1. Adult Student Success Linking Learning and Work

2. CAEL’s Overarching Goal: Meaningful Learning, Credentials, and Work for Every Adult For more than 40 years, CAEL has been linking adults’ lifelong learning with credits and careers

3. Council for Adult and Experiential Learning A 501(c)(3) non-profit, international organization with 40 years of lifelong learning experience National leader in Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) best practices, research, and writing Dedicated to removing barriers to adult learning Standards recognized by regional accrediting bodies What Is CAEL?

4. What is Prior Learning Assessment? (PLA) Prior Learning Assessment is the process for evaluating knowledge and skills to award college credit for learning from: Independent Study Training Courses and/or Certifications Military and Volunteer Service On-the-job training Work Experience

5. CAEL Research Tells Us Credit for Lifelong Learning Helps Students are More Likely to Persist to Graduation!

6. Graduation and Completion Baccalaureate students are 2.5 times more likely to persist to graduation 2.5X

7. Latinos and PLA Research 7 CAEL Collaborated with Excelencia in Education for a research study on Latino college students’ experiences with PLA Latino students just as likely as non-Latino students to use PLA, if enrolled at adult- friendly institutions with easy to access PLA services

8. Few Community Colleges Implement on Their Own Research has found: PLA offerings are inconsistent across departments. PLA credit often officially in approved policy, but not advocated or promoted. PLA programs vary widely from college to college and consistency and transferability of PLA credits is a concern. Community college administrators see considerable potential or future demand for PLA, but many do not have plans to expand their offerings

9. Overview of LearningCounts www.LearningCounts.org On-line portfolio assessment service Piloted from 2011-2013 National rollout campaign 2013-2015 Free PLA Credit Predictor Complimentary student guidance on all forms of PLA Courses to teach students how to discover and document their own college-level learning and build portfolios online

10. Overview of LearningCounts Portfolios routed electronically to CAEL-trained faculty assessors with appropriate subject matter expertise Students find out within about 2 weeks if credit is recommended or denied. Credits are transcribed on a CAEL/NCCRS Transcript or directly by Featured Network colleges and universities

11. 11 Featured Network Rates LearningCounts Fees Annual Fee 1-1000 FTE: $3,500 1001-5000 FTE: $7,500 5001 or higher FTE: $10,500 Implementation Fee (one-time only) $2795 LearningCounts Offerings Tuition Rate CAEL 100 Tuition + One Portfolio Assessment $625 Self-Paced Course + One Portfolio Assessment $254 Additional Portfolios $125

12. Portfolio Assessment Students use course match – each portfolio is one 3 credit course Assessors are subject matter experts, have terminal degrees in the subject matter and have taught the classes in the subject matter/disciplines of the portfolios they are evaluating Assessors trained and certified by CAEL Assessors are faculty from colleges and universities nationwide—they evaluate portfolios and make credit recommendations

13. Obstacles to Community College Adoption During Pilot 13 Cost of 3-credit prep course higher than tuition at community colleges Faculty resistance to using CAEL’s trained faculty assessor network Concern about transferring credit to 4-year institutions

14. Solutions for Community Colleges during national roll-out 2013-2015 14 Creation of Do It Yourself non-credit portfolio prep course Cost of DIY course lower than community college tuition State licensing model adopted in Texas by TACC

15. Do It Yourself Portfolio Prep Course 15 Self-paced, interactive online course that can be taken at any time and from any computer or tablet with an Internet connection. Course consists of 8 modules that can be completed in 4-6 hours. Any time, open enrollment

16. Successful DIY Students Have regular access to a computer. Self-motivated and have experience in online learning. Willing to spend the time required. (4-6 hours to do the modules and 5 hours to research and develop portfolio materials) Have experience writing college papers. Have checked with their college advisor to make sure credits earned through LearningCounts will fit into their degree plan.

17. TACC—A Model for State Associations or Community Colleges 17

18. Why TACC Is Implementing State Licensing Model Want to better serve adult students PLA participation is extremely low in Texas Need to keep LearningCounts affordable, and lower than the cost of a course Need for a streamlined, rigorous process

19. Impact of TACC’s Plan on Students Affordable – Can enroll in DIY course for $125 and each additional portfolio is only $125 Convenient – On-line course offered through Virtual College of Texas Transcript of credit recommendations provided to home school

20. TACC’s Plan Supports Community Colleges Across Texas Engage all community colleges Train college personnel and assist with policies Promote PLA with marketing and information for students

21. What We Know About Adults Completing Portfolios

24. Next Steps 24 CAEL presentation to your state’s presidents and/or provosts/chief academic officers Brainstorm with CAEL about which college in your state will be the “hub” for the state and register students in portfolio prep course Discussion about whether your state will license CAEL’s non-credit course or devise a different solution Discussion about whether your colleges will want to use CAEL’s national assessor network or in-state faculty—and if in-state faculty is preferred, how to pay for the faculty assessor training and certification Conduct joint search for local or state funding Hub college signs Featured Network Agreement with CAEL and marketing begins

25. Connect with CAEL CAEL Website: www.cael.orgwww.cael.org LearningCounts Website: www.learningcounts.orgwww.learningcounts.org Like us: www.facebook.com/CAELnews www.facebook.com/CAELnews Follow us: www.twitter.com/CAELnews www.twitter.com/CAELnews Join us: http://linkd.in/wsUnxh http://linkd.in/wsUnxh Watch us: www.youtube.com/caelchicago www.youtube.com/caelchicago