwisetacitassumptionsabout,say,whatitmeanstoknowbeginningalgebrainadeepway,orhowstudentsbegintomoveintomorecomplexformsofcriticalreading.Itbearsrepeatingthatthesekindsofquestionsrarelyarisewherefacultyteachfourorfivecoursesatermandhavelittletimeandlessoccasiontocometogetherwithcolleaguestoref lectandinquireintotheirownpractice.Andofcoursethelikelihoodofsuchworkisevenlowerwithhighnumbersofpart-timeinstructorsemployedinbasicskillssettings.FIGsarenotapanaceaforthesedeeperstructuralissues,butthemodelisf lexibleandanumberofSPECCcampuseshavefoundwaystoincludepart-timefaculty.Several,infact,havedesignedFIGsthataggressivelyrecruitpart-timers.new roles for institutional research

WhathasalsobecomeclearthroughSPECC’sexplorationofFIGsisthepowerofviewingclassroomdatathroughthelensoflargertrendsandpatterns.Mostcampuseshaveagooddealofinformationavailableattheinstitutionallevel:dataaboutstudentdemographics,enrollment,retention,andthelike.Andsomeinstitutionsseekoutinformationthatallowsforacomparativeperspective.Forinstance,WestHillsCollegeDistrictadministerstheCommunityCollegeSurveyofStudentEngagement(CCSSE).Studentsparticipatinginlearningcommunitieswhoweresurveyedaspartofthe2007CCSSEstudyreportedhigherlevelsofengagementthandidtheoverallcollegesample(WestHillsCollegeDistrict,SPECCReport,2008,p.6).

Additionally,FIGscanbeanoccasionforfacultytoraisequestionsthatfallintowhatmightbedescribedasthe“missingmiddle”—thegapbetweeninformationfromindividualclassroomsandinstitutional-leveldataintheformofbig-picture,aggregatetrendsandpatterns.Thepoweroffocusingbetween(andconnecting)thesetwoisnicelyillustratedbyastoryfromLosMedanosCollegewheretheDevelopmentalEducationCommitteerealizedthattheireffortstoreshapecurriculumandpedagogyneededtobeinformedbyevidencefacultymembersdidnothave,includingandespeciallypatternsofstudentcoursetakingandsuccessbeyondthelevelofindividualcourses.ThecommitteeapproachedtheOfficeofInstitutionalResearch,andthetwogroupsworkedtogethertodevelopadata-gathering

teachers need—and fiGs provide—a chance

to step back from their own practice and see

their students’ work, and their own, anew.

looking together, as a group, at samples of

student writing, for instance, is an exercise

likely to prompt new insights about the

teaching of composition.

Community College survey of student engagement (CCsse)

Approximately 310,013 students at 525 colleges in 48 states, British Columbia and the Marshall Islands participated in the 2005, 2006, and 2007 CCSSE surveys, administered in the spring semesters in each of those years. CCSSE allows the campus to compare itself to other community colleges on a set of five benchmarks based on groups of conceptually related items that address key areas of student engagement. CCSSE’s five benchmarks denote areas that educational research has shown to be important in quality educational practice. The benchmarks are active and collaborative learning, student effort, academic challenge, student-faculty interaction, and support for learners.

Adapted from the CCSSE Web site at www.ccsse.org.


planthatwouldaddressthequestionsfacultywantedtounderstandmorefully.Theresultwasareporttrackingstudentsfromthecapstonepre-collegiatecoursesinEnglishandmathintothefirstleveloftransferEnglishandmathcourses(LosMedanosCollege,SPECCReport,2006,p.8).ThiswasnotthekindofinformationInstitutionalResearchstaffmemberswereinthehabitofpreparing;norwasitaperspectivethatfacultywereaccustomedtoseeing.Butitturnedouttobeapowerfulimpetusforattentiontointensityandintentionality.Asnotedearlierinthisreport,theInstitutionalResearchdatagavefaculty“aconvincingrationale”totakemeasuresthatkeepstudentsmovingthroughthedevelopmentalsequencewithoutstoppingout.

Additionally,thecollaborationbetweenfacultyandInstitutionalResearchpointstothevalueFIGscanaddassiteswhereeducators(notonlyfaculty,thatis,butawidergroupofindividuals,full-timeandpart-time,whoseworkcontributestostudentsuccess)canengagetogetherwiththerichestandmostusefulrangeofinformationandevidence.

challenges

Thisvision,sensiblethoughitmayseem,ismoreeasilyinvokedthanachieved.Foronething,itimpliesasignificantrecalibrationoftheresourcesandrolesofinstitutionalresearch(IR).OnanumberofSPECCcampuses,IRstaffmembershavebegunworkingcloselywithfacultytomakesenseoflargerpatternsofinformation,andthisturnsouttobeanexcitingopportunityforengagement.ASPECCparticipantatMercedCollegenotes,“Beforethis,wedidn’tknowwehadanofficeofresearch;nowwe’reinthereallthetime.”Still,thisisquiteclearlytheexceptionratherthantherule.Typically,informationattheinstitutionallevelisgeneratedinresponsetoreportingrequirementsthatonlyindirectlypertaintostudentlearning.AsoneinstitutionalresearcherputitinaSPECCmeeting,“Ourjobistoproducereportsforthepresident.That’swhywe’revaluable.”Changingthiswillbedifficult,butanewmodelforinstitutionalresearchiscriticalbothformeetingexternalcallsforaccountabilityandforshapinginternalprocessesofimprovement.

Additionally,theexperienceofSPECCcampusesshowsthatusingdataforimprovementisnosimplematter.Mosteducatorshavenotrainingtopreparethemforsuchwork.Andthenumbersdonotspeakforthemselves:Iftheretentionrateinintermediatealgebrais57percent,isthatgoodorbad?Towhatshouldthenumberbecompared?Whatdoesitsayaboutwhattododifferently?Atthesametime,moreandricherdatadonotautomaticallymakethingseasier.ManySPECCcampuses(recalltheexamplefromPasadenaCityCollegementionedearlier)arenowusingthinkaloudsaspartoftheirFIGwork,aprocess,oftenvideotaped,inwhichstudentsareaskedtotalkthroughtheirmentalstepsastheyreadatextordoamathproblem.Thisstrategyhasbeenausefulstimulustopedagogicaldeliberationandreforminsomesettings,butatleastoneinstitutionreportsthatfaculty“struggledwithmakingsenseoftheThinkAlouds…Allagreethatthevideorevealsinterestingandimportantinformation,buttheyhavenotbeenabletoorganizethematerialorarticulatewhattheybelievetheylearnfromthem”(CerritosCollege,SPECCReport,2006,p.9).

Inthisspirit,oneclearlessonfromSPECCisthatdataarebestseennotasdefinitiveanswersbutasgristforinquiry.Asmanyparticipantsobserved,whatcampusesneedareoccasionswhereeducatorscancometogetheraroundrichinformationanduseittoformulatequestions,hypothesizeaboutcausesandeffects,andidentifyredf lagsthatcallfordeeperanalysisanddeliberation.FIGsprovidesuchoccasions.


institutional support

Orrather,FIGscanprovidesuchoccasions,butthatislikelyonlyifinstitutionsmakesuchworkpossibleandvalued.Facultymaywellhaveahungertotalkandconnect,andtoworkcollaborativelyaroundteachingandlearningagendas,but,likestudents,theymustjugglemultipleresponsibilitieswhiletimeisatapremium.Thevisionofprofessionaldevelopmentsetforthherecarrieswithitamessageabouttheneedfordifferentpoliciespertainingtofacultyrolesandtime.FIGscalloneducatorstomaketheirworkwithstudentsvisibleandavailableforpeerreviewandcollaboration,andthatcanfeelrisky.Campusesmustcreatespacesthatmakesucheffortssafe,contextsthatlowerthestakesinordertoincreasethebenefits.Indeed,thiskindofworkmustcountintherewardsystemifitistobesustainedandcarriedoutinmeaningfulways,asithasbeguntodoonsomeSPECCcampuses.AtCollegeoftheDesert,forinstance,participationinFIGscountstowardthefaculty’scontractualobligationsforinstitutionalserviceand“f lex”(professionaldevelopment)days.Additionally,campusesmustsupportthisworkbyprovidingstructuresandleadershiptofacilitateit,asanumberofcampusesaredoingthroughtheestablishmentofteachingandlearningcentersthatprovideaninstitutionalinfrastructurefororganizingandfacilitatingFIGs.Theseexamplesatleastbegintogestureinthedirectionofamoreaffirmativeanswertothequestion:Whatdoesitmeantobeateachinginstitution?

Thebottomlineisthatinstitutionsmustfindwaystoensurethatprofessionaldevelopmentisthepowerfulexperienceitshouldbe;toweaveitintothefabricofprofessionalpracticeandinstitutionallife;toengagebothfull-andpart-timefaculty;andtomakeitanexpectationofeducatorsateverylevel.This,inturn,meanscreatingarealcultureofevidenceandinquiryinwhichfacultyarejoinedbyinstitutionalresearchersandprofessionalsfromstudentsupportservicesinpracticesthatbringgoodquestionsandgoodevidencetothepedagogicaltable.Untilcampusesbecomeplaceswhereeducatorsregularlycometogetherinsustained,ref lective,evidence-basedwaystoaddressthechallengesofteachingandlearning,longer-term,deeperinstitutionalchangeisunlikely.Doingsoisalsoaprerequisiteforchangethatextendsbeyondthecampus,ourfocusinthenextsectionofthisreport.

the bottom line is that institutions must

find ways to ensure that professional

development is the powerful experience

it should be; to weave it into the fabric of

professional practice and institutional life;

to engage both full- and part-time faculty;

and to make it an expectation of educators

at every level.


Implications for Work Across Campuses: Building the Teaching Commons

Incommunitycolleges,asinhighereducationmoregenerallytoday,therearemanypromisingpocketsofinnovation,buttheyoftenremaindisconnectedfromoneanotheranddonotadduptolargerpatternsofimprovement.Onereasonisthatcommunitycollegesare,bytheirverymission,locallyfocused.Keepingtheinstitutionattunedtocommunityneedsandopportunitiesisimportant.Butthedownsideisasortofparochialismthatmakesithardforideasfromelsewheretopenetratepractice.Promisingnewdevelopmentsareoftensimplyinvisible,undocumented,unabletotravel.Particularlyinthecaseofdevelopmentaleducation,theworkistoochallengingandthestakesaretoohighnottobeabletolearnfrominnovationsbeyondone’sownsetting.Thequestion,then,ishowtomovefrompocketsofinnovationtowholecloth,fromscatteredimprovementsonindividualcampusestomorewidespreadreformwithinthelargersystem.

ThisquestionhasbeencentraltoSPECCfromitsinception.ThepartnershipbetweenCarnegieandtheHewlettFoundationwaspredicatedontheneednotonlytoincreasecapacityandimprovestudentsuccesson11campusesbutalsotogeneratenewknowledgeandpracticesthatwouldspreadbeyondthem.Sadly,thisisexactlywhatmosteducationalreform

initiativeshavenotmanagedtoaccomplish.Thereasonisnotthatlocaleffortsarenotoftenworthspreadingmorebroadly;theproblem,rather,isthatteachinghaslackedthehabitsandmechanismsthatotherprofessionsusetoadvanceandimprovewhattheydo:waystodocumentandsharetheirwork,occasionstocometogetherandlearnasafield,readyoutletsforimportantideas,andprocessesofpeerreview.Fortunately,thissituationhasbeguntochangewiththeemergenceofateachingcommons,inwhich“communitiesofeducatorscommittedtopedagogicalinquiryandinnovationcometogethertoexchangeideasaboutteachingandlearning,andusethemtomeetthechallengesof

educatingstudentsforpersonal,professional,andciviclifeinthetwenty-firstcentury”(HuberandHutchings,2005,p.x).

Cultivatingateachingcommonsatthecampuslevelisafirststep.ButouraiminSPECC,buildingonthisvision,istobringeffectiveworkwithunderpreparedstudentsmuchmorefullyintothelargerteachingcommons—forithasmuchtoofferthewidereducationalcommunity—acrosscampuseswithinthecommunitycollegesectorandbeyond.SPECC’sexperiencepointstowardanumberofpossibilitiesforbuildingsuchacommons.

V.

particularly in the case of developmental

education, the work is too challenging and

the stakes are too high not to be able to

learn from innovations beyond one’s own

setting. the question, then, is how to move

from pockets of innovation to whole cloth,

from scattered improvements on individual

campuses to more widespread reform

within the larger system.


connecting people and ideas

First,thereismuchtobegainedbyencouragingexchangeacrosscampuses.TorepeataphrasefromMercedCollege:“Goodthingshappen”whenfacultymembershaveachancetostepbackfromthedailyrushandroutinesofteachinginordertodesignandstudybetterapproaches—andgoodthingsalsohappenwhencampuseshaveachancetostepbackandlearnfromandaboutoneanother,aswell.ThehungerforthiskindoftradingzonehasbeenapparentinSPECCascampusparticipantshavevisitedoneanother,tradedmaterials,presentedworkshopsoneachothers’campuses,andcometogetheratprojectmeetingssponsoredbyCarnegie.Theseexchangeshavebornerealfruit:PasadenaCityCollegeborrowedtheLosMedanosmodelofteachingcommunities(anadaptationofFIGs)andbuiltthemintoanumberofcurricularreformeffortsinmathematics.MercedCollegevisitedChabottolearnhowtoorganizeawritingcenter,whichisnowupandrunning.Arichonlineresourceforstudentsworkingonliteracyskills,developedatCityCollegeofSanFrancisco,isusedoncampusesinotherpartsofthecountry(seeKleinman,Delich,andYoung,2008).AndtheChabotCollegevideoonreadinghasnowbeenshownonalargenumberofcampuseswithinandbeyondSPECC,bothinprofessionaldevelopmentsettingsandinclassrooms,whereitisusedtoinvitestudentstotalkcandidlyaboutthemselvesasreaders.

Astheseexamplessuggest,innovationscanclearlymovefromcampustocampus,andthisisespeciallylikelywhentheycanbecarriedintheformofstoriesandconversation(seeBrownandDuguid,2000,onthe“sociallife”ofinformation).It’sprobablynoaccidentthatoneofthemostsuccessfulstatewideimprovementnetworks,theWashingtonCenterfortheImprovementofUndergraduateEducation,beganwithanexchangeprograminwhichfacultyspenttimeteachingononeanother’scampuses(Smith,1988).Relationshipsandtrustareenginesofchange.

Asistrueatthecampuslevel(thinkofFIGs),thiskindofconnectionmakingismuchmorelikelywhenthereareregular,structuredoccasionsforexchange,andtheseoccasionshavebeenontherise.SPECCprojectmeetingshaveservedthispurposeforthe11participatingcampuses,andthepoweroftheresultingnetworkhasbeenmultipliedbytheestablishmentofother,largervenues.Severalofthecampuseshavesponsoredregionalconferencesthathavedrawnlargenumbersofattendeesfromnearbyandfurtherafield.EspeciallynotablehasbeentheStrengtheningStudentSuccessConferenceestablishedin2005bytheResearch&PlanningGroupforCaliforniaCommunityColleges(RPGroup)andtheCaliforniaPartnershipforAchievingStudentSuccess(Cal-PASS);theconferenceservesasameetinggroundforfacultyinbasicskillssettingsandbeyond,aswellasinstitutionalresearchers,educatorsfromstudentsupportservices,campusadministrators,andsystem-levelleaders.

learning from one another

“Each of us has figured out how to do a part of basic skills education well and we’re all here together to look at those visions of the possible, to look at those existence proofs, and to ask ourselves not how can we copy it, take it, imitate it, and plunk it down in our own environment, though occasionally that may work. Rather, we need to ask how we can put on a set of lenses that make the underlying principles very clear and move them to our own environment. Because in effect that’s what an intellectual, professional, and in our case pedagogical community is all about. It is about learning from each other’s practice, learning from each other’s disasters, and moving ahead as a field.”

–Lee S. Shulman, keynote address to the Strengthening Student Success Conference, 2007.


sharing work through multi-media technologies

Face-to-faceisnottheonlywaytoentertheteachingcommons,andintimesoftightbudgetsit’susefultothinkaboutotherroutesaswell.Withthisinmind,SPECChasinvitedfaculty(sometimesinteams)tobuildmulti-mediarepresentationsoftheirteachingandtheirstudents’learningthatcanbeaccessedwidelyandwithoutcostthroughacentralWebsite.Thiscollection,calledWindows on Learning,ref lectsdevelopmentsinthelargerOpenEducational

Resourcesmovementofthepastdecade—venturesliketheOpenCourseWareinitiativeatMITandtheSharingofFreeIntellectualAssets(SOFIA)projectatFoothillCollege.

Incontrasttoinitiativesthatareaimedprimarilyatmakingcoursecontentmorewidelyavailable,Windows on Learningprovidesawayforeducatorstoexploreandbuildononeanother’steachingpracticeinwaysthatnewmulti-mediatoolshaveonlyrecentlymadepossible.Thus,visitorstoWindows on LearningcanlookintoKatieHern’sclassroom,borrowPowerPointmaterialsfromChrisJuzwiak,examinepre-andpost-testsonpoetryfromAnnieAgard’sclass,andlearnhowseveralcampuseshaveemployedFacultyInquiryGroupstostrengthenstudentlearning.Incontrasttoateaching-tips-and-techniquesapproachtoimprovement,Windows on Learningembodiesaviewofprofessionaldevelopmentthatemergesfrompracticeandref lectstheimportanceofcontext.

It’sprobablyfairtosaythatthesemulti-mediaexamplesare,asyet,supportedbyatechnologyforwhichthecultureisonlynowemerging.Muchremainstobelearnedabouthowtheycanbestbeused—andwhatmakesthemuseful.Butalreadyitisclearthattheycanenrichtheteachingcommonsandcatalyzepromisingexchange.Thesiteshavebeenusedinworkshopsandconferencepresentations—attheannualStrengtheningStudentSuccessConferenceinCalifornia,theInternationalSocietyfortheScholarshipofTeachingandLearning,theLeagueforInnovationinthe

CommunityCollege,theAmericanAssociationofCommunityColleges,theCaliforniaAssociationforTeachersofEnglishasaSecondLanguage,LaneyCollege,BronxCommunityCollege,andothers.Thesearesimplyasamplingofearlyuses,buttheyofferatantalizingpeekatwhatmightbepossiblewithamuchlargercollectionofrepresentationsdrawnfromexcellentclassroomsacrossthestateandthenation.Mostimportant,perhaps,theserichrepresentationsbringreportsonclassroompracticevividlytolifeinwaysthatengageandinspire.Capturingthiswisdomofpracticeisanessentialstepinimprovingourabilityaseducatorstoworkeffectivelywithstudentswhohavethemosttogain.

windows on learning

Windows on Learning is a collection of multi-media Web sites created by English and mathematics faculty from the SPECC campuses. The sites are designed to capture the full complexity of what goes on in the classroom. In one site, the instructor posts the results of her department’s common algebra final and reflects on her students’ performance. Another site includes a video of four beginning ESL students, with four native languages between them, working together to unpack a poem in English. The sites can be used in a variety of ways: as archives of teaching and research materials; as hands-on resources for teachers who can download materials and study their implementation in an actual classroom; and as tools for professional development. By presenting their sites at conferences, faculty have forged connections with community college instructors across the country doing similar research and exploring similar formats for making their work visible. The sites are designed to preserve the trace of both teaching and inquiry, so that the complicated process of identifying a problem of learning, designing an intervention to address it, and evaluating the success of the intervention becomes clear. The sites may be viewed at the SPECC Windows on Learning Gallery at www.gallery.carnegiefoundation.org/specc/.


approaches at the state and system level

Propelledbyanumberofforcesandcircumstances,highereducationisnowarguablymorefocusedonlearningandteachingthaneverbefore.Individualcampuseshaveimportantinnovationsunderwaytoincreasethesuccessofunderpreparedstudents,andtheyhaveagreatdealtolearnfromtheirownexperienceandfromoneanother.What’sneededarelargernetworksofsupportandresourcesfordoingso,andanintriguingvarietyofmodelsarenowtakingshapeacrossthecountry.InCalifornia,theCarnegieFoundationhasbeenhostingaconversationamongkeystakeholdersaboutapossiblestatewideresourcenetworkonbasicskillseducation.TheUniversityofWisconsinSystemhasorganizedaninitiativearoundthescholarshipofteachingandlearning,invitingcampusestostudythelearningoftheirstudentsandsharewhattheydiscover.TheMaricopaCommunityCollegeSystem,inArizona,hascreatedtheInstituteforLearning(begunin2000),aresidentialfellowshipprogramforfacultywhoareinterestedinstudyingimportantissuesintheirteachingandcontributingtoalargercommunityofscholarlyexchangeaboutteachingandlearning.(ManyoftheparticipantshaveusedCarnegie’sKEEPToolkittodocumenttheirwork.)Oneofthemostsuccessful,long-standingeffortsistheWashingtonCenterforImprovingtheQualityofUndergraduateEducation,whichcreatesopportunitiesforexchangeandlearningininstitutionsacrossthestate.

Thepointisnottoreplicateanyoneofthesemodelsbutrathertorecognizetheroleofmorecentralized,systemicapproachestochange.Grassroots,largelyfaculty-driveneffortsatimprovement(likethoseinSPECC)needsupportandcentralcoordinationtodeliverfullyontheirpromise.Avitalteachingcommonscanhelpstrikethisbalance.


The Link to Student Learning

Clearly,themostimportantgoalfordevelopmentaleducation,andforSPECC,istoimprovestudentlearningandsuccess.Itishardtoimagineamoreurgentagendaforindividualstudents,forhighereducation,andforsociety.Thisisnotanagendathatwillbequicklyachieved,orwrappeduponceandforall.Withnewdevelopmentseverydayoneveryfront—shiftingstudentdemographics,newtechnologies,evolvingideasabouthowpeoplelearn,andemergingvisionsofwhatlearningismostimportantinanevermorecomplexworld—improvementisnecessarilyanongoingenterprisewithmultiplefacets.

Asthisreportmakesclear,the11SPECCcampusescharteddifferentpathstoimprovement,andtheyareatdifferentpointsalongthosepaths.Inthespiritofactionresearch,theprojectencouragedandcultivatedarangeofapproaches,andevenwherecampusesweredoingwhatsoundslikethesamething(manyemployedlearningcommunities,forinstance)thedesignoftheprojectencouragedvariation.Onethingtheydidincommon,however,wastotrackthe

resultsoftheirinnovationsusingagreedupondefinitionsofstudentsuccess,retention,andpersistence,andtocompareresultsinSPECCcourseswiththoseinbaselinegroups.Beyondtheuseoftheiragreeduponmetrics,eachcampuswasalsorequiredtodevelopanevaluationplanwhichincluded,variously,focusgroupswithfacultyandstudents,interviewswithindividualstudents,surveys,andpartnershipswithuniversityresearcherswhostudiedtheirworkandprogress.Whatconclusionscanbedrawnastheprojectmovestowardaclose?

patterns of improvement in english and mathematics

AspartoftheirSPECCinitiatives,the11campusesemployedawidevarietyofinstructionalinnovationsintheEnglishandmathematicscoursesthatwerethefocusoftheirwork.Indeed,thevarietyofprogramsandinterventionswaslimitedonlybytheimaginationsofthesome300instructorswhohaveparticipatedsofarintheseprojects.

Itshouldcomeasnosurprisethat,giventhevarietyofinterventions,summarystatementsaboutoverall

improvementsinstudentlearningaveragedacrossprogramsorovertimeprobablyconcealasmuchastheyreveal.Inadditiontothesheervarietyofinstructionalinnovations,newinstructorsjoinedtheprojectalongtheway,andSPECCinterventionsbeganto“infect”coursesnotofficiallypartoftheproject.Moreover,atvirtuallyallofthecampuses,thevariousinterventionswerenotstatictreatmentsthatremainedconstantovertime.Rather,changesweremadeonthebasisofpastexperience,andprogramsweremodifiedinvariouswaysasinstructorslearnedwhatappearedtoworkandwhatdidnot.Inspiteofthesecomplications

VI.

Common data elements traCked By speCC Campuses

SUCCESS RATE: the percentage of students in a class (out of the total enrolled) who received an A, B, C, or CR (credit).

RETEnTIOn RATE: the percentage of students (out of the total enrolled) who did not withdraw but were “retained” through the end of the course, even if they did not receive a passing grade.

PERSISTEnCE RATE: the percentage of students who enroll in a course in the following semester.

These definitions are taken from the Research & Planning Group for California Community Colleges, whose Web site provides further details about their calculation. See www.rpgroup.org/publications/definitions.html.


andtheresulting“noise”inthedata,itisimportanttoassess,evenifonlyinapreliminaryway,theeffectstheseinnovationshavehadonstudentlearningandsuccess.(SeeBond,2008,foramoreextensiveanalysisofSPECCdata.)

OntheEnglishsideofthehouse,SPECCinterventionsonfiveofthecampuseshaveconsistentlyresultedinsuccessratesthatexceedthebaselinecomparisongroup.ThecomparativedifferenceinpercentageofstudentspassingaSPECC-supportedcourserangefromalowof4percenttoahighof25percent.Itisworthnotingthatthislargestdifferenceinsuccessrates(25percent)occurredinthelastdevelopmentalEnglishcourseinathree-coursesequence.Infact,thisfindingisconsistentwithamoregeneraltrendthatbearsclosemonitoring:thelongerstudentspersistedinSPECCcourses(evenafterfailureorwithdrawal),thelargerthesubsequent,comparativesuccessovertheirbaselinecounterparts.

ThefiveadditionalcampusestryingnewapproachesinEnglish(oneofthe11workedonlyinmath)showmixedresults,withstudentsinSPECC-supportedcourseshavinghighersuccessratesthantheirbaselinecounterpartsinsomesectionsofthecourses,andlowerratesinothers.Wehavebeenunabletodetectanyreliablecauseforthesef luctuations,butseveralpossibilitiesareworthexploring.AtCerritosCollege,whereinterventionsuccessrateswereinitiallylowerthanbaseline,facultyparticipatinginaninquirygroupsawthisphenomenonasaref lectionoftheirownmovementtowardclearer,moredemandingstandardsforwhatstudentsmustknowtogoontothenextlevel.ThismaywellbeamoregeneralconsequenceofparticipationinFacultyInquiryGroups.Anotherexplanationarisesfromthenon-randomwayinwhichstudentsarerecruited.Forexample,atPasadenaCityCollege,studentswererecruitedintotheirSPECCprogrampreciselybecauseoftheirextremelylowplacementscores.

Inmath,oneseesadifferentstory.Ofthefivecampuseswithsustainedinnovationsintheirdevelopmentalmathsequence,themostrecentyearsawstudentsuccessratesexceedthebaselinecomparisongroupinfour.Thefifthhadmixedresults,withsuccessratesofthebaselinegroupexceedingthoseofthe“experimental”coursesectionsinthreeoffourcomparisons.PasadenaCityCollege,whichhasdramaticallyreorganizeditspre-algebraclasstomakeitintensiveand“highdosage,”hashadextremelypositiveresults,withstudentsuccessratesjumpingfrom53to74percentinthefirstyearoftheinnovation,andfrom55to79percentinthesecond.AtCollegeoftheSequoias,whereindividualinstructorsareencouraged,inthespiritofactionresearch,toexperimentwithavarietyofinstructionalaids,includingthosethattakeadvantageofadvancesintechnology,studentsusingtheMyMathLab(MML)packagehaveconsistentlyout-performedbaselinecomparisonstudents.Inthefirstfullyearoftheproject,44percentoftheMMLstudents,comparedto32percentofbaselinestudents,weresuccessful;inthemostrecentyear,46percentversus35percentweresuccessful.Thesearetwoexamplesofsubstantialimprovementsthat,ifeffectivelybroughttoscale,wouldhaveimmediateandprofoundeffectsoneventualstudenttransferandgraduation.tracking success in a learning community

MostoftheSPECCcampusesinstitutedsomeversionoflearningcommunities.CityCollegeofSanFranciscocombineditstraditionallyseparatedreadingandwritingdevelopmentalEnglishcoursesintoasingle,jointlytaughtcoursethatcouldbetakenoveranentireschoolyear.WestHillsCollegeDistrictformedlearningcommunitiesthatincludedcoursesfrom


bothdevelopmentalEnglishandcontentareassuchasphysicaleducationandgeography.SeveralcampuseslinkedvocationalcourseswithbasicskillsmathorEnglish.Campusesthatmovedinthesedirectionswereabletobuildonpreviousresearch(seeforexampleTinto,1994,1995,and1998)showingthateventhesimplestformoflinkedcoursescanbebeneficial.Learningcommunitiesoftenincreaseretention,sincedroppingtwoorthreecoursesismuchmoreconsequentialtostudentsthanwithdrawingfromasinglecourse,affectingfinancialaidandstatusatthecollege.Also,linkedcoursesencouragecohortgroupformationthatcanprovideasenseofcommunitythatinturnencouragespersistence.Indeed,learningcommunitiescanprovidefacultywithasenseofcolleagueshipandconnectednessaswell(KahlertandDiSalvo,2006).

Butlikeanyclassroomapproach,learningcommunitiesarenotautomaticallyeffective.Theycanbeimplementedwellorpoorly,andeventhebestapproachestaketimetoshowrealgains.Therefore,itisnosurprisethatwithinSPECCtheuseoflearningcommunitiesshowsmixedresultsthusfar.Consider,forinstance,SpringboardtoTransfer,ChabotCollege’shigh-challenge,intensivelearningcommunity,forwhichdatafromtwocohortstellverydifferentstories.

ForfacultyteachingthefirstSpringboardcohort,itwasdifficultatfirsttotellwhethertheprogramwasmakingameaningfuldifferenceinstudentperformance.Theimpactstartedtobecomemorevisible,however,inthesecondsemester.StudentswhosuccessfullypassedSpringboard’sEnglish102weremuchmorelikelytopersistintoEnglish1Athefollowingsemester(92percent)thanstudentsinothersectionsofthecourse(75percent).AndiftheytookthecoursewithinSpringboard,notonlyweretheirretentionratesmuchhigherthanaverage(93percentvs.72percent),buttheirsuccessinEnglish1Astartedtooutpacetheaverageforothersectionsofthecourse(65percentvs.61percent).

Inthethirdsemester,persistencefromEnglish1AtoEnglish4orEnglish7,thetwofinalcoursesinthesequence,wasevenhigherforSpringboardstudentsthanforstudentsinothersectionsofthecourse(79percentvs.51percent).Themembersoftheoriginalcohort—nowintheirthirdsemesterofSpringboard—againhadmuchhigherthanaverageretentionrates(91percentvs.76percent),andthistimetheirsuccessratessignificantlyoutpacedtheaverageforothersectionsofthecourse(87percentvs.69percent).

Attheendoffall2006,100percentofthestudentswhoremainedinSpringboardforallthreesemesterswere“transferdirected”(thatis,theyearnedatleast12unitsandattemptedcollege-levelmathorEnglish),andthevastmajorityweremakingsteadyprogresstowardtransfer(95percenthadearned15ormoretransferableunits).AsecondSpringboardcohort,withdifferentinstructorsandstudents,beganwithEnglish102inthefallof2006.Relativetothesuccessofthefirstcohort,theattritionrateinthissecondgroupwasdisappointing.Of83studentsinitiallyenrolledinEnglish102,only46(55percent)subsequentlyenrolledinEnglish1A,and21(25percent)enrolledinEnglish4or7.Only12studentsfromtheoriginalcohortof83enrolledinallthreesemestersoftheprogram.ThisissignificantlylessthanthefirstSpringboardcohort,where23oftheoriginal87students(26percent)enrolledinallthreesemesters.


DespitetheattritionintheSpringboardprogram,persistencewithinthelargerEnglishcurriculumwashighamongstudentswhotookEnglish102inthefallof2006.ManystudentschosetotakesubsequentEnglishclassesoutsideoftheSpringboardprogram.Ofthe53studentswhosucceededinEnglish102,49(fully92percent)enrolledinEnglish1A.Thiscompareswithonly192ofthe261students(74percent)inthebaselinegroupofstudentsenrolledinnon-LearningCommunityEnglish102courses.Moreover,82percentofSpringboardstudentswhosucceededinEnglish1AenrolledinEnglish4orEnglish7,comparedwithonly61percentinthebaselinecomparisongroup.

Onceagain,itshouldbekeptclearlyinmindthatthe“noise”inthesecomparisonsissubstantial.Becauselearningcommunitiesrequireasustainedcommitmentbystudentstotakeaprescribedsetofcoursesovermultiplesemesters,studentsmustberecruitedintolearningcommunities.Thestudentssorecruitednodoubtdifferinsystematicandunknownwaysfromnon-recruitedstudentswhoarefreetochoosefromashoppinglistofavailablecourses.Moreover,instructorsdifferintheeffectivenesswithwhichthey“hold,”support,andnurturestudents.Insomesense,itmaymatterlessthatacourseispartofalearningcommunitythanthattheteacheremploysthekindofpowerfulprinciples(describedinsectionthreeofthisreport)thatcharacterizeSPECCcoursesmoregenerally.Thesecomplicationsnotwithstanding,webelievethatfollowingdifferentcohortsofstudentsoverseveralyearswillrevealconsistenciesthatrepresentdurableadvantagesoflearningcommunitiesoverregularcoursematriculation.

better tools for tracking student learning

Theimportanceoftrackingstudentprogressovertime—inlearningcommunitiesorotherwise—raisesahostofquestionsaboutthetoolsandmetricsfordoingso.Identifyingpatternsofsuccess,retention,andpersistencewillclearlycontinuetobeimportant.ButseveralSPECCcampuseshavefelttheneedforadditional,morediagnosticwindowsintostudentlearning.Twoexamplesareillustrative.

ThefirstisfromCityCollegeofSanFrancisco(CCSF),wherefacultyinEnglishundertookamajorcurricularchangethatintegratedbasicskillsreadingandwriting.Intheearlystagesofthistransformation,theywereabletopointto“considerablequalitativeevidenceofimprovementsinstudentachievementbasedontheeffortstointegratereadingandwriting,”buttheusualquantitativemeasures(forinstance,passratesandpersistence)hadbarelybudged.Whatwasneeded,theyrealized,wasabetter,morenuancedtooltoexaminechangesinstudents’writingperformance.Thesolution?Aportfolio-basedassessment,withacarefullyconstructedrubric,todelveintostudentlearninginaricherway.AccordingtoErinDenney,theBasicSkillsCoordinatorforCCSF’sEnglishdepartment,“Inthethreeyearswehavedonethisassessment,wehavevirtuallyeliminatedthelowestscore.Itisveryraretofindaportfolionowthatranksasa‘1.’Furthermore,thenumbersofportfoliosreceivingthehighestscoreshaveincreasedaswell,andmoreandmorestudentsareeligibletoskipthenextclassinthesequenceandgostraighttoEnglish93”(Denney,2008).


common exams as prompts for improvement

OursecondexamplecomesfromGlendaleCommunityCollege’smathematicsprogram,whichin2000institutedacommonfinalexaminationforallsectionsofpre-collegiatealgebra.IftheCCSFstoryisabouttheneedforbettermeasurementinstruments,thisoneisaboutbetterprocessesforusingresults.Thedepartmentproducestabularizedinformationaftereachexaminationinordertoshow,amongotherthings,thedropoutrateandmeanGPAforeachclass,aswellastheperformanceofeachclass(properlycodedtoensureanonymity)ontheoveralltestandonsubtopics.

Thefacultyasawholediscusstopicalareasinwhichstudentsappeartobelearningwellandthosewheretheyarestillstruggling.Individualinstructorsexaminetheirownstudents’performanceonthetestinwaysthatrevealimportantaspectsoftheirteachingpracticeandgradingstandards.Forexample,instructorswhoseAandBstudentsdorelativelypoorlyonthefinalexaminationmustaskthemselveswhethertheirstandardsaretoolax.InstructorswhoseCstudentsperformwellonthetestmustaskthemselvesiftheirstandardsareunrealisticallyhigh.Theentireprojectstimulatesfacultydiscussionandref lectioninwaysthatdidnotoccurbefore.

Additionally,asparticipantsinthisprocesstestify,theprocessofdevelopingandcomingtoconsensusonanassessmentframework,alongwiththedevelopmentofexercisesandascoringrubric,alltendtogetfacultyonthesamepageaboutwhatisimportantforstudentstoknowandbeabletodo.Instructorswhoentertainidiosyncraticnotionsaboutgradingoressentialcontentmustdefendtheirideastotheircolleaguesinanopenforumwheredepartmentalobjectivesanddisciplinaryconsiderationsarethereferencestandards.Glendale’sexperiencewiththe

commonexaminationnicelyillustratesitspowertoencouragehonestdiscussionabouttheappropriateweighttobegiventoeffortoveroutcome,togrowthoverabsolutelevelofachievement,andtotestperformanceoverclassparticipation—crucialconsiderationsinacommitment,likeSPECC’s,todocumentingimprovementovertime.

YetGlendaleenjoysanadditionalbenefitthatinitslong-termeffectsmayprovetobemoreimportantthanalltherest.Itisexemplifiedinhowthemathfacultyusetestresultsinprofessionaldevelopment.Notingthatsomeinstructors’students

repeatedlyperformedwellaboveaverageontheexaminationsoronparticulartopicalareas,thedepartmentbeganaprograminwhichfacultyobservethesehighlyeffectiveinstructorsinaction.Inthisway,theGlendaleexperiencepointstoanotherimportantlessonaboutimpact:whileimprovementsinstudentlearningarethebottomline,theyareoftenwrappedupinotherkindsofimpactthatarehardtountangle.Indeed,theexperienceatGlendaleandmanyotherSPECCcampusessuggeststhatfacultylearningmaybethesinglemostimportantvariableinimprovingstudentlearning.Intoday’saccountabilityculture,thisisapointthatcangetleftbehind,anditisworthhammeringhome.Studentlearningmatters;ofcourseonewantstoseeanupwardtrajectoryinstudentsuccess.Butfacultygrowthanddevelopmentmatteraswell.Andonahealthycampus,thetwoworktogether.

the process of developing and coming to

consensus on an assessment framework,

along with the development of exercises

and a scoring rubric, all tend to get faculty

on the same page about what is important

for students to know and be able to do.


the impact of faculty inquiry Groups on faculty and student learning

ThispointcomesvividlyhomeinwhatSPECChaslearnedfromtheconductofFacultyInquiryGroups.Inthefallof2007,theCarnegiestaffdesignedandadministeredasurveyofparticipantsinFIGsacrossthe11campuses.Ouraimwastogathermoresystematicinformationabouttheimpactofthatworkonclassrooms,assessmentdesignandresults,professionalidentity,andthesenseofcollaborativecommunityandtrustthatmanystudiesofeducationalreformpointtoasessentialtoongoingimprovement(BrykandSchneider,2004).Amongreportedbenefitsoftheexperienceareexpandednetworksofcolleagues,ahigherleveloftrustintalkingaboutteaching,andexperimentationwithnewteachingapproaches.Eighty-twopercentofrespondentsagreedorstronglyagreedthatFIGparticipationmadethem“moreconfidentaboutrespondingtostudentlearningchallenges,”72percentreported“raisedexpectationsforstudentlearning,”and70percenthad“evidencethatmystudents’learninghasimproved.”(SeeHuber,2008,andRichardson,2008,formoredetailsaboutsurveydesignandresults.)

ThesegeneraltrendsaresupportedbyemergingfindingsonindividualcampusesthathavelookedattherelationshipbetweenFIGparticipationandstudentlearning.AtLaneyCollege,forinstance,coursesectionstaughtbyparticipantsinFIGsshowhighersuccess,retentionandpersistenceratesthanthosetaughtbynon-participants(LaneyCollege,SPECCReport,2006).AtPasadenaCityCollege,theintroductionofFIGsinconjunctionwiththesummerbridgepre-algebracourse(.XL)hasbeenanimportantingredientinraisingstudentsuccessrates—andfacultyengagement:

TheFIGhadanimmediateimpacton.XLsummerbridgepre-algebra..XLpersistenceandretentionrateshaveconsistentlybeenhigherthanthoseofallcomparisongroups,butsuccessrateshavewavered.OurresearchsuggeststhattheFIGprocesshashadapositiveimpactontheretentionandsuccessratesof.XLstudentsincohorts5and6.Inaddition,facultywhoparticipatedintheinquirygroupandwhotaughtstand-alonepre-algebracoursesshowedanincreaseintheretentionandsuccessoftheirstudents,albeitmoremodest.Finally,FIGparticipantsrevealedinfocusgroupsthattheyenjoyedhavingtheopportunitytoparticipateinaformalizedprocessofinquiry,andasaresulttheyfeltagreatersenseofcommunityamongtheircolleagues,believedtheygainedinsightintotheissuestheyandtheirstudentsface,andlookforwardtocontinuingtheFIGprocess.(PasadenaCityCollege,SPECCReport,2006,p.1)

navigating change

Reportslikethis,andtheexperienceofeducatorslikethosefromGlendaleandCCSF,bringtothesurfaceanimportantlessonabouteducationalreform—anditisn’tsimplythat“ittakestime,”whichisalltoowellknown.Thelesson,rather,isaboutthecharacterofthejourney.Highereducationhasoftenbeenlikenedtoanocean-goingship,slowandhardtoturn.But

the experience at Glendale and many

other specc campuses suggests that

faculty learning may be the single most

important variable in improving student

learning.


acloselookatanyoneoftheSPECCcampusessuggeststhattheprocessofimprovementismuchmorelikeaf leetofsmallboats,eachheadedinthesamedirectionbutnotalwaysatthesamespeedoronidenticalbearings:Themathdepartmentisexperimentingwithcommonfinalexams,aFacultyInquiryGrouporganizedaroundanewlearningcommunityisworkingoutthewrinklesinasetofreadingassignments,threemembersoftheEnglishdepartmenthavetakenadetourtospendaweeklearningaboutReadingApprenticeship.Whatmakesthisprocesswork,whatkeepstheboatsheadedinthesamedirection,iscommunication,whichinturndependsoninformationthatpeopletrustandunderstand.Participants—andthisincludeseveryonefromstudentstotrustees—mustbetradingandmakingsenseofinformationateverystepalongtheway.

Inshort,theabilitytomakeandsustainpositivechangemaywellbeafunctionofbeingabletoweavetheseseparateroutesintoacompellingstorythatcanguidepeopleontheirway.(Forafulleraccountoflessonslearnedaboutinstitutionalchange,seeAsera,2008.)


Recommendations

WhenCarnegiePresidentLeeS.ShulmanlikeneddevelopmentaleducationtothegameofChutesandLadders,hewaspointingtothemanywayshighereducationfailsthestudentswhoneeditmost.Fortoomanyreasonstocount,theyfalldownthechuteandoutofagametheycannotaffordtolose.Buthewasalsopointingtothepossibilityofclimbingtowardsomethingbetter.SPECCisasmallproject:11campuses,focusedlargelyintwodisciplines(Englishandmath),withathree-yeartimeline.Buttheworkdonebyitsparticipantshasyieldedpowerfullessonsandpointersforfuturework.

Here,then,wereturntotherecommendationspreviewedatthebeginningofthisreport.Asnotedthere,facultyareessentialagentsinthekindsoftransformationSPECChasexploredandpromoted.Facultyleadershipintheclassroom,atthedepartmentandprogramlevel,andincampusdecisionmakingisessential;ithasbeenakeyingredientinthegoodthingsthathavehappenedthroughtheCarnegieproject,andareasonforgreathopefulness.Butinstitutionalleadersandpolicymakersmustalsostepuptotheplate,tocreatetheconditionsinwhichcreative,dedicatedfacultycanworksuccessfullywithunderpreparedstudents.Thefiverecommendationsthatfollowpointtochangesinpolicyandinstitutionalpracticethatwillsupportimprovementsunderwayandpavethewayforfurthergains.

�. the success of underprepared students must be an institution-wide, core responsibility.

Basicskillsarenotsobasic.Theycannotbelearned—ortaught—inisolationasasetofdiscretemechanicalskills.Indeed,oneofthereasonsthey’resoimportant(sobasic)isthattheyenableotherkindsoflearning,skills,andcapacities,beitinapre-collegiatewritingclass,atransfer-levelsociologycourse,thenursingprogram,orautomotiverepair.Thus,thesuccessofunderpreparedstudentscannotbetheresponsibilityofasmallgroupoffacultyteachingspeciallydesignatedcourses.Itmustbeaninstitutionalresponsibility:givenvisibilityandprioritybycampusleadersatthehighestlevels,attendedtoineveryclassroomandeveryinteractionwithstudents,andconstantlytrackedandevaluatedsothatimprovementscanbemade.Literacyandnumeracy,andthesenseofoneselfasacapablelearner,are,quitesimply,essentialintoday’sincreasinglycomplexworld,andcommunitycollegesareuniquelypositionedtoembraceandsucceedwiththismission.Specifically,thismeans:

• Seizingeveryoccasiontogivevisibilityandvoicetotheimportanceofservingunderpreparedstudentsmoreeffectively;leadershipforsuchworkmustbeclearateveryleveloftheinstitution.

• Seeingeveryeducatoroncampusasabasicskillsinstructorandprovidingprofessionaldevelopmentexperiencestohelpthemsucceedinthisrole.

• Employingtheprinciplesofhighstructure,highchallenge,intensity,intentionality,andinquirytostrengthenteachingandlearning;theseprinciplesaredrawnfrompracticeaswellasfromtheresearchonlearning.

• Givingprioritytotheabilitytoworkeffectivelywithunderpreparedstudentswhenhiringnewfaculty,orientingthem,andsettingexpectationsforadvancement.

VII.


• Workingatthestateandnationalleveltodeveloptrainingprogramsforfacultywhocanworkeffectivelywithunderpreparedstudents.

• Treatingthecampusanditsclassroomsasalaboratoryforgeneratingnewknowledgeof,andquestionsabout,thelearningofunderpreparedstudents.

2. professional development should be reinvented as an intellectually engaging, integral element of work in an educational institution.

Professionaldevelopmentisacontractualobligationformostcommunitycollegefaculty,buttoooftentheopportunitiespresentedareepisodic,uncoordinated,anddisconnectedfromanysharedgoalsforstudentlearning.Theresult,notsurprisingly,iswidespreadcynicismaboutwhatshouldbeacorecommitmentofprofessionallife,whateverthearena,tolearnfrompracticeandtoworkwithcolleaguestoadvancethefield.Inthisspirit,professionaldevelopmentforcommunitycollegeeducatorsmustberescuedandrevitalizedinwaysthatmakeitmoresustained,collaborative,andfocusedonevidenceofstudentlearning.Theseconditionsarecriticaltoongoingimprovement;theymustbepartoftheexperienceofalleducatorsandbuiltintothefabricoftheinstitution.Specifically,thismeans:

• Makingongoingprofessionaldevelopmentanexpectationforalleducatorsandaninstitutionalresponsibility.

• Creatingpoliciesandresourcesforinvolvingpart-timeeducatorsinsignificantprofessionaldevelopment.

• Establishinginstitutionalstructuresthatprovidespace,time,andotherkindsofsupportforeducatorstoref lecttogetherontheirworkwithstudents;oftenthismeansbuildingonpossibilitiesthatalreadyexist—suchascentersforteachingandlearning.

• EncouragingtheestablishmentofFacultyInquiryGroups,andprovidingsupporttosustainthem.

• Expandingthedefinitionofteachingtoincludenotonlyclassroomcontacthoursbuttimetoref lect,workwithcolleaguestoexamineevidenceoflearning,andworktowardimprovements;teachingloadsmustbeadjustedtoaccommodatethisbroaderdefinition.

• Creatingincentivesforparticipationinprofessionaldevelopment,withleadershipandaccomplishmentinthisarenalinkedtorewardssuchassalary,promotion,andawards.

�. institutional research must be expanded to focus more directly on core issues of teaching and learning.

Traditionally,institutionalresearchofficesfocusoninstitutionaldata(aboutenrollment,retention,andthelike),ofteninresponsetoexternalreportingrequirements.Thesearecriticalpatternstotrack,buttheyonlyindirectlyspeaktoquestionsaboutstudentlearning,andarethereforenecessarybutnotsufficient.Makingthesuccessofallstudentsarealandsharedprioritymeansthinkingmoreboldlyaboutinstitutionalresearch;itmeansinstitutionalresearchersworkingaspartnerswithfacultyandothereducatorsoncampustoshapeconsequentialquestionsaboutstudentlearning,generateevidenceinresponsetothosequestions,andworktogethertowardimprovements.Thisvisionwillrequireareshapingofrolesaswellasexpandedcapacity.Specifically,thismeans:


• Increasingstaffcapacityandresourcesforofficesofinstitutionalresearch.• Definingnewrolesforinstitutionalresearchers,focusedonworkingcloselywithfaculty

andstudentsupportstafftogenerateanduseinformationaboutstudentlearningandsuccess.

• Providingoccasionsinwhichfacultycandevelopgreatersophisticationindealingwithnewkindsandlevelsofdataaboutstudentlearningandsuccess.

• Focusingonhowlarge-scalepatternsofstudentmovementlinktoprogram-andclassroom-levelquestionsaboutwhatworks.

• Creatingstrategiesandoccasionsthatbringfacultyandinstitutionalresearcherstogetheraroundcriticalquestionsaboutteachingandlearning;FacultyInquiryGroupsareonevehicleforthiskindofcollaboration.

• Cultivatingacultureinwhichevidenceandinformationareconsistently“onthetable”inplanning,designing,andassessingeducationalpracticesandpolicies.

�. community colleges should lead the way in developing richer, more revealing measures of student learning.

Themetricsmostcommonlyusedtomeasureeducationaleffectiveness(studentgrades,retention,persistence,anddegreeattainment)willcontinuetoplayanimportantrole.Butcommunitycollegescanbepowerfullaboratoriesforcreatingafuller,richersetofassessmenttools—aimednotsimplyattrackingprogressbutatunderstandinghowtofacilitateimportantformsoflearningandpersonaldevelopment.Progressonthisfrontmeansworkingtowardclear,explicitstudentlearningoutcomeswhilealsodevelopingtoolsandapproachesthatcapturemorecomplexaspectsofstudents’movementtoward(andstumblingblocksonthewayto)thoseoutcomes.Ofparticularimportanceareapproachesthatproviderichfeedbackforteachersandstudents.Specifically,thismeans:

• Workingtoidentifyandarticulatewhatkindsofknowledgeandskillsaremostcriticalforstudentsintoday’sworld.

• Promotingtheuseoflow-stakesclassroomassessmentsthatgivestudentsaswellasfacultypowerfulfeedbackforimprovement.

• Negotiatingsharedrubricsandcriteriaforassessingkeyoutcomeswithinandacrosscourses.

• Designingcommon(shared)finalexaminationquestionsthatcanbeusedtopromptdepartmentaldeliberationsaboutgradingstandardsandclassroomstrategies.

• Providingstructuresandtools(portfoliosareoneexample)throughwhichstudentscanbecomemoreeffectivejudgesoftheirownworkandthereforemoreactive,intentionalagentsoftheirownlearning.

• Exploring“thestorybehindthenumbers”(e.g.,retention,gradesandsoforth)throughin-depthcasestudiesandinterviewsofstudents.

• Adoptinginstruments(liketheCommunityCollegeSurveyofStudentEngagement)thatallowcomparisonswithotherprogramsandinstitutions.

• Findingwaystobuildinformationfromtheassessmentofstudentlearningoutcomesintoinstitutionaldatasystems.


�. ongoing, larger-scale improvement requires a lively, open “teaching commons” that values the knowledge of practice.

Communitycollegeeducatorsareonthefrontlinesoflearning.Workingwithunderpreparedstudentsisoneofthemostintellectuallychallengingrolesimaginable,andthestakescouldnotbehigher.Thecommitmentofindividualteachersisapowerfulingredientindoingthiswell,butnoonecandoitalone,andcommunitycollegeeducatorsarehungryforcolleagueswhosharetheircommitmentandforoccasionsinwhichtheycanlearnfromoneanother.

Thegoodnewsisthathighereducationtodayisincreasinglyenjoyingthebenefitsofanemergingteaching commons,aconceptualspaceinwhicheducatorsfromallsettingsandsectorscansharetheirquestions,explorations,andnewinsightsaboutstudentlearning.Participationinthiskindofexchangeis,infact,acriticalconditionforongoingimprovement.What’sneeded,then,ispurposefulinvestment,onmultiplelevels,intheoccasions,structures,networks,andtoolsthroughwhicheducators(inbasicskillsandbeyond)cansharewhattheyknowinwaysthatbenefitstudentsandbuildthefield.Specifically,thismeans:

• Creatingstructuresandoccasionsoncampusthatbringpeopletogethertotalkabouttheirstudents’learning.

• Experimentingwithnewways(multi-mediarepresentationsareapromisingavenue)torepresenteffectiveclassroompracticesootherscanbuildonit.

• Invitingexchangeacrossinstitutions,throughcampusvisitsandconsultations,andparticipationinlargerregional,statewide,andnationalconferences.

• Participatinginmulti-campusprojectsandinitiativesthatbringnewperspectivesandideasintothemix.

• Workingtocreateacoordinated,statewidenetworkforsharingknowledgeandresourcesaboutdevelopmental,basicskillseducation.

• Givingthekindsofeffortsdescribedinthisreportachancetoevolve,mature,andtakerootovertime.

Thevisionofdevelopmentaleducationpresentedinthisreportaimshigh.Basicskillsarebasicnotbecausethey’resimplebutbecause(like“basic”researchinthesciences)theylaythegroundworkforotherthings.Forthisreason,thelessonslearnedfromSPECCarecastinbroadterms,relevantnotonlytotheintroductorycompositionorbeginningalgebracoursebutacrossafullspectrumofcoursesandinstructionalsettings.Moreover,thelessonslearnedherecarryimplicationsforawiderangeofactors—notonlyteachersbutcounselors,departmentheads,deans,presidents,andstudentsthemselves.Eachmusttakeresponsibilityandallmustworktogether—attheclassroomlevel,acrosscourses,institutionally,andthroughoutthecommunitycollegesystem.There’sworkenoughtogoaround.


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The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has been making grants since 1966 to solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. The Foundation concentrates its resources on activities in education, environment, global development, performing arts, and population. In addition, the Foundation has programs that make grants to advance the field of philanthropy, and to support disadvantaged communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. More information may be found at www.hewlett.org.


Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and chartered in 1906 by an act of Congress, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is an independent policy and research center with the primary mission “to do and perform all things necessary to encourage, uphold, and dignify the profession of the teacher and the cause of higher education.” The improvement of teaching and learning is central to all of the Foundation’s work. The Foundation is located in Stanford, California. More information may be found at www.carnegiefoundation.org.

Carnegie SPECC Staff

Rose Asera, Project Director and Senior ScholarRandy Bass, Consulting ScholarLloyd Bond, Senior ScholarMolly Breen, Program AssociateAndrea Bueschel, Consulting ScholarLisa Glenn, Administrative AssistantSherry Hecht, Assistant to the Vice PresidentMary Taylor Huber, Senior ScholarPat Hutchings, Vice PresidentCheryl R. Richardson, Research Scholar

Recommended Bibliographic ListingThe Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Basic Skills for Complex Lives: Designs for Learning in the Community College. A Report from Strengthening Pre-collegiate Education in Community Colleges (SPECC). Stanford, Calif.: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 2008.

DAVID S. TATEL

Board ChairU.S. Circuit JudgeU.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. Circuit

CATHARINE R. STIMPSON

Board Vice ChairDean of the Graduate School of Arts & ScienceNew York University

RICHARD C. ATKINSON

President EmeritusUniversity of California System

JÜRGEN BAUMERT

DirectorMax Planck Institute for Human Development

ANTHONy S. BRyK

President (beginning September 1, 2008)The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

yEHUDA ELKANA

President and RectorCentral European University

BERNADINE CHUCK FONG

President EmeritaFoothill College

SUSAN H. FUHRMAN

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ELAINE TUTTLE HANSEN

PresidentBates College

KATI HAyCOCK

DirectorThe Education Trust

JANET L. HOLMGREN

President and Susan Mills ProfessorMills College

FREEMAN A. HRABOWSKI III

PresidentUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore County JASON KAMRAS

Director of Human Capital Strategy, District of Columbia Public Schools 2005 National Teacher of the Year

RICHARD A. MIDDLETON

Superintendent of SchoolsSan Antonio North East Independent School District

RENÉE A. MOORE

English InstructorMississippi Delta Community College

LyNN OLSON

Senior Program OfficerBill and Melinda Gates Foundation

EDUARDO J. PADRÓN

PresidentMiami Dade College

THOMAS PAyZANT

Professor of PracticeHarvard Graduate School of Education

ROB REICH

Associate Professor of Political Science & Ethics in Society, andCourtesy Professor in the School of EducationStanford University

GORDON RUSSELL

Chair of the Carnegie Foundation Finance CommitteeMember of the Executive Committee (ex officio)General Partner (retired), Sequoia Capital

LEE S. SHULMAN

President (through July 2008)The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

NINA ZOLT

Co-chair, Co-Founder, Chief Program ArchitectePALS, Inc.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Board of Trustees

A Report from


STRENGTHENING PRE-COLLEGIATE EDUCATION

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