1 Prior Learning Assessment: Supporting Student Completion Madeline Burillo, Ed.D. Associate Vice Chancellor Workforce Instruction June 2, 2015 Texas Community College Instructional Leaders Summer Conference

About HCC Founded in colleges; 17 locations K + / semester 58% F; 42% M; H-35%; AA-33%;W-15%; A- 13%; O-4% Ranked #3 Assoc. degrees 2 Over 62 Workforce Programs Over 25 MSAA CEU 13+ DOL Approved Apprenticeship 1 st in Gulf Coast region to be approved part of U.S. DOL Registered Apprenticeship College Consortium (RACC)

Prior Learning Assessment is a process to allow learners to demonstrate their knowledge and skill in a particular field or fields and have that learning evaluated for college credit. 3 What is PLA?

Adults knowledge and skills to be evaluated for college credit.  On-the-job learning  Corporate training  Military service  Industry recognized credentials / licenses  Independent study  Volunteer service What is PLA?

HCC and PLA Spring 2011: Task Force Objective: ◦ Revised procedures and develop a simple, “easy to follow, easy to understand and easy to access” Kresge Grant -$800K ◦ CAEL Partnership ◦ Director PLA  Procedure Manual  Web Site  Training  Marketing 5

HCC Six Methods for PLA Military Training Testing/Credit by Exam CEU/WECM to Credit Industry Credentials Work Experience-Portfolio Evaluation Articulated Agreements 6

HCC PLA Six Methods of PLA Credit for Military Training ◦ ACE ◦ CCH Credit Exam ◦ Standard Exams, Internal or Final CEU to SCH ◦ Mirror courses ◦ Internal Articulations ◦ *Apprenticeship Credit by Industry credentials ◦ *Demonstrated Competency Based Credit by Work Experience ◦ Portfolio evaluation – CAEL Learningcounts.org Credit by Articulation Agreement-No Fee 7

8 What is a Portfolio? A formal written, visual, or spoken communication describing, illustrating, and documenting college-level learning– and requesting college credit.

9 Workers in transition can use knowledge portfolios to document professional experiences Veterans and active duty personnel can use to document other areas, not measured by ACE Provides objective evaluation Portfolio: Resource for those in-transition

10 What is LearningCounts? CAEL One Stop Online Plan Portal Access to College Credit Predictor and a College Credit Specialist Portfolio Development Courses

11 CAEL College Credit Predictor

PLA Trends - HCC 12

Challenges Objective and Standard Method for Portfolio Evaluation Large Institution ◦ Resistance to change ◦ Training Sustainability Training 13

Future Plans – In Progress Embedding PLA process as part of new advisors and instructional leaders required training through HCC Center for Teaching & Learning ◦ Online training module Competency Based Training-FL model ◦ Construction Trades pilot  Electrical  HVAC  Welding 14

Thank you 15

References Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success, March 2010 HCC 2015 Fast Facts report 16