Reading Competencies: Practices & Issues Barbara Illowsky, De Anza College Dianne McKay, Mission College Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein, Santa Monica College

Resolution 9.08, Spring 2006 Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges research current practices and the need for reading competency systemwide to develop a position paper on this topic.

Outcomes: At the end of this session, we will: know each other understand various current practices across the state grasp the issues involved in instituting a reading requirement have developed survey questions

Agenda: Introductory Questions (15 minutes) Mission College Practices (10 minutes) Santa Monica College Practices (10 minutes) Issues discussion (15 minutes) Issues report out (5 minutes) Survey questions – develop (15 minutes) Wrap up (5 minutes)

Introductory Questions What is your interest in attending this session? Does your college currently have a Reading Competency requirement for the associate degree? Is your college thinking of adding a Reading Competency requirement for the associate degree?

Mission College Practices Reading at Mission College is a separate department from English with its own courses. Mission has a reading competency for graduation which can be achieved through either course work or proficiency testing.

Mission College Practices Reading has a 3 course sequence to achieve the graduation competency: ◦ READ 960: Reading Fundamentals: Instruction in word attack, vocabulary development and comprehension. ◦ READ 961: Effective Reading: For students to correct or improve reading habits and skills including expanding vocabulary, improving comprehension and attaining an efficient reading rate.

Mission College Practices ◦ READ 053: Speed and Critical Reading: (transferable to CSU) Enables students to reach their optimal reading speeds and to improve comprehension of collegiate and technical materials.  Completion of this course with a grade of “C” or better meets the graduation competency requirement.

Mission College Practices Mission uses the Comprehensive Test of English Placement (Reading Comprehension) Test for placement with the following cut scores: ◦ 6 – 12 correct: READ 960 ◦ 13 – 19 correct: READ 961 (also ESL 970) ◦ 20 – 26 correct: READ 053 ◦ 27 – 35 correct: Reading Proficiency. Meets graduation requirement.

Santa Monica College Practices Reading at SMC is embedded within a series of English course offerings. SMC measures a student’s reading competency for graduation by her successful completion of English 1 (Reading & Compositions) paired with English 48 (Critical Study Reading, Speed Reading & Vocabulary)

Santa Monica College Practices student access to an online Reading Lab sequence of courses aimed at Reading Competency courses are grouped as Levels C, B, & A placement in a particular writing & reading class is based on the results of his/her English assessment

Santa Monica College Practices SMC Reading Lab:

Issues discussion What would be or were issues on your campus for instituting a reading competency requirement? Break into groups

Issues report out Pressure to eliminate reading competency Faulty placement tools Need tailored of curriculum for a variety of levels of students (rubrics) Political issues/$$ Lack of qualified Reading Specialists (esp. for adults) Students’ unrealistic time frames for getting up to transfer level

(continued) Prereqs. tend to lower class size What classes to cancel Student flight away Attitudes regarding professional responsibility – ALL faculty teaching Comfort level with status quo May inhibit open access Mission statement (not compatible)

Survey questions: Does your college have a Reading Competency graduation requirement? Yes, subsumed in English writing course No Yes, separate from English writing course Not sure If yes, what is the requirement? Reading Course Reading Placement/Proficiency Test Writing CourseWriting Placement/Proficiency Test Other (describe)

Report out of survey questions: Is reading a requirement at the transfer level or developmental level? Do you have a Reading Across the Curric. Program? For transfer or for dev. Ed only? Are the courses taught by faculty or IA’s? How many faculty teaching Reading have a reading specialty training?

(Continued) How does the college comply with Title 5 requirements about Reading? How do you measure it? Do you ADVISE or PLACE students? Do you have a time by which they must take the class? Do you have a reading test for matriculation?

(Continued) How many reading/Eng levels do you have below English 1A? Do you have reading pre-reqs for GE courses?

(Continued) Does your college have an AA Reading requirement? If yes, how many courses satisfy this req? What are the courses? Can students test out of the Reading req? What test do you use? What scores allow students to test out?

Next Steps Basic Skills Committee of ASCCC will develop a survey. Survey will, hopefully, be sent out in Spring Results will be published. THANK YOU!!!