Reading Sub-Task Force

Friday November 8, 2002
HBC 413

 

Minutes

 

Members Present:  Marilyn Burke, Ann Dillon, Cheryl Engle, Vonnye Gardner, Judy Hubble, Mary Leonard, Dorothy Martinez, Sibyl Noack, Ann Palmer, Ursula Parker, Sherry Prather, Carrie Pyhrr, Dolores Segura, Cathy Smith, Tamara Thornton, Anne Ward, and Julie Wauchope.

 

Agenda Item   Discussion   Action
Announcements:  Cathy J. Smith

 

 

  Revised End of semester data collection forms were distributed

 

 

  The revised End-of semester Data Collection Forms would be sent to all faculty unable to attend the Reading Task Force meeting.  Faculty should send completed forms to Cathy J. Smith by December 20, 2002

 

    A video, "Using Technology to Enhance Educational Services for Those Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Post Secondary Education" has been secured from Media.  If faculty would like to view the video, one hour of faculty Dev Credit is offered. (NOTE:  The video is really more beneficial for deaf coordinators and interpreters rather than instructors.)

 

  The video is available by contacting Cathy J. Smith at RVS.

 

 

 

    Handouts from the August workshop led by Janet Elder were distributed to the faculty.

 

  Handouts were sent to all faculty unable to attend the meeting.

 

    A request from Eileen Klien (TF Leader for Health Sciences was shared.  The Health Sciences TF members are working on a grant to propose a reading and  health science course pairing.

 

 

  A list of volunteers who would like to be on a committee to help develop the paired course was requested.  The list of volunteers has been forwarded to Susan Jones, RVS Learning Lab and Eileen klein.  (Volunteers are:  Ann Palmer, Marilyn Burke, Julie Wauchope, Vonnye Gardner and Sherry Prather.)

 

    A handout of the latest updates on faculty phone, e-mails was given.

 

  Handouts were sent to all faculty members unable to attend the meeting.

 

    New Triangle Program brochures were distributed to the faculty.  The blue brochure has information about Phase I Triangle (Fundamentals) and the yellow brochure is for Phase II Triangle (Reading Skills I level.)  Task force members requested that copies be sent to Dr. Fonte and other Administrators.

 

  Handouts were sent to all faculty unable to attend the meeting.  Brochures will be sent out to counselors at each campus.  Letters and brochures were sent to Dr. Fonte and other Administrators.

 

 

Announcement:  Mary Leonard

 

 

 

 

 

  Mary Leonard reported on the proposed lowering of COMPASS scores for reading students.  Mary and Sibyl Noack have collected data to determine the impact of this proposal on Dev. Reading.  Current instructors of 1313 were asked to send scores of the Pre-TASP given at the beginning of Fall classes as well as the entering assessment score.  Only data for students who were entering Dev. Reading  classes were secured (not students who had already taken DEVR courses.)

 

  All faculty are encouraged to write to The Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) discouraging the lowering of scores.  Dolores Segura will also write a letter representing the Task Force regarding the lowering of the scores. Dolores will also request a study be made before lowering the scores.  Sibyl Noack prepared "Talking Points" to use while composing a letter, and these have been sent to all DEVR facutly members.

 

Announcement:  Vonnye Gardner

 

 

  Vonnye explained the new mentoring program at EVC and handed out the booklet, "Guidelines and Information Mentoring Program."

 

  Faculty were asked to read the brochure and handouts and make suggestions.  For more information contact Vonnye Gardner, EVC.

 

Master Syllabi

 

 

 

 

 

  Dorothy Martinez and Anne Ward prepared a master syllabus for each level of DEVR (0303, 1303, 1313).  Faculty discussed the syllabi, especially the penalty for violation of scholastic dishonesty.  The syllabi presented have the mandatory requirements for each level of instruction.

 

 

  Dorothy Martinez, Ann Ward, Julie Wauchope and Sherry Prather will be on a committee to determine a task force statement on the penalty for scholastic dishonesty.  Dorothy and Ann will prepare the final master syllabi and they will be forwarded electronically to each faculty member.  Faculty will make their personal additions in syllabi.  When finalized, Ann Palmer will put the Master Syllabi on the web page for Reading.

 

Update on Book Inventory:  Cathy J. Smith

 

  Faculty members were requested to turn in their updated lists to Cathy J. Smith.  These updates would be compiled and sent to Hope Frausto.

 

  Hope has met with the bookstore personnel as well as  received the faculty updates on books.

 

Five Year Plan:  Dolores Segura

 

 

 

 

  Dolores presented the Year Three Developmental Reading Task Force Action Plan and each recommendation was discussed.  Faculty decided on the courses to be evaluated:
  • Paired courses
  • Online vocabulary
  • Flex Schedule courses
  • 8 week courses

 

  Cathy J. Smith will make an Instructional Program Review report at the end of 2002 evaluating Year Three action plans.

Paired courses have been evaluated.  Mary Leonard will develop a survey to be used to evaluated these courses for the 2001/2002 fall and spring semesters and faculty will complete the survey.  Marilyn Burke offered to develop a student survey to evaluate these course.

 

Report:  Fundamentals of Reading Exit and Diagnostic Tests:  Ann Palmer

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Faculty reviewed the report suggesting that the Gates-MacGinitie (GM) be given as a post test this semester as well as the DEVR 0303 post test developed at RGC.  The Post Test developed for DEVR 0303 was distributed with an answer sheet and key to each faculty member present.

 

 

 

 

  The Gates-MacGinitie (GM) test will continue to be administered (Tests S and T) at the beginning and end of the semester and the scores from the Gates-MacGinitie (GM) will be collected for a year, then the committee will meet and cut scores will be determined.  Faculty teaching 0303 will use the DEVR 0303 post Test (developed at RGC for the 15% departmental grade beginning this semester.  Copies of the Post Test for DEVR 0303 were sent to every member unable to attend the meeting.  Ann Palmer has distributed copies of the DEVR 0303 Assessment Chart.  The completed charts need to be turned in by 12/20/02.

 

Report: TASP Brochure for Reading:  Ann Palmer

 

  The brochure was distributed and reviewed.

 

 

  Ann Palmer will have 600 copies made.  Cathy J. Smith will also send a copy of this brochure to Dr. Fonte.

 

Report:  Paired / Flex Class for Technical Majors:  Judy Hubble

 

  This is still in development.

 

 

  Judy Hubble will continue to work on this and report to the Task Force in the future.

 

Report:  College Anthology:  Sibyl Noack

 

 

  Sibyl shared options on articles to be included in the anthology.  Faculty were asked to suggest which articles should be retained or deleted.

 

  Faculty should e-mail Sibyl with suggestions.  From group discussion, it was decided to keep the "Interest Groups" chapter, revise as necessary and republish.

 

Report:  Update on Custom Publication for DEVR 1303:  Andrea Clark and Carrie Pyhrr

 

 

 

  Carrie distributed a report with two options.

 

 

 

 

  Faculty were asked to read the handout and give an opinion at the January 2003 meeting.  (Note:  Copies of this report were sent to all faculty who were unable to attend the meeting.  If you will not be able to attend the January meeting, please send your opinions to Andrea Clark or Carrie Pyhrr.)

 

Textbook / Novel Recommendations:  Marilyn Burke

 

  Copies of the Reader's Handbook by Brenda Smith were handed out.

 

  Marilyn will pilot in DEVR 1313 in Spring 2003.  Judy Hubble will use it in Summer 2003.

 

Ann Palmer (for Ann Dillon)

 

 

 

  The Study Skills/ Math books to be used in the math/reading paired class in spring of 2003 were passed around to faculty to view.  Six copies of the novel Bless Me, Ultima were passed out to representatives from each campus.

 

  These books will be used in the pilot Math/Study skills class in Spring 2003.  Ann Palmer will pilot this novel in Spring 2003 for Reading Skills I.

 

 

Next Meeting:

 

 

  Friday, January 10, 2003:  EVC 3154, 3:30 to 5:30 pm from the DEV Communications Task Force Meeting.