In the study's first component, researchers made a thorough review of the literature used in teaching basic skills and a summary of the strategies used by 33 of the community colleges in California as well as nine colleges outside the state. This review found 26 effective practices to be consistently represented in the most successful basic skills teaching programs. These practices fall into four main categories: organizational and administrative practices, program components, staff development and instructional practices.
The second component of the study involved developing a "self-assessment tool" for community colleges to use in analyzing their own strategies for teaching basic skills as compared with what was found to be the most effective strategies in the first part of the study. This tool is organized according to the four major practices found in the first component of the study.
The third part of the study presents a cost and revenue model that shows the revenues that can come over time from programs that teach basic skills. "Noncredit" basic skills courses, which don't offer credits for students, are only funded by the state at 60 percent of the amount given to credit basic skills courses, making it less attractive to community colleges to offer and promote. The study provides "a tool to estimate costs and downstream revenue" as well as a Microsoft Excel modeling tool that shows the potential revenues that can come from basic skills programs.
Based on the findings, California community colleges adopted the "Strategic Plan" for implementation in June 2006. This plan covers five main areas, one of which is "student success and readiness," with the goal of making sure that teaching basic skills receives significant attention and is funded sufficiently in California's community colleges.