Issue Date: 1/16/07
Basic skills boosted by state grant
By Jason Dunn
Palomar College has $514,000 to spend on a basic skills program from a grant it received from the state last semester.
The money has to be used to enhance resources for improving students' basic skills in subjects such as English and math. There are no definite plans yet as to how to spend the money.
Berta Cuaron, vice president of instruction, said faculty members and administrators had been talking about improving Palomar's basic skills programs for several years.
"With these funds, it makes it much more feasible for us to move forward," she said.
Cuaron said the Learning Outcomes Council found last year that many students are unprepared for the college level math, English and reading they encounter at Palomar, and that the money came along at the right time.
According to information provided by Palomar's Institutional Research and Planning Department, last semester 1,825 students enrolled in English classes lower than English 100 and 2,560 enrolled in English classes 100 and higher. Also last semester, 4,309 students enrolled in math classes lower than math 100 and 2,307 enrolled in math classes 100 and higher.
Members of the LOC visited Chaffey College on Dec. 1 to examine the basic skills centers there, and members plan to visit more community colleges with basic skills programs this semester.
"We're doing our fact finding," Cuaron said.
She said she hopes to have plans for the money established by the end of this semester, and to begin working on those plans during the 2007/2008 academic year.
"The goal is to spend the monies over a two-year period," Cuaron said.
Palomar already has programs aimed at developing basic skills - the Math Lab, the Writing Lab, the Reading Center, the Tutoring Center and the Disability Resource Center.
"We have five programs in place now," Cuaron said. "I think we're looking at ways to modify those in some way if we need to."
She added that whatever forms the basic skills programs take, there will be a smaller scale operation at the Escondido Center.
The money has to be used to enhance resources for improving students' basic skills in subjects such as English and math. There are no definite plans yet as to how to spend the money.
Berta Cuaron, vice president of instruction, said faculty members and administrators had been talking about improving Palomar's basic skills programs for several years.
"With these funds, it makes it much more feasible for us to move forward," she said.
Cuaron said the Learning Outcomes Council found last year that many students are unprepared for the college level math, English and reading they encounter at Palomar, and that the money came along at the right time.
According to information provided by Palomar's Institutional Research and Planning Department, last semester 1,825 students enrolled in English classes lower than English 100 and 2,560 enrolled in English classes 100 and higher. Also last semester, 4,309 students enrolled in math classes lower than math 100 and 2,307 enrolled in math classes 100 and higher.
Members of the LOC visited Chaffey College on Dec. 1 to examine the basic skills centers there, and members plan to visit more community colleges with basic skills programs this semester.
"We're doing our fact finding," Cuaron said.
She said she hopes to have plans for the money established by the end of this semester, and to begin working on those plans during the 2007/2008 academic year.
"The goal is to spend the monies over a two-year period," Cuaron said.
Palomar already has programs aimed at developing basic skills - the Math Lab, the Writing Lab, the Reading Center, the Tutoring Center and the Disability Resource Center.
"We have five programs in place now," Cuaron said. "I think we're looking at ways to modify those in some way if we need to."
She added that whatever forms the basic skills programs take, there will be a smaller scale operation at the Escondido Center.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Rockmann8
Vern Southard
posted 1/21/07 @ 10:12 PM PST
Basic skills in English and writing are essential for the success of graduates or transfer students entering the world of business or moving on to higher levels of education. (Continued…)
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