1. Basic Skills Innovation
Cheryl Aschenbach, ASCCC Executive Committee
Michael Heumann, Imperial Valley College, ASCCC Basic Skills Committee
Conan McKay, ASCCC Executive Committee
April Pavlik, LA City College, ASCCC Basic Skills Committee

2. Outcomes Attendees will…
Recognize intended state outcomes for basic skills, the initiatives designed to influence outcomes, and innovations encouraged within the initiatives.
Understand the new Student Success in Basic Skills program and how it may impact local college basic skills funding, including how it excludes some traditional basic skills students
Understand efforts underway to influence changes to funding formula for new Student Success in Basic Skills program to better include all populations served in basic skills

3. Basic Skills in CA Community Colleges
As of 2016, more than 70% of entering students assess as underprepared for college-level math or English
Nearly 2/3 of these students fail to complete a degree, a certificate, or transfer to a four-year college or university
AB 770 (2015, Irwin) Basic Skills and Student Outcomes Transformation Program
$60 million of Prop 98 funds (one-time)
Purpose: implement or expand innovations and redesign in the areas of assessment, student services, and instruction to improve the progression rate of basic skills students from remedial education to college level instruction
Legal requirement that proposals must be evidence-based, centering on 6 innovations but allowing additional evidence-based strategies
43 colleges funded through competitive process

4. 2016 Student Success for Basic Skills AB 1602 (2016 Budget Bill)
Purpose: “Improve outcomes of students who enter college needing at least one course in English as a second language or basic skills, with particular emphasis on students transitioning from high school”
Allowables:
Implement or expand upon the use or application of evidence-based practices and principles identified in BSSOT program
Accelerate adoption or utilization of open education resources (OER) in ESL or basic skills
Collaborate with high schools and CSU to better align remedial instruction methodologies, curriculum, and course offerings
Implement assessment and placement practices that increase likelihood of appropriate placement in college-level rather than basic skills courses

5. Innovation: The Evidence-Based Practices
Adopt placement tests or other student assessment indicators and related policies that may include multiple measures of student performance, including grades in high school courses, especially overall grade point average, results from the common assessment system, and input from counselors
Increase the placement of students directly in gateway English and mathematics courses that are transferable to the University of California or the California State University and career pathways, with remedial instruction integrated as appropriate for underprepared students
Align content in remedial courses with the students' programs of academic or vocational study to target students' actual needs and increase relevance. This method is intended to encourage the development of remedial instruction focused on a student's identified academic need informed by the student's intended course of study.

6. Innovation: The Evidence-Based Practices
Contextualize remedial instruction in foundational skills for the industry cluster, pathways, or both, in which students seeks to advance
Provide proactive student support services that are integrated with the instruction (but not duplicative of other services and programs, including Student Equity, the Student Success and Support Program, CAFYES, CalWORKS, EOPS/CARE, DSPS, and other student services-related programs)
Develop two- and three-course sequences, as appropriate, for completion of a college-level English or mathematics course, or both, for underprepared students, by utilizing technology, where appropriate, to enhance the adoption of the high impact practices specified in methods (1) to (5), inclusive
Implement other effective basic skills course strategies and practices not specified in methods (1) to (5), inclusive; subject to the college providing evidence that substantiates the practice is effective

7. SSBS Funding Formula: Allocation
Increases BS funding from $18 million (BSI) to nearly $48 million (SSBS)
Priority for Basic Skills and Student Outcome Transformation (BSSOT) programs, so this year additional $30 mil went to Eligible, Not Funded (ENF) BSSOT applicants; SSBS in effect for all in
Minimum allocation of $100,000 per college in applying district
Commencing , distribution to be adjusted to ensure districts do not receive less from SSBS than from BSI in
Commencing , bottom 5 performing colleges will be encouraged to apply tor technical assistance

8. SSBS Funding Formula: Weights in Allocation Formula
50%: Percentage of students receiving Board of Governors fee waiver who first enrolled in a course below transfer level in English, mathematics, or ESL AND subsequently complete a college-level course in the same subject within one year and within two years
25%: Percentage of students receiving a Board of Governors fee waiver
25%: Percentage of basic skills FTES in courses using evidence-based practices identified in BSSOT Program [Ed Code Section (a) (1) to (6)]
Who is being left out?
How will data be collected for funding?

9. Efforts to influence formula
Chancellor’s Office Basic Skills Advisory Committee (BSAC) met mid- September to discuss concerns and consider alternative measures for funding allocations
Ideas:
Continue to measure BS FTES rather than Transformation/Innovation FTES
Measure % of noncredit students rather than % BoG Fee Waiver students
Consider course completions, certificate completions, persistence in lieu of 50% completing college-level within 1 and 2 years
Measure amount of time for students to complete BS sequence
Other ideas?
Mario Rodriguez, Vice-Chancellor of Finance and Facilities Planning, participated in discussion; he’s communicating with legislators and staffers

10. Resources
RFA for New Grant Awards in the California Community Colleges Basic Skill and Student Outcome Transformation (BSSOT) Program
03_RFA_BS_StudentOutcomesTransformation_Memo.pdf
Notification of Intent to Award Community College BSSOT Program Grants
11_NOI_BS_RFA60M_Final_Memo.pdf