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Overview

In 2007, the RP Group released "Basic Skills as a Foundation for Success in the California Community Colleges," popularly known as the Poppy Copy. Commissioned by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, this study identified effective practices in basic skills programs and had three major components: 

1. An extensive review of the literature related to basic skills practices, as well as an overview of examples of strategies employed by 33 California community colleges and nine out-of-state institutions.

2. A self-assessment tool which will allow colleges to reflect on how their current practices fit with the findings from the literature regarding what are known to be effective practices for basic skills students.

3. A cost/revenue model for developmental education programs which provides a way to explore the incremental revenues that can be derived over time from such programs.

This report has been widely used by California Community Colleges to develop strategies for meeting the needs of basic skills students. In 2010, a newly updated version of this report was published by Jossey-Bass titled "Student Success in Community Colleges: A Practical Guide to Developmental Education."