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BP 9-43 – Certification of Workplace Literacy Programs

State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education

BP 9-43

APPROVED: February 14, 1991
EFFECTIVE: February 14, 1991
REPEALED: September 14, 2000
READOPTED: August 25, 2001

REFERENCES: C.R.S. 23-60-601, et seq.

ISSUED BY:

/ Joe D. May /
Joe D. May
System President

POLICY STATEMENT

Pursuant to the statute referenced above, the Board hereby establishes a program of certification for workplace literacy programs; including criteria, procedures, and accountability standards.

SCOPE

This policy applies to the state system community colleges and to the local district community colleges.

CRITERIA FOR CERTIFICATION

Programs which meet the following criteria may be designated Certified Workplace Literacy Programs:

  1. Programs must meet the statutory requirements; i.e., they must be sponsored by one or more private employers and conducted in the workplace for the benefit of employees.
  2. Curriculums must include instruction in basic reading, writing, and/or mathematics. The courses must be designed to meet the accountability standards herein.

PROCESS

Private employers who wish to obtain Board certification for a workplace literacy program must submit to a state system community college for the approval of the president a workplace literacy program proposal; or enter into an agreement with a Colorado community college to sponsor a Certified Workplace Literacy Program to be delivered by the college.

Pursuant to the statute, anyone who satisfactorily completes a certified workplace literacy program within one year of enrollment in any junior or community college shall be exempt from placement testing in the specified skill area(s) at any Colorado junior or community college. The certificate of completion must be presented with the application for admission. The waiver of placement testing does not guarantee admittance to programs which may require higher level skills than those defined herein under the Accountability Standards section in this policy.

ACCOUNTABILITY STANDARDS

Satisfactory completion of Certified Workplace Literacy Programs shall require that students meet the following minimum standards:

  1. Reading literacy: ability to function independently at the eighth grade level, including comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency, as evaluated by the sponsoring community college.
  2. Writing literacy: ability to develop ideas clearly in standard written English using correct grammar, sentence structure, paragraphing and vocabulary.
  3. Math literacy: ability to perform math computations involving whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percentages.

PROCEDURES

The System president shall promulgate procedures as needed for the implementation of this policy.