Creason & Franklin Promoting College Reading Competencies and Reading Prerequisites

24/F 11:00 AM Hope

Type_Presentation: 60-minute Concurrent Session

PresentationTitle: Promoting College Reading Competencies and Reading Prerequisites

ProgramStrand_Primary: College Reading

ProgramStrand_Secondary: Research and Evaluation

Presentation_description:

Faculty at a large, mid-western community college effected systemic change in their institution by reviewing the existing reading placement process, educating the faculty and administration about college level reading courses, and introducing the need for reading classes to be prerequisites for introductory level courses.

Purpose: The purpose of this session will be to present the process, strategies, and results of a reading faculty initiative to evaluate the current reading placement and assessment process at the college, to enhance faculty understanding of college level reading classes, and to promote reading as a prerequisite for a variety of classes.

Learning Objectives: During the session, participants will be challenged to:

A. Investigate their own institutional reading placement policies and procedures

B. Consider ways to document competency

C. Evaluate ways to promote reading as a prerequisite for other courses

D. Apply and adapt our experiences to their own institutional models and settings

Significance to the Field: The scope and sequence of college level reading classes is frequently misunderstood by those outside the field. In a setting where there is NOT mandatory placement testing(or it is not enforced), this can lead to students who are not prepared taking reading intensive classes. This process then has lasting effects on student success and retention at the college. This presentation will detail faculty efforts to sucessfully promote to non-reading faculty, advisors, and administration the value of reading classes for the college as a whole, as well as the process that led to changes that are occurring.

Relevance to Conference Attendees: Reading faculty on many college campuses are often viewed as distant cousins of content area disciplines and reading course impact is often minimized as just another requirement for students to meet. However, reading faculty know and research shows that students with good reading skills have an increased likelihood of sucess in higher education.

Outline or Description of Content:

A. Background Information about JCCC (Times they are a-changing)

B. Data Collection (Do your homework)

C. Current Placement Procedures (We Do WHAT???)

D. Recommended Placement Procedures (These might work better...)

E. Process of Including Campus Community in the Discussion (Meetings,meetings, meetings, support of Admin)

F. Response to the Proposals (But will they DO anything?)

G. Results of the Proposals (A big can of Worms)

H. Brainstorming Strategies and Techniques for Other Colleges/Universities (grouping by situations, size, support, etc.)

Audience Interaction and Engagement: Participants will be encouraged throughout the presentation to discuss their experiences with similar situations, and at the end of the presentation will be asked to share information with a partner or small group to brainstorm why or how their colleges might want to develop a similar "plan of attack."

Handouts: Handouts will include a variety of data collected on the campus to document the current placement process, a flow-chart illustrating said process,and samples of handouts and illustrations used to educate non-reading faculty and administration.

Presenter's Experience with the Topic: The presenters are currently engaged in this ongoing process at our institution. Between them, they have more than 20 years experience in dealing with reading issues and campus culture at the post-secondary level.

PresenterBio: Currently Associate Professor of Reading/Academic Achievement Center at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, KS. Previously taught for several years as an adjunct at various Kansas City area colleges and universities in the areas of reading, teacher education and psychology. Spent 18 years as teacher, counselor and administrator in private secondary education. Earned a B.A. in Psychology and an M.S. in Education from Avila University, Kansas City, MO and a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies-Education and Psychology from University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Presenter2_Bio: Currently an Assistant Professor of Reading and Academic Achievement Center at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, KS. Previously was the Director of the Learning Center and Disability Services for ten years at Avila University in Kansas City, MO. Earned a B.A. from the University of Minnesota, a B.S.E. from the University of Kansas, and a M.S.E. in Reading from the University of Kansas.