Degree Completion through Prior Learning Assessment and Competency Based Education

October 31, 2014

Presenter: Pamela Tate, President & CEOCouncil for Adult and Experiential Learning

Meaningful Learning, Credentials, and Work for

Every Adult

CAEL links learning and work – for nearly 40 years

CAEL’s Overarching Goal:

• Council for Adult and Experiential Learning

• A 501(c)(3) non-profit, international organization with nearly 40 years of lifelong learning experience

• National leader in PLA best practices, research, and writing

• Dedicated to removing barriers to adult learning

• Standards for assessing prior learning recognized by regional accrediting bodies

Who Is CAEL?

CAEL’s Unique Integrator Role

• Colleges & universities

• Corporations

• Labor unions

• Government, community

and philanthropic

entities

• Public Policymakers

4

Approximately 55 million jobs are expected to open up in the economy by 2020.

65% of those jobs will require workers to possess postsecondary credentials.

Why are Degrees Important? The U.S. Skills Gap

5Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce

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Some college, no degree

Source: US Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey

13%

27%

22%

8%

19%

10%

Levels of Education for the U.S. Population Ages 25-64

Less than high schoolHigh school graduate (or equivalency)Some college, no degreeAssociate degreeBachelor's degreeGraduate or pro-fessional degree

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Another Look at the Degree Completion Gap

** Best performance is the average of the top three states.

63,127,642

41,860,914

0 20 40 60 80

Degrees Needed to Meet Best Performance** (55%)

Degrees* Produced from 2005 to 2025 with Current

Rate of Production plus Population Growth

Millions

* Degrees includes both Associates and 4-year degrees.

We need to increase the rate of degree production in the U.S. by

50.8%.

Source: NCHEMS and JFF, Adding it Up, 2007

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Illinois Residents with Some College, No Degree - Percent

11%

25%

22%

8%

22%

13%

Percent - Level of Education for the Illinois Population Ages 25-64

Less than high school

High school graduate (or equivalency)

Some college, no degree

Associate degree

Bachelor's degree

Graduate or pro-fessional degree

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Illinois Residents with Some College, No Degree - Count

Less than high school; 723,833

High school graduate (or equivalency); 1,711,321

Some college, no degree; 1,509,719

Associate degree; 576,024

Bachelor's degree;

1,483,173

Graduate or professional

degree; 859,113

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The Goal for Illinois

Data Point Illinois

Current % of Adults with College Degrees 42.5%

Trend Projected for 2025 49.6%

Lumina Foundation Goal for 2025 60%

Gap 10.4%

Additional Number of Degrees Needed by 2025

713,771

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Illinois Degree Attainment Goals

Outreach to: Adults with high school diplomas

but no college Adults with some college but no

degree

Success depends on assessing and accepting prior learning toward degrees and other credentials, and being adult learner-friendly

Achieving the Completion Agenda

Prior Learning Assessment

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is a process for evaluating knowledge and skills in order to award college credit for learning from:

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Early History: PLA and Competency-Based Programs

1974

Research Project at ETS

• 1970s

• Pioneering colleges began PLA and competency-based programs for adults

• Industry Recognized Certificates

• Evaluated Non-College Training

• Standardized Tests

• Student Portfolios

The Variety of PLA Methods

• College Credit, College

Completion

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• Credit is for LEARNING, not for experience

• Subject matter experts make

credit recommendations

• Any fees are for assessment, not for the amount of

credit awarded

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Key CAEL Standards

Graduation and Completion of Adults with PLA Credit• Baccalaure

ate students are 2½ times more likely to persist to graduation.

Not enough colleges granting credit for prior learning, and even when they do, marketing to students is weak

Adult learners are not aware of PLA so they often repeat what they already know

Need for consistent application of CAEL standards

Need for a national, accessible online approach

Can use faculty experts nationwide for portfolio review using CAEL portfolio assessment rubric for high quality assessments

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Getting to Scale with PLA

www.LearningCounts.org On-line PLA service 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

Overview of LearningCounts

LearningCounts becomes college’s PLA Department with student tracking, reports, administration, and coordination with Registrar’s office

CAEL provides free webinars and video training for frontline staff and leadership

LearningCounts course is listed in college’s catalog; student registers through college’s registration system

Logo and link to college’s website from LearningCounts.org

Annual Fee (plus one-time Implementation Fee)

CAEL Membership required

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Featured Network

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FEATURED PARTNER NETWORK

• L E A R N I N G C O U N T S . O R G

Two choices for scale

Do it yourself

1. Task Force with faculty representation

2. Departmental decisions

3. Faculty training4. Advisor training5. Hire PLA

Coordinator6. Define/price process7. Market PLA service

LearningCounts

1. CAEL-trained faculty assessors

2. Featured on LearningCounts website

3. Free training webinars for advisors

4. Free marketing tools5. Refer students6. Receive transcripts7. Receive data summaries

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Competency-Based Programs

What students know and can do

CBE Jumpstart – CAEL and Lumina The Incubator – Educause and Gates Foundation

C-BEN - Public Agenda and Lumina

Quality Collaboratives and GEMs – AAC&U and Lumina, Hewlett and Gates

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Competency-Based Initiatives

Purdue University Cross-disciplinary bachelor’s

degree Contest for departments to

propose three-year degree and competency-based programs

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Competency-Based Ed Grows

South Texas College, Texas A&M University–Commerce Flat, seven-week rate and work

through as many courses as their schedules allow

Revamped the faculty role, incorporates individual coaches, faculty teaching and evaluation

Student work in e-portfolio26

Competency-Based Ed Grows

Career and educational advising

Expanded online options Flexible scheduling of courses

and services Have prior learning recognized

for college credit where appropriate

Affordable options for PSE27

What Do Adults Need?

CAEL’s Adult Learning Focused Institution (ALFI) Self-Assessment

Adult Student Survey Gap Analysis Recommendations for

Improvement

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Becoming Adult-Friendly

www.cael.org

(Research and Publications)

Additional CAEL References

Pamela TatePresident and CEO

Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)

ptate@cael.org

Questions?