One Plus One: Credit Equivalency Process Jamilah Jones Tucker Director, Career Technical Initiatives 12/17/2013

Today We Will: Discuss the history of Career Technical Assurance Guides (CTAGs) and policy. Review the process of CTAG creation and associated considerations. Review examples of the policy in action. (20 minutes) Discuss (5-10 minutes)

History

Ohio Credit Transfer Policy S.B. 268 and Amended Sub. H.B. 111 Ohio Transfer Module (OTM) 2003 – H.B. 95 (ORC ) – Transfer Assurance Guides 2005 – H.B. 66 (ORC ) - Career-Technical Credit Transfer (CT) – University System of Ohio

Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy Tenants Equitable treatment for transfer and native students Ultimate Goal: move away from course equivalencies on the bases of course descriptions, credits, and seat time; towards equivalency-based model; competencies to competencies, focusing on matching learning outcomes to articulate specific levels of learning mastery The Course Equivalency System improves transfer credit articulation and reduce undesired variability in the transfer credit evaluation process Source: The Ohio Board of Regents, The Ohio Articulation & Transfer Policy, Revised August 25, 2010

Transfer and Acceptance of Credit The policy distinguishes between the acceptance of credit by the receiving institution and the application of credit to the student’s chosen program. General Education Entry Require- ments/ Pre-Req’s Free Electives Technical Education Acceptance Degree Components Application Associate Degree Transcript (in Applied Science Program)

Fundamental Policy Guarantee for all HLC Accredited Institutional Transfer: For all College Level Course Work: credit is accepted (and further maybe transcribed) for all college-level courses that student has passed. Application is course-by-course and depends on major requirements, accreditation, etc. “Transfer credit will be accepted for successfully completed, college-level courses from Ohio institutions of higher education which are accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Higher Learning Commission or other regional accrediting commissions which have been recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) (pg.11).” 3 standards for “college –level” 1.The course is not remedial 2.The course carries one or more credit hours 3.The hours of the course are eligible to count toward graduation at the sending institutions A note on other regional accrediting commissions: “For the purposes of this policy, institutions accredited by national or professional agencies which are recognized by CHEA, but not also accredited by a regional accrediting commission, will considered non-accredited.”

Observations Ohio’s Technical Colleges (Source/Sending Institution) Non-HLC Accredited Institutions Non-Degree Granting Transcription of learning done through Passport, Local Completion Certificate, Industry-Standard Credential, License or Certificate, or Industry Program Accreditation and Examination Program “Clock Hours” Ohio’s Community Colleges (Receiving Institutions) HLC Accredited Institutions Degree-Granting Transcription of learning done on an Official Transcript Transcription done in terms of Credit Hours (750 minutes of formalized instruction with out of class instruction that requires at least twice as much time [1500 minutes] = 1 Credit Hour)

Prior to CT2 Career-Technical Students had no statewide guarantee of transfer, acceptance or application of previous educational work from non-HLC accredited/degree granting institutions to HLC accredited/degree-granting institutions (2 year public, 4 year public in Ohio)

ORC (A) As used in this section, "state institution of higher education" means an institution of higher education as defined in section of the Revised Code (B) By April 15, 2007, the chancellor of the Ohio board of regents, in consultation with the department of education, public adult and secondary career-technical education institutions, and state institutions of higher education, shall establish criteria, policies, and procedures that enable students to transfer agreed upon technical courses completed through an adult career-technical education institution, a public secondary career-technical institution, or a state institution of higher education to a state institution of higher education without unnecessary duplication or institutional barriers. The courses to which the criteria, policies, and procedures apply shall be those that adhere to recognized industry standards and equivalent coursework common to the secondary career pathway and adult career-technical education system and regionally accredited state institutions of higher education. Where applicable, the policies and procedures shall build upon the articulation agreement and transfer initiative course equivalency system required by section of the Revised Code Effective Date: ; 2007 HB

CTAG Policy Why was it to happen? Reduce barriers and unnecessary duplication. How was it to happen? Building upon existing statewide-transfer policies. What was in scope? Those programs and courses that adhere to recognized industry standards/or coursework deemed equivalent and common to the aforementioned educational institutions. What was to happen? Agreement and collaboration on what should articulate.

Adult Post Secondary Education Secondary

CTAG Policy Adult Post Secondary Education Secondary

CTAG Policy Why was it to happen? Reduce barriers and unnecessary duplication. How was it to happen? Building upon existing statewide-transfer policies. What was in scope? Those programs and courses that adhere to recognized industry standards/or coursework deemed equivalent and common to the aforementioned educational institutions. What was to happen? Agreement and collaboration on what should articulate.

To facilitate and get to, “agreed upon” OATN follows the 5 Steps to Equivalency: 1.Defining – Joint faculty panels meet to define learning outcomes and credit hour ranges. 2.Agreeing – Educational partners reach consensual agreement on the learning outcomes via a statewide feedback process. 3.Matching – Institutions match courses / programs to learning outcomes and credit hour ranges. 4.Submitting – Institutions submit specific course / program materials based on learning outcomes and credit hour ranges. 5.Reviewing – Faculty review panels validate course / program materials against learning outcomes, recommended credit hour ranges, and other requirements. Research Phase

STEP 1: Important to Keep In Mind In the research phase, the researcher is looking for a)“technology specific programs” that exist statewide (at the receiving institutions), b) in common with sending institution and c) often the industry recognized credential test map.

University System of Ohio

STEP 1: Important to Keep In Mind (continued) The researcher is articulating equivalent competencies, typically carried through specific credit hour assignments [course(s)] within the technical program (at the receiving institution).

Course 2 LO: Course 1 LO: Receiving Programs Post Secondary Programs (Statewide) Course 3 LO: Course 4 LO: Course Course Course Program LO/Competencies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Sending Program Competencies validated by industry recognized credential CTAG

In Practice Example

Medical Assisting CTAG Contains 7 CTANS (credit hours): – Diagnostic Testing (2) – Fundamental Procedures (3) – Patient Care(5) – Bookkeeping Functions (2) – Prfrm Bsc Admin Med Asst Funct (1) – Process Insurance Claims (3) – Specimen Collection (2) Note: Hours assigned to CTANs are “relative values,” which are used to help determine the equivalency of submitted coursework or content. Once approved by a validation panel as a CT² course, students will be given what the receiving institution is offering as credit for its approved course.

72 Hour Program, ATS Degree in Medical Assisting 19 hours of CTAG Credit A. Medical Assisting Associate of Technical Studies Degree

B. Medical Assisting Associates of Applied Science Degree 62 Hour Program, AAS Degree in Medical Assisting 18 Credit Hours In CTAG Credit

How did we know these programs had equivalent components? OATN follows the 5 Steps to Equivalency: 1.Defining – Joint faculty panels meet to define learning outcomes and credit hour ranges. 2.Agreeing – Educational partners reach consensual agreement on the learning outcomes via a statewide feedback process. 3.Matching – Institutions match courses / programs to learning outcomes and credit hour ranges. 4.Submitting – Institutions submit specific course / program materials based on learning outcomes and credit hour ranges. 5.Reviewing – Faculty review panels validate course / program materials against learning outcomes, recommended credit hour ranges, and other requirements.

(CT)² Transfer Guarantee CTAGs Non-Credit Content/Program Career Center A CTAN specifies agreed upon the course/modular level Credit Courses XY Crdts (relative credit value) Community College B Approved Example CTAN Offers Example Degree Program If a student completes an approved Career-Technical Assurance Guide (CTAG) course/program, then that course/program is guaranteed to transfer as major credit to any of Ohio’s public institutions as long as those institutions offer the appropriate technology major.

 Sometimes, a receiving school will either not have a course that would fulfill a specific CTAN or their course has not yet been approved.  If this does occur, any student who has completed an approved match to the CTAN is guaranteed to receive credit in the major for the completed coursework. How that credit applies to the major is up to the receiving institution.  Credit hours to be awarded must be no less than the value of guaranteed credit hours for that CTAN or CTAG with the specifics determined by the receiving institution. What if there is no equivalency?

Questions