LearningCounts.org A New Prior Learning Assessment Initiative Judy Wertheim V.P., Higher Education Services Higher Education Conference on Enrollment Management February 23, 2011

What Is CAEL? The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning

What Is CAEL? ▷CAEL is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, with headquarters in Chicago. ▷CAEL’s Mission: CAEL advances lifelong learning in partnership with educational institutions, employers, labor organizations, government, and communities ▷CAEL works to remove the barriers to adults so that they can pursue higher education and realize their potential. 3

Some Barriers to Adult Participation Affordability Accessibility Aspiration

Removing the Barriers Prior Learning Assessment Can Help 5

How Can PLA Help? What Is PLA? The evaluation for college credit of the knowledge and skills one gains from life experiences (or from non-college instructional programs) including: employment travel hobbies civic activities volunteer service military service

How Can PLA Help? PLA Methods Standardized exams Advanced Placement (AP) College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Excelsior College Exams DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) Evaluation of non-college training (e.g. corporate or military) Challenge exams Individual student portfolios

Standards to Ensure Quality The 10 CAEL Standards for Assessing Learning ensure quality #1: Credit or its equivalent should be awarded only for learning, and not for experience.

How Can PLA Help? CAEL Study of PLA and Student Outcomes 48-institution study of PLA and academic outcomes, funded by Lumina Foundation for Education (Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success) 62,475 total adult students in our sample (adult = age 25 or older) Increased Graduation Rates, Greater Persistence, and Shorter Time to Degree

CAEL’s New PLA Initiative LearningCounts.org 10

Planning for LearningCounts.org ▷Funded by Lumina Foundation for Education November, 2009 – May, 2010 ▷Business and marketing plans completed May,

▷Will use on-line platform ▷Will help students earn all forms of PLA credit (CAEL is working with ACE and the College Board.) ▷Credit recommendations from LearningCounts.org faculty experts will be sent on ACE transcript to collegesLearningCounts.org 12

LearningCounts.org ▷Pilot phase began July 1, 2010 Funded by: Joyce Foundation Kresge Foundation Lumina Foundation for Education State Street Foundation Walmart Foundation 13

LearningCounts.org will offer students: ▷Brief assessment of whether LearningCounts.org is appropriate at this time ▷One-on-one advising ▷Advice about ways to earn college credit for learning ▷PLA course (theory and practice) ▷Faculty assessment of the PLA portfolio(s) ▷Record of credit recommendations on an ACE transcript ▷Archive of the portfolio 14

Whom Will It Serve? ▷Individuals already enrolled in community colleges or four-year institutions Provide support for postsecondary institutions that have no existing PLA programs Augment existing PLA programs at some postsecondary institutions

Whom Will It Serve? ▷Unaffiliated individuals not yet in college or having started but never finished college Active duty military and veterans Document and certify skills from their military careers Workers in transition or lower- income workers Workforce Investment Boards might send workers to document skills from previous jobs and have that learning evaluated by faculty

Whom Will It Serve? ▷Employers and industry groups To pursue the further credentialing of their employees To document learning that has already been completed and identify skills gaps

LearningCounts.org Can Help If Your Institution: ▷Lacks a PLA program at your institution ▷Cannot keep up with high volume of portfolio submissions ▷Lacks personnel to adequately staff the PLA program 18

LearningCounts.org Can Help If Your Institution: ▷Lacks credentialed faculty to review submitted portfolios in certain fields ▷Is interested in streamlining the process through increased capacity and speed ▷Will rely on LearningCounts.org as an interim resource 19

Faculty Assessors ▷We are seeking applicants from across all disciplinary areas ▷Faculty assessors and instructors will have qualifications equivalent to those that would enable them to lead an undergraduate classroom ▷Assessors and instructors will receive formal training from CAEL ▷To apply: 20

Requirements to Participate in the Pilot Phase ▷Be an active institutional/system/organizational CAEL member ▷Refer 5 students to LearningCounts.org in each pilot year ▷Accept credit recommendations as you would any other transfer credits ▷Be self-identified as adult friendly ▷Have the approval of an administrator (e.g. president, vice president, chief academic officer or dean) to participate 21

Criteria for Students ▷Are matriculated at your institution ▷Are in good standing at your institution ▷Understand the costs involved. (Tuition for the PLA course = $ Fees for portfolio assessment = $250/1-6 credit hours requested in a single discipline.) ▷Understand that the portfolio development course lasts six weeks and will require approximately 10 hours of work each week 22

Criteria for Students ▷Have demonstrated competency in written English ▷Have access to a computer with high- speed capability and are good candidates for online learning ▷Have not taken a similar course ▷Are willing to help us evaluate the course ▷Are planning to graduate in August, 2011 or later 23

LearningCounts.org Goals for the pilot phase: ▷Increase awareness of PLA (students, faculty, general public, states, workforce organizations, employers) ▷Provide more PLA options than a single institution can ▷Offer uniform, consistent PLA credit evaluations ▷Increase numbers of students who earn credit through PLA. ▷Involve more institutions in PLA 24

LearningCounts.org Goals for the pilot phase: ▷Teach students how to reflect on their own learning and prepare a portfolio ▷Involve 2 states in policy change efforts ▷Extend outreach to unaffiliated students ▷Refine LearningCounts.org model ▷Track progress of students who earn PLA credit 25

LearningCounts.org Questions? Judy Wertheim