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Overview

The Basic Skills Research Project, a joint effort of the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Education and the RP Group, offers an analysis of how to transform basic skills instruction as observed at 20 California Community Colleges. Through a series of working papers, we described issues such as pedagogy and successful models, including looking at specific techniques such as Reading Apprenticeship and the National Writing Project.

Outcomes:

For this study, UC Berkeley and the RP Group developed case studies of 14 colleges in California, based on interviews with instructors, department chairs, deans, program and committee leaders, other administrators, and student services professionals, as well as through classroom observations. This research specifically aimed to understand how to promote comprehensive basic skills reform and identified four key changes that can be made to basic skills programs in order to significantly improve outcomes for substantial numbers of developmental education students.

1. Reforming pedagogy

2. Maximizing the effectiveness of student services

3. Creating structural coherence

4. Building leadership at all levels

Routledge subsequently published the findings. Basic Skills Research Project as Basic Skills Education in Community Colleges: Inside and Outside of Classrooms, written by W. Norton Grubb, with Dr. Robert Gabriner may be purchased through Rutledge and Amazon.

Read a review of the book from Mike Rose, UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.