DVS 014: Adult Basic Skills

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Class Program
Basic Education for Adults (BEdA)
The main goal of this course is to assist students to improve their reading, writing, listening, employability skills, and math skills in order to advance to the next NRS Educational Functional level as determined by the CASAS Levels and to obtain knowledge and skills necessary for college and career readiness (Formerly: DVS 011, 012, 013, 014, 020, 021)

Prerequisites

This course is designed for students with a CASAS score below 246 in reading and/or math.
Course Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge or skills:

Level 1: Very limited ability to read or write. Persons at the upper end of this score range can read and write numbers and letters and simple words and phrases related to immediate needs. Can provide very basic personal identification in written form such as on job applications. Can handle routine entry level jobs that require only basic written communication. Level 2: Can fill out simple forms requiring basic personal information, write a simple list or telephone message, calculate a single simple operation when numbers are given, and make simple change. Can read and interpret simple sentences on familiar topics. Can read and interpret simple directions, signs, maps, and simple menus. Can handle entry level jobs that involve some simple written communication. Level 3: Can handle basic reading, writing, and computational tasks related to life roles. Can read and interpret simplified and some authentic materials on familiar topics. Can interpret simple charts, graphs, and labels; interpret a basic payroll stub; follow basic written instructions and diagrams. Can complete a simple order form and do calculations; fill out basic medical information forms and basic job applications; follow basic oral and written instructions and diagrams. Can handle jobs and/or job training that involve following basic oral or written instructions and diagrams if they can be clarified orally. Level 4: Can handle most routine reading, writing, and computational tasks related to their life roles. Can interpret routine charts, graphs, and labels; read and interpret a simple handbook for employees; interpret a payroll stub; complete an order form and do calculations; compute tips; reconcile a bank statement; fill out medical information forms and job applications. Can follow multi-step diagrams and written instructions; maintain a family budget; and write a simple accident or incident report. Can handle jobs and job training situations that involve following oral and simple written instructions and diagrams. Persons at the upper end of this score range are able to begin GED preparation. Level 5: Can read and follow multi-step directions; read and interpret common legal forms and manuals; use math in business, such as calculating discounts; create and use tables and graphs; communicate personal opinion in written form; write an accident or incident report. Can integrate information from multiple texts, charts, and graphs as well as evaluate and organize information. Can perform tasks that involve oral and written instructions in both familiar and unfamiliar situations. Level 6: With some assistance, persons at this level are able to interpret technical information, more complex manuals, and material safety data sheets (MSDS). Can comprehend some college textbooks and apprenticeship manuals
Course Content Outline

These skills and strategies will be contextualized into BBCCs Areas of Interest:

Reading strategies using increasingly complex texts based on student CASAS scores and College and Career Readiness Standards.

Math skills and strategies using increasingly complex problems based on student CASAS scores and College and Career Readiness Standards.

Listening and speaking skills at increasingly complex levels based on student CASAS scores and College and Career Readiness Standards.

Writing skills at increasingly complex levels based on student CASAS scores and College and Career Readiness Standards.

Employability skills

Department Guidelines

After 45 hours of instruction, students will be evaluated using the CASAS math and reading standardized test.

College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) for BEdA Program: Instruction is aligned to the following CCR Standards:

C-E in Reading based on the CCRS Anchors

  • 1 (Read closely to determine what the test says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it),
  • 2 (Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas),
  • 3 (Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text),
  • 4 (Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone),
  • 5 (Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text [e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza] relate to each other and the whole,
  • 6 (Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text),
  • 7 (Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words),
  • 8 (Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence),
  • 9 (Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take, and
  • 10 (Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently).

C-E in Writing based on the CCRS Anchors

  • 1 (Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence),
  • 2 (Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content),
  • 3 (Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences),
  • 4 (Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience),
  • 5 (Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach),
  • 6 (Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others),
  • 7 (Conduct short as well more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation),
  • 8 (Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism), and
  • 9 (Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research).

C-E in Language based on the CCRS Anchors

  • 1 (Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking),
  • 2 (Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing,
  • 3 (Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening),
  • 4 (Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specializes reference materials, as appropriate),
  • 5 (Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings, and
  • 6 (Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression).

C-E in Math based on the CCRS Anchors

  • 1 (Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them)
  • 2 (Reason abstractly and quantitatively)
  • 3 (Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others)
  • 4 (Model with mathematics)
  • 5 (Use appropriate tools strategically)
  • 6 (Attend to precision)
  • 7 (Look for and make use of structure)
  • 8 (Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning)