Helping Workers Obtain Meaningful Education Credentials Through PLA
August 23, 2012
1. Introduce CAEL2. Introduce Prior Learning
Assessment (PLA)3. Explain the benefits of PLA for
your clients
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Goals for this morning
The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning A 501(c)3 non-profit organization 37 years of lifelong learning and workforce
development experience Nationally recognized as the expert in Prior
Learning Assessment “The CAEL Standards”
www.cael.org Meaningful learning, credentials and work for every adult
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About CAEL
“The Talent Dividend”CEO’s for Cities calculates a staggering economic benefit for every 1% growth in degree completion.
http://www.ceosforcities.org/city-dividends/talent/prize/
Prior Learning Assessment is a process for evaluating knowledge and skills in order to award college credit for learning from:
On-the-job
learningCorporate training
Independent study
Military service
Volunteer service
• L E A R N I N G C O U N T S . O R G
What is PLA?
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PLA takes many forms
Transfer credit
ACE recommended credit
Standardized tests
Student Portfolio
College Credit
Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success
2010 48 higher education institutions 60,000 student records Complete study: http://www.cael.org/pdfs/PLA_Fueling-the-Race
PLA Research
Graduation rates are 2 ½ times higher for students with PLA credit
Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success, March 2010
PLA helps students graduate
Worker: Saves time Employers: Increases pool of trained and
educated workers Regional Economy: Shorter time to a
prepared workforce Workforce System: Saves time AND money
Everyone wins with PLA
The principle: Only pay once for college level learning
Bottom line: It’s worth it!
For example
An adult student who earns 15 creditsfrom PLA appliedto a degree saves $1605to $6,000 on tuition costs.
www.learningcounts.org
PLA Wizard on LearningCounts.org
Coming Soon!
A “system” approach
Tennessee Indiana Pennsylvania Washington Colorado Oregon Vermont Minnesota
Example: Indiana
Indiana DWD Policy 2011-4:
Creating Incentives for Transformational Change
Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) Builds on the Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010 All stakeholders at the table Rolling up their sleeves
Student services Institutional policies
Tennessee
Identify Appropriate PLA Candidates Assess for ITA support Explain the benefits and process of
PLA to clients
Where Do You Fit In?
Amy Shermano Associate Vice President, Policy and Strategic
Allianceso [email protected]
Questions? Contact us
ACE Credit Recommendations: An Introduction
Tennessee College Access TrainingAugust 23, 2012
Mary Beth Lakin, DirectorCollege and University Partnerships
Center for Lifelong Learning
ACE: Overview
Founded in 1918, the American Council on Education (ACE), is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600
college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide.
It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through
advocacy.
19www.acenet.edu
Policy and Practice Matter
• College-level knowledge & competencies can be demonstrated and validated through multiple options.
• Adults bring range of learning experiences and require range of methods.
• With more options comes increased likelihood for greater numbers of learners to complete credentials.
• More flexibility translates to better academic outcomes.
ACE Credit Review• Program Evaluations
– Military Programs– Corporate Programs (ACE CREDIT®)
• Program Evaluation Activities– Evaluate formal courses and occupational specialties– Publish course and occupation descriptions and academic
credit recommendations– Provide transcript and registry services
Faculty Review Teams
• Led by national coordinators with decades of experience in teaching and evaluating
• Made up of faculty acrossinstitutional types, with currency in their fields
• Conduct 50 reviews formilitary programs; 60 forcorporate programs yearly
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ACE’s Military Evaluation Program• MEP provides institutions with basis for recognizing
military educational experiences in terms of civilian academic credit.
• Since the early 1940s, MEP has reviewed & made credit recommendations for thousands of college-level courses offered by the military services.
• In 1974 MEP began evaluation of military occupational specialties.
Military Programs Homepage: http://www.acenet.edu/militaryprograms
Example of Military Transcript: SMART
Transcripts for Military Personnel
Resource: Transfer Guide• Provides guide to
understanding military credit recommendations & transcripts
• Includes definitions of common terms, answers to frequently asked questions, & transfer credit checklist
• Website
www.acenet.edu/militaryprograms/transferguide
Veterans Programs: Serving Those Who Serve
• Veteran Success Jam • Toolkit for Veteran Friendly Institutions• Success for Veterans Award Grants• Severely Injured
Military Veterans: Fulfilling Their Dreams
ACE College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT)
began in mid-1970s.
Review process for participating organizations uses standards and procedures
established through Military Evaluation Program.
Corporations
Government
Foreign Service InstituteFederal Bureau of PrisonsImmigration and Naturalization ServiceU.S. Marshals Service
www.acenet.edu/nationalguideSearch tool: https://www2.acenet.edu/credit/?fuseaction=transcriptsPublic.getCourseSearchCriteria
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
ACE Transcript Services
ACE CREDIT Registry and Transcript Systemhttp://www.acenet.edu/transcripts
College & University Partnerships• ACE CREDIT College and University Network:
Recognition of ACE credit recommendations • Credits to Credentials™:
Pathways through Partnerships • Lifelong Learning Resource Center:
Advocacy and Information for Adult Learners• Webinars, Tools, and Maps:
Resources for Working with Adult Learners
http://www.acenet.edu/credit/network
Contact: Mary Beth Lakin
Q & A What do you need clarification on?
What benefits can you see PLA providing to your clients?
What challenges do you anticipate?
GOALS FOR AFTERNOON PLA SESSION Identify characteristics of good PLA
candidates.
Apply these characteristics to a scenario.
Learn what informational resources are available to you.