Introduction

Minutes

Members

Minutes of ESL Assessment Committee Meeting

November 10, 2004

Attendees:  Tanya Armel, Linn Dowd, Jeff Eldot, Betsy Frank, Mary Lou Gomez, Joseph Kimbuende, Nancy Meyers, Wilbert Nelson, Sara Rassas, Cristie Roe, Pam Rogers, and Ginny Simmon.

The meeting was called to order at 1:35 p.m. in B 159.

1. Report: Pam Rogers reviewed what the committee had done throughout the year, and showed the report that will be submitted to President Gardea and the CEC and Assessment Steering Committee in preparation for the NCAA Self-Study.

2. OPI Grant:  Nancy Meyer informed us that Cary from GWCC is working on the grant for both colleges. Discussion followed.  Conclusions:

   a)      The OPI training will be scheduled in August if it is funded. (Funding will only be available in the fall).

   b)      Participating faculty would have to get subs.

   c)      The subcommittee is working on professional growth.  In order to qualify for FPG, the training may have to be offered as a credit course.

3. Assessment: Pam told us that most of work we need to accomplish concerns deciding how to use the results of the pre- and post- writing samples that were evaluated last semester.

4. Placement: 

   a)      Camilla Westenberg is working on the placement issue of ESL students in developmental courses.

   b)      It was suggested that instructors strongly encourage students to complete all coursework in lower levels before advancing to the next level.

5. Adopt-A-Family: This year the English department will give gifts to five refugee families from Africa.

6. Longitudinal study: It was suggested that the committee do a longitudinal study of students who participated in all three levels of assessment during the past four semesters.  Discussion followed. Conclusion: 

   a)      Pam will have someone tally the previous error analysis results,

   b)      Tanya Armel will find out how many longitudinal studies we can do with the data we have.

7. Ginny Simmon informed us that the Ocotillo Group wants e-portfolios and suggested that we consider contributing to this.

8. Pam raised the issue of using our data to evaluate instruction. Discussion followed.  Conclusions:

   a)      Our focus should be: At what level are the students when they finish our program, and how can the college assist the department to do more for the students.

   b)      We need to share our data with other departments such as Reading and Communication in order to identify common problems.

   c)      We must make our needs clearer to the Budget Review Committee.

   d)      We should look into establishing non-credit courses for students who speak no English and have no money.

9. The issue of staffing was discussed. No conclusions were reached.

10. Ginny Simmon brought up the need for a writing center. Discussion followed. Conclusions:

    a)      We need an inter-departmental center for all ESL students, possibly using B-121 and 122.

    b)      We currently charge students $5 to use the reading lab, which funds a lab tech for 15 hours. If the departments coordinate their resources, the lab could be opened to all ESL students with sufficient technical support. 

    c)      We need a system of accountability for lab usage.

    d)      We could create courses with lab components, charge an extra fee to fund these courses, and then develop a system of identifying students who need these courses.

11. Linn asked what happened to the idea of adding a writing component to other courses. Discussion followed. Conclusions: We need to pursue the writing component as low as the second level. 

12. Linn then raised the issue of the ESL certificate program.  Discussion followed.  Conclusions:

    a)      We need to find out if there are national standards for ESL certificates.

    b)      We need non-credit courses for total non-English speakers.

    c)      Pam then requested:

    1)      Jeff Eldot to get information about GCC’s non-credit program,

    2)      Joseph Kimbuende to get information about the Learning Center,

    3)      Betsy Frank to get information about the Reading Lab,

4)      Nancy Meyer to get information about Title V labs.

13. Ginny Simmon reminded the committee that she is piloting the ESL 030 Editing Sheets and journals, and that she can make her sentence projects available on CDs.
14. Nancy Meyer informed us that Veronica Parker wants ESL faculty to participate in the New Faculty Orientations. Discussion followed. Conclusions:

    a)      Training will take a lot of time.

    b)      The need for faculty is participation is great, especially to train non-ESL faculty to deal with ESL students in their classes.

    c)       The decision should be made through Faculty Development.

Next meeting is Monday, December 6 at 1:30.

Meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Cristie Roe