Welcome to the Basic Skills Initiative Effective Practices database.  The Basic Skills Initiative (BSI) created the database of professional development and student programs as a part of the English as a Second Language/Basic Skills Professional Development grant funded by the California Chancellor’s Office.  This database contains programs, strategies and practices that colleges submitted using two criteria: demonstrated student success and sufficient quantitative and/or qualitative data to substantiate their effectiveness.  You may search the database by a variety of methods, including the Effective Practice described in Basic Skills as a Foundation for Success in California Community Colleges, as well as college size, student populations, student demographics, or type of program.

We encourage you to visit this page often as the information will change.  The BSI project leadership hopes that this database will serve as a repository of effective practices but we need your assistance.  As you hear about programs, strategies, or practices that are effective, please ask that the program be submitted to the database. For a program, strategy, or practice to be accepted to this database, it must have been in existence for at least two semesters. This will help us to gather as much information possible to provide faculty, administrators and staff with resources to develop local basic skills programs. 

Disclaimer:  These programs, strategies and practices were evaluated based on completeness of the application and length of time of the program only.  Neither the Chancellor’s Office nor the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges endorses the entries. They are provided only as a resource and to provide contact information so that you can obtain more information.