The Basic Skills Initiative is a key project employed to address the goal of student success and readiness in the California Colleges System Strategic Plan.  The Strategic Plan emphasizes the community colleges’ central role in meeting the state’s social and economic needs and requires colleges to significantly transform how they address and meet the needs of basic skills and ESL students.

Basic skills are those foundation skills in reading writing, mathematics, learning skills, study skills, and English as a Second Language which are necessary for students to succeed in college-level work.

Components of the Basic Skills study include:

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

  2. A self-assessment tool designed to engage college administrators, faculty and staff in a meaningful and reflective dialogue about their current practices and plans for program improvement, enhancement, or modification.

  3. A cost-revenue model for developmental education programs providing a way for exploring the incremental revenues that can be derived over time from effective basic skills programs, practices and/or intervention.

 Basic Skills Faculty Toolkit for Student Success