1. National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning June 15-17, 2011

2. Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success: A 48-Institution Study of Prior Learning Assessment and Adult Student Outcomes Council for Adult and Experiential Learning Published March, 2010 Data on 62,475 students at 48 postsecondary institutions who used one or more PLA methods

3. 94% of participating institutions offer standardized exams as a PLA method Other methods in order of popularity were: Portfolio assessment* (88%) ACE-evaluated military training (81%) ACE-evaluated corporate training (77%) Institutional challenge exams (65%) Institutionally evaluated training (63%) 84% of institutions offered 4 or more of these methods

4. 56% of PLA students earned a postsecondary degree within 7 years compared to 21% of non-PLA students 43 percent of PLA students earned a bachelors degree, compared to only 15 percent of non-PLA students 13 percent of PLA students earned an associates degree, compared to 6 percent of non-PLA students

5. Students not earning a degree who accumulated 80% of credits toward a degree: PLA students – 56% Non-PLA students – 22% Course credits earned: PLA students – 53.7 Non-PLA students – 43.8

6. PLA students earning bachelors degrees saved an average of between 2.5 and 10.1 months PLA earners with associates degrees saved an average of between 1.5 and 4.5 months

7. Students achieved best outcomes in terms of degree earning and time to degree when institutions allow PLA for all four options: For advanced placement For waiving course prerequisites For meeting general course requirements For meeting program/major requirements

8. Recognition by ACE CREDIT Listing in online National Guide to Credit for Workforce Training Common, standardized development procedures Adherence to psychometric guidelines Rigorous security procedures College-level credit equivalencies Compliance with Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing Computer delivery Diversity of offerings

9. No PLA policy at their institution Lack of awareness of an existing PLA policy Advising Admissions Faculty Lack of understanding of the rigor of CBE Unaware of the benefits of CBE Campus test center issues including capacity and availability

10. Benefits Addresses cost challenges associated with traditional degree programs Provides options for students who are waitlisted or closed out of required courses Convenient and cost-effective method for non- traditional students to earn credits Independent study vs. full-year courses Students may not need to repeat coursework they have already learned in other ways Students are more challenged and engaged

11. Limitations Low awareness among target audience (9% of general population) Testing reputation – bad press generalized to all tests Institutional skepticism about CBE and what student really knows (even when there are statewide policies) Inconsistent or incomplete CBE policies Viewed as revenue competition Benefits and Limitations of CBE

12. All the CBE programs have met the same rigorous standards, so why not accept all of them for credit at your institution? We asked the institutions why they offer PLA, allowing them to indicate one or more responses from a list of 18 possible reasons. The most popular responses were: to provide a time-saving avenue for degree completion, to fulfill our mission to serve adult learners, and to encourage greater student persistence towards a degree. Other popular responses were to recognize the value of learning that happens outside of the classroom, and to provide a cost-effective avenue for degree completion. (Fueling the Race, p. 21)

13. Granting credit for all the CBE programs Provides a larger catalog of potential course equivalents than any single program or combination can Addresses the retention, persistence, and degree completion issues that may occur because of closed or waitlisted courses Allows adult students choices that honor their different learning styles and life experiences Respects the effort that all the CBE programs put into winning and maintaining their national recognition

14. Setting policy for use of individual exams is still the institutions or systems prerogative. You can: Grant a different amount or level of credit Grant credit only if an institutional prerequisite or subsequent course is passed Grant advanced standing or a waiver rather than credit Set a different passing score Require additional documentation of mastery such as work samples Limit application of CBE to specific areas of the curriculum Limit total CBE credits that can be applied toward a degree

15. College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) Keith Henry, Senior Assessment Manager, The College Board DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) Kathryn Hill, Senior Manager, Test Development, Prometric Excelsior College Examinations (ECE) Ruth Olmsted, Associate Dean of Assessment, Excelsior College UExcel Susan Henken, UExcel Brand Director, Pearson VUE

16. Credit-by-examination program serving a diverse group of students, including adults, non- traditional learners, and military service members Validates knowledge learned through independent study, on-the job training, or experiential learning and translates that learning into college credit that is commonly recognized. More than seven million exams taken since 1967 1,700+ colleges administer CLEP 211,000 exams administered in 2009–10, including 76,500 administered to military service members Exam fee = $77.00

17. Composition and Literature American Literature Analyzing and Interpreting Literature College Composition College Composition Modular English Literature Humanities History and Social Sciences American Government History of the United States I History of the United States II Human Growth and Development Introduction to Educational Psychology Principles of Macroeconomics Principles of Microeconomics Introductory Psychology Introductory Sociology Social Sciences and History Western Civilization I Western Civilization II Business Information Systems and Computer Applications Principles of Management Financial Accounting Introductory Business Law Principles of Marketing Science and Mathematics Calculus College Algebra Precalculus College Mathematics Biology Chemistry Natural Sciences Foreign Languages French Language German Language Spanish Language

18. Structure 33 computer-based exams. Mostly multiple-choice, essays, and listening sections for foreign languages Most are approximately 90 minutes in length. Scoring Rights-only scoring (no penalty for wrong answers) Immediate score reports (except exams with essays) Exams are scored on a scale of 20–80. A score of 50 is equivalent to a grade of C Development More than 600 faculty contribute to the development of and standard- setting for CLEP examinations. Standing faculty committees oversee ongoing test development, shape content, review data, set exam policies. Opportunities to participate in College Board ACES Placement Validity studies

19. Copyright © 2011 Prometric, Inc. All rights reserved.19 Allows colleges and universities to award credit to students for knowledge acquired outside of the typical classroom Extremely suitable for military service members and adult learners (non-traditional students) Increasingly used by ALL college students Aligned with course content for core curriculum Well-suited to fulfill elective credits Over 1,900 institutions award credit for DSST exams. More than 1,200 institutions deliver DSST exams at their test centers. Cost effective for students @ $80 per exam or funded for military service members

20. Suite of 38 subject-level exams, all recommended for credit by the American Council on Education (ACE) ~ 90 min length (test limit is 2 hrs) Mix of upper-level and lower-level credits Divided into six subject areas Available in paper forms or on a secure Internet-based platform New exam in 2010: Business Ethics & Society New in 2011: internet testing for Public Speaking exam Copyright © 2011 Prometric, Inc. All rights reserved.20 Technical Writing Substance Abuse Criminal Justice Art of the Western World Western Europe since 1945 Intro to Modern Middle East Human/Cultural Geography Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union A History of the Vietnam War Civil War and Reconstruction Foundations of Education Life-Span Develop. Psychology General Anthropology Intro to Law Enforcement Fundamentals of Counseling Heres to your Health Astronomy Environment & Humanity Principles of Physical Science I Physical Geology Ethics in America Intro to World Religion Princ. of Public Speaking Business Ethics & Society Personal Finance Principles of Finance Princ. of Financial Accounting Human Resource Management Organizational Behavior Principles of Supervision Business Law II Introduction to Business Money and Banking Business Math Introduction to Computing Management Info Systems Found. of College Algebra Principles of Statistics Social SciencesBusiness Physical Science Humanities Technology Mathematics Technical Writing

21. Copyright © 2011 Prometric, Inc. All rights reserved.21 MILITARY MEMBERS Veterans enrolling back in school are often unaware that funds are available to them. Many go on with their lives not taking advantage of these funds. Active military spouses are often funded but unaware of it. ADULT LEARNERS More and more students have to mix work with education in order to make ends meet. These students are acquiring learning on-the-street. Often times, they drop out of school as they see their dream of a degree too far out of their reach. US GOVERNMENT The United States is no longer the global leader in education. The US government is scrutinizing the education system as a whole and there is a decrease in graduation rates coupled with increasing school withdrawal rates.

22. Developed and maintained by Excelsior College (formerly Regents College) since the 1970s Administered at Pearson Testing Centers worldwide, and available to military service members through the DANTES program Exam fees = $95 - $355, depending on length and format (no separate seat fees)

23. Structure 43 computer-based exams: 41 multiple-choice, one extended response, and one mixed format (multiple-choice and constructed response) 10 are two hours long, the remainder are three hours long Scoring Rights-only scoring (no penalty for wrong answers) Immediate score reporting (except exams with essays) Exam results are stated as a letter grade.

24. Both lower-level (Gen Ed) and upper-level offerings Unique suite of Nursing exams Excelsior College credit awarded for a grade of C or better Robust study support including detailed content guides, specific textbook recommendations, and practice exams with answer rationales

25. English and Humanities Bioethics (U) English Composition (L) Ethics: Theory & Practice (U) Interpersonal Communication (L) Introduction to Music (L) Introduction to Philosophy (L) History and Social Sciences Abnormal Psychology (U) Cultural Diversity (U) Foundations of Gerontology (U) Juvenile Delinquency (U) Life Span Developmental Psychology (L) Macroeconomics* (L) Microeconomics* (L) Psychology of Adulthood & Aging (U) Research Methods in Psychology (U) Social Psychology (U) World Conflicts Since 1900 (U) World Population (U) Business Human Resource Management (U) Labor Relations (U) Organizational Behavior (U) Science and Mathematics Anatomy & Physiology (L) Earth Science (L) Microbiology (L) Pathophysiology (U) Nursing 8 exams toward the Excelsior College asssociate degree in nursing 3 exams toward the Excelsior College baccalaureate degree in nursing Adult Nursing (U) Fundamentals of Nursing (L) Maternal & Child Nursing (associate) Maternal & Child Nursing (baccalaureate) Maternity Nursing (L) Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing (U) Education Literacy Instruction in the Elementary School (U)

26. An alliance between Pearson VUE and Excelsior College Pearson VUE: Program management and delivery of tests Excelsior College: Test development, academic validity, awards college credit, transcript preparation

27. Only lower-level CBE program developed and administered by a regionally accredited institution of higher learning, with global reach Only lower-level CBE program providing transcripted college credit to students who pass exam Provides immediate scoring on all exams Students receive grades rather than scores

28. MAT150 Calculus, 4 credits ENG 110 College Writing, 3 credits PHY 140 Physics, 6 credits POL 170 Political Science, 3 credits PSY 101 Psychology, 3 credits MAT 210 Statistics, 3 credits SPA 102 Spanish Language, 6 credits Coming Summer 2011 SOC 105, Introduction to Sociology, 3 credits

29. Complementary UExcel provides lower-level, liberal arts subject options ECE provides primarily upper-level options or lower- level major track or career-focused options 50 subjects Candidates can use both programs to earn college credit on transcripts

30. Affordable, all-inclusive pricing ($85 US) globally; no hidden costs, no additional sitting fees Same price for all exams, regardless of number of credits Free unlimited quantity of transcripts ($12 with prior Excelsior College academic history)

32. Time One exam equals 3 semester hours or more 45 clock hours or more Money At an average of $500/hour, each exam saves the student $1,500 Institutions save as well 210,000 CLEP Exams in 2009-10 630,000 semester hours 28,350,000 clock hours $315,000,000 saved

33. Degrees of Change: Private Sector Innovations Transforming Higher Education May 16, 2011 summit at the US Chamber of Commerce A project of the Institute for a Competitive Workforce Plans for a national CBE summit to raise awareness among stakeholders (e.g., educators, regulators, employers, grant providers, and testing agencies) Request for a copy of attenders current CBE policies We all want to be able to list you as an Accepting Institution for our exams!

34. Keith Henry Sr. Assessment Manager The College Board khenry@collegeboard.org 347-541-0927 khenry@collegeboard.org Ruth Kate Susan