1. AACRAO Tech and Transfer
July 9-11, 2017
New Orleans
The Interstate Passport® An Outcomes-Based Framework for Block Transfer
Roland Squire
WICHE

2. Today’s Topics What is Interstate Passport® Transfer Issue
Statewide Solutions
How the Interstate Passport Works
Who’s Involved
How to Join

3. What is WICHE?
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Four regional compacts
MHEC, NEBHE, SREB, WICHE
Established by the U.S. Congress in early 1950s
Non Profit 501 c 3
Purpose: To support cooperation and resource sharing across the higher education community in the region to expand access and excellence.

4. Introduction
Interstate Passport®—a program facilitating block transfer of lower division general education attainment based upon student learning outcomes Goal: Eliminate the unnecessary repetition of learning already achieved. Developed by CAO’s.
Funded by: Carnegie Corporation of New York –
Lumina Foundation –
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation –
First in the World, U.S. Department of Education –

5. Impact of Lost Credits
“Inefficiencies around the transfer of credits have a ‘substantial effect on whether you graduate.’”
- David Monaghan and Paul Attewell, Graduate Center of the City University of New York
For community college transfer students, Monaghan and Attewell found:
Only 58% are able to bring all or almost all (90%+) of their credits with them.
About 14% lose more than 90 percent of their credits.
Remaining 28% lose between 10% and 89%of their credits.
*Monaghan, David and Paul Attewell (2014). The Community College Route to the Bachelor's Degree, published online by Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis.

6. State Solution: Guaranteed Transfer of Associate Degree
Statewide guaranteed transfer of an associate degree: Guarantees students awarded an associate degree before transfer to a four-year institution can transfer all of their credits to the four-year institution and enter at the junior standing level. The majority of policies state that students are then not required to complete any further general education courses.
Source: Education Commission of the States. Database of Legislative Transfer Activity. April 18, 2016

7. State Solution: Reverse Transfer
Statewide reverse transfer: Require all public institutions to implement the process of retroactively granting an associate degree to students who have not completed the requirements of an associate degree before they transferred from a two- to a four-year institution.
Source: Education Commission of the States. Database of Legislative Transfer Activity. April 18, 2016

8. Interstate Mobility
Source: Snapshot Report: Interstate Mobility. (2015). Herndon, VA: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

9. What is the Passport Nine Knowledge & Skill Areas
Natural
Sciences
Human
Cultures
Society
and the
Individual
Creative
Expression
Knowledge of
Concepts
Teamwork and Value
Systems
Critical
Thinking
Cross-Cutting
Skills
Written
Communi- cation
Oral
Quantita–
tive
Literacy
Foundational Skills

10. Lower Division General Education65
Learning Outcomes
what a student knows and can do…
Developed by multi-state faculty

11. Institution’s Passport Block
30-36
Semester Credits
40-48
Quarter Credits
EXCERPT: Laramie County Community College
ORAL COMMUNICATION
CO/M 2010 Public Speaking
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
ENGL English I
QUANTITATIVE LITERACY
Math 0970 & Integrated Problem Solving Quantway I & II OR
Math Problem Solving OR
Math 0980 & Integrated College Algebra Algebraway I & II OR
Math 0990 & Integrated Pre-Calculus Stemway I & II OR
Math 0960 & STAT Integrated Statistics Statway I & II OR
STAT 2070 Introductory Statistics for the Social Sciences
HUMAN CULTURES
AMST Cultural Diversity in America OR
ANTH Introduction to Cultural Anthropology OR
ART Art History I OR
ART Art History II OR
ECON Global Economic Issues OR
GEOG World Regional Geography

12. Transfer-Level Proficiency
Minimum Grade in ALL Courses
in Passport Block

13. Interstate Passport Network Early Adopters23
Institutions
In 8
States

14. Passports Awarded
9,082
In Fall 2016

15. Who’s Involved
Developing the Passport Learning Outcomes; Early Adopters
Testing the block construction process
Piloting critical assignment mapping
Oregon, California, North Dakota, South Dakota, Hawaii, Utah, Wyoming Idaho, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Arkansas Montana, Colorado, New Mexico

16. Tracking Academic Performance
Process designed by Registrars & Institutional Researchers
National Student Clearinghouse
PassportVerify
Academic Progress Tracking
Annual Reports for Quality Assurance
Institution
Passport Review Board
For a tutorial & guides to these services, see:

17. Awarding the Passport: Registrar’s Role
Identify students who earned the Passport in SIS
Record Passport on student transcript
Notify students who earned Passport
Submit data to NSC’s PassportVerify Service
Report students earning a Passport; at end of each term
Verify which incoming transfer students have a Passport through NSC’s PassportVerify Service
Record Passport (where/when it was earned)for incoming transfer students with a Passport in SIS

18. Academic Progress Tracking: Registrar/IR Role
Every receiving institution submits: Grades for transfer students (Passport and non-Passport) for at least two terms after transfer and for native students for two terms after they earn a Passport
Every sending institution receives: Annual reports on the academic progress of students who transfer to other Passport institutions and access to a de-identified database of detailed information (1st Gen, Sex, Race/Ethnicity, Pell, GPA, Military/Veteran, Age, Avg. Credits, Degree and Major)
Passport Review Board receives: Annual report of aggregated results to evaluate overall program

19. How Results are Assessed
Pilot study used proxies for success
Reporting on students for 2 terms after transfer
Comparing Passport to non-Passport

20. Accountability Over the Long Term
Students will graduate at a higher rate (on average)
Students will graduate sooner (on average)

21. Benefits to Students Better understanding about GE
Knowledge in advance of transfer that GE requirements will be met
Save time, money
Graduate sooner

22. Benefit to Institutions
Simplified transfer process
Best use of General Education courses; students not taking up seats needed by others
Increased retention & graduation rates

23. Steps to joining….
Build campus/system awareness re: Interstate Passport
Determine congruence w/Passport Learning Outcomes
Construct Passport Block
Prepare to participate in Academic Progress Tracking
Apply online
Sign MOU First 5 years free….

24. Questions For more information, contact Pat Shea pshea@wiche.edu
Roland Squire