1. Conversation Outline : Rick Torres, CEO National Student Clearinghouse
Connecting learners records : Highlighting the need to create better frameworks for cross border credential comparability
A look at specific examples between US and China
Overview of US credential production
Examples of comparability issues
Building a better process going forward
Bridge building meeting in DC Oct 13, 2016

2. Nearly 4mln new degrees are awarded annually
Snapshot, March 24, 2015
9/22/2018

3. Additionally 800K higher education certificates are awarded
Many recipients also have traditional degrees in addition to these certificates
These can be stacked and can become an additive credential to the concepts that underlie existing reverse transfer mechanisms
9/22/2018
Reverse Transfer - FL
Source: Complete College America

4. U.S. Technology Industry Employment
The Industry and Professional Certification
Market is also large and growing: I.e.: tech…
U.S. Technology Industry Employment
2013
2014
Percent Change
Numeric Change
Tech Manufacturing
1,150,200
1,136,900
-1.2%
-13,300
Telecommunications and Internet Services
1,256,100
1,277,300
1.7%
21,100
Software Products
296,800
304,500
2.6%
7,700
IT Services
2,041,300
2,104,600
3.1%
63,300
R&D, Testing, and Engineering Services
1,639,300
1,690,000
50,700
Total Tech
6,383,700
6,513,200
2.0%
129,600
According to CompTia there are ~2.0mln tech certification holders and growing and now we also have Boot camps awarding industry certifications as well.

5. % of Degrees Awarded in 2013/14
46% of 1.9mln Students Completing Degrees at 4-Year Institutions had Previous Community College Enrollment
Snaphshot. March 24, 2015
% of Degrees Awarded in 2013/14
9/22/2018

6. Average annual growth rate
A Growing Number of Students Who Earn Bachelor’s Degrees are Starting with Associate’s
2010-'11
2011-'12
2012-'13
2013-'14
2014-'15
Average annual growth rate
Number of bachelor's degree recipients who had a prior associate's degree
288,463
318,000
335,137
336,959
349,211
5.0%
Percent of all bachelor’s recipients
16.9%
17.8%
18.4%
18.9%
0.5 pp
9/22/2018

7. Percent of Baccalaureate recipients with prior Associate degree by US citizenship Status
9/22/2018

8. Some examples of articulation complexity US – China: Traditional education
Student A
Enrolls in community college and completes an associates degree (60 credits) in two years with a GPA.
Student automatically transfers to a 4 year institution, all credits accepted and completes baccalaureate in 2 more years
Student B
Enrolls in community college and completes an associates degree (60 credits) in two years with a GPA.
Student returns to China
How would these student’s academic work be evaluated in China?
9/22/2018

9. Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange
An Introduction to the Overseas Academic Credential Evaluation Service
Oct. 2016
Good morning, welcome to CSCSE, I’m Xiong Xing from the overseas credentials evaluation office, I’ll make a brief introduction to our evaluation work.

10. Key functions of CSCSE
Supporting Chinese students to go to study overseas
Promoting Chinese higher education
Attracting Chinese students to return from overseas
Evaluating overseas qualifications of higher education
☆CSCSE is a public organization affiliating to the Ministry of Education, from the establishment in 1989, we have been engaged in supporting Chinese students to study overseas, including both government sponsored and self-financed students.
☆ After our students accomplished their study, we still want to bring them back. So ,our Returnee affairs office do a lot of work to attract them, make them want to come back to work in China,
☆ Besides all this, we also responsible for the promotion of Chinese higher education, we maintain a study in China website, our study in China office bring Chinese universities to go overseas to promote their education.
☆ The overseas credentials evaluation office, where I’m from is entrusted by the MOE and the academic committee of state council to provide evaluation service to overseas credentials

11. Why overseas credentials get evaluated
Employability
Further Study
City
Residence
Regulated
Professions
Overseas Credential Evaluation
Voluntary application
Why overseas credentials need to be evaluated?
When some one holds an overseas qualification, and he wants to get employed in China, he may be asked to provide a evaluation report of the qualification by his employee. the situation is the same when he wants to pursue further study, or move to a big city, or take part in a regulated profession examination. This kind of evaluation is untaken by our office, and CSCSE is the only organization approved by the government to provide the service.

12. 1. 2. 3. 4. Overseas credentials evaluation is about:
Verifying the status of the overseas H.E.I.
Verifying the authenticity of the credential 2.
Providing professional advice on the qualification level 3.
For every single application of overseas credentials evaluation, my colleagues will verify the status of the overseas higher education institute in which the study was accomplished and qualification was awarded. They also verify if the qualification is an authentic one ,and they use their expertise on overseas qualifications to give out advice on the level of the qualification. At last, they will issue a written report for the applicant.
Issuing written assessment reports 4. 12

13. The Chinese higher education is not simple for US
For every single application of overseas credentials evaluation, my colleagues will verify the status of the overseas higher education institute in which the study was accomplished and qualification was awarded. They also verify if the qualification is an authentic one ,and they use their expertise on overseas qualifications to give out advice on the level of the qualification. At last, they will issue a written report for the applicant. 13

14. Associate degree comparability is an issue
Student A – Associates degree followed by baccalaureate degree
4yr school accredited
Program accredited
Comparable to Chinese Baccalaureate 120 credits
Student B – Associates degree only returns to China
2yr school accredited
Program accredited
Equivalent to Chinese technical certificate; test required for 4 year schools; no auto transfer 1.
Verifying the status of the overseas H.E.I.
Verifying the authenticity of the credential 2.
Providing professional advice on the qualification level 3.
Issuing written assessment reports 4.
For every single application of overseas credentials evaluation, my colleagues will verify the status of the overseas higher education institute in which the study was accomplished and qualification was awarded. They also verify if the qualification is an authentic one ,and they use their expertise on overseas qualifications to give out advice on the level of the qualification. At last, they will issue a written report for the applicant. 14

15. Higher level degrees also create confusion
LAW:
JD is terminal credential in US for law; seen as masters level credential in China
Medicine:
MD and PhD are both medical degrees in the US (though different levels are paid similarly in the marketplace in several disciplines). In China two different levels and paid differentially.
Physical therapy is offered in the US at associates, baccalaureate, masters and PhD level, is it a vocational, technical or academic degree.
Performance Arts:
Is earning a masters degree in Dance a technical or academic degree
For every single application of overseas credentials evaluation, my colleagues will verify the status of the overseas higher education institute in which the study was accomplished and qualification was awarded. They also verify if the qualification is an authentic one ,and they use their expertise on overseas qualifications to give out advice on the level of the qualification. At last, they will issue a written report for the applicant. 15

16. Building a better process going forward
Meeting held in Washington DC on Oct 13
Topics addressed: Improve understanding of:
Professional and performing arts degrees: comparabilities
Associates degrees: academic value
Attendees:
China: CSCSE
US: Community college sector, 4 year sector, accreditors (regional and program); AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers); National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) as a moderator

17. Building a better process going forward
Next steps: Collaboration, partnership, advisory
Community colleges (CC), AACRAO to provide better guidance/advice to transferability of associates degrees pathways within the US to prospective students via CSCSE
CSCSE has offered to help CC create comprehensive university level curriculum to help elevate local perceptions of CC programs
CSCSE to work closely with US professional program accrediting bodies to better understand, by professional discipline, the comparability of the credentials to the Chinese system.
This will lead to building an assessment framework