Why should your institution consider a Prior Learning Assessment program?
- 1. Why Consider PLA for your Institution? Presented by Nan Travers, Ph.D. SUNY Empire State College Prior Learning Assessment Professional Development Series
- 2. Why PLA? Why Now? Degree Completion Agenda • President Obama • Challenged every American to commit to at least one year of higher education or post-secondary training. • Set goal that by 2020, the United States would once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. • Lumina Foundation • Increase the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees, certificates and other credentials to 60 percent by the year 2025. • TAACCCT Grants
- 3. Lumina Foundation Gallop Poll (2013) • 87% of Americans think students should be able to receive college credit for knowledge and skills acquired outside the classroom • 75% indicated that they would be more likely to enroll in a higher education program if they could be evaluated and receive credit for what they already know
- 4. PLA Provides Students Opportunities •Earn college credit for learning outside of the classroom. •Recognizes students for what they know. •Complete degrees sooner at a lower cost.
- 5. Who are the Students who use PLA? Adult Students • Professional Learning • Volunteer Learning • Self-Study • Personal Experiences Younger Students • Home schooled • Dual- enrollment • Advanced Placement • Self-study Currently Enrolled Students • Service Learning • Extra research/study
- 6. Positive Impacts on Institutions Recruitment Financial Management Retention Academic Development Partnerships Competency- Based Assessment
- 7. PLA as a Recruitment Tool • Students start with Advanced Standing • Accelerates time-to-degree • General education equivalencies (AP, CLEP) • Focus on intended major • Cost reduction for students • Target populations • Military • High achieving students • Working professionals
- 8. PLA as an Expense Management Tool • Student perspective • Accelerates time to degree • Represents a form of scholarship • Institutional perspective • Cost-efficient use of scholarship $$ • Targeted Populations • Industry partner perspective • Reduces tuition reimbursement • Maximizes use of corporate training
- 9. PLA as a Retention Tool • CAEL research (2010) shows: • More than 2X the rate of completion • 43% PLA participants earned a Bachelor’s degree compared to 15% • 13% PLA participants earned an Associate degree compared to 6% • Less time to complete degree • Earned more institutional credits (54 credits vs. 44 credits) • Other research shows increases in: • Study skills • Problem solving • Reflection • Self-regulation/self-awareness/self-direction
- 10. PLA as a Partnership Tool • Professional Learning Evaluations • A non-collegiate training or program curriculum is evaluated by an organization or higher education institution to determine the extent of college-level learning. • Students need to verify that they have achieved the designated learning outcomes as indicated by the evaluation. • Evaluation Team consists of: • Faculty • Field Experts • Administrative Oversight • Consortium for the Assessment of College Equivalency (CACE)
- 11. PLA as an Academic Process • Increases knowledge-base of an institution • Faculty professional development • Increases breadth and depth of a program • Meet General Education requirements • Connects programs to industry
- 12. PLA as Competency-Based Assessment • PLA as Direct Assessment • Portfolios • Examinations • Professional Learning Evaluations • Defining College Level Learning • Global Learning Qualifications Framework (GLQF) (www.esc.edu/suny-real/global-learning- qualifications-framework) • Connecting Credentials (www.connectingcredentials.org)
- 13. Thank You! For more information on Prior Learning Assessment • View additional videos • Contact SUNY.REAL@esc.edu Prior Learning Assessment Professional Development Series