An Evaluators Primer Awarding Credit for Military Training and Experience Using the American Council on Education Credit Recommendations Cynthia Bruce Associate Director, ACE Military Programs Dawn Light SOC Degree Network System Project Director Kathy Snead SOC Director

Workshop Goals To provide background and information about the military student population and potential transfer credit issues. To provide background and information on Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges mission and function as liaison between higher education and the militarys voluntary education community. To provide a clear understanding of the American Council on Educations (ACE) Military Programs credit evaluation process. To increase the awareness, use, and benefit of the transcript services (AARTS, SMART, and ACE transcript). To explore college options for applying evaluated credit for military training and experiences toward degree requirements.

Military Students and Veterans: Subpopulation of Adult Learners Active-Duty and Reserve Componentin 2008 more than 300,000 servicemembers used military tuition assistance enrolled in more than 800,000 courses DoD spent roughly $475 million in tuition and fees Veterans in the Communitysince August 1, 2009 VA has authorized more than $1.05 billion for education benefits Family Membersa reminder that military family members may also have education benefits transferability of education benefits included in Post-9/11 GI Bill Marine GYSGT Fry Scholarship Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance

Released July 2009 Identifies gaps Provides overview of programs and services Serves as a catalyst for discussion Downloadable publication from whatsnew/html or whatsnew/html A national snapshot of the programs, services, and policies that campuses have in place. From Soldier to Student

Serve as vehicle to help coordinate postsecondary educational opportunities for servicemembers Strengthen liaison and working relationships among military and higher education representatives Advocate for flexibility needed to improve access to and availability of educational programs for servicemembers Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Mission

Servicemembers should share the same educational opportunities available to their civilian counterparts Educational programs that are provided by appropriately accredited colleges and universities Educational programs that are flexible in terms of scheduling, academic residency, course transfer, and acceptance of non-traditional credit Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Principles

Reasonable with Transfer of Credit from other institutions - Minimum loss of previously earned credits - Avoid coursework duplication Reduced Academic Residency Requirements - 25% maximum for most programs - 30% for schools providing undergraduate degrees 100% online - No final year or semester requirement Credit for Military Training and Experience - Award credit for military service schools - Recognize and use ACE Guide in evaluating military training experiences Credit for Nationally-Recognized Testing Programs - Award credit for at least one nationally-recognized testing program such as CLEP (General and Subject Exams), DSST (DANTES Standardized Subject Tests), ECE (Excelsior College Examinations) SOC Criteria for Membership

ACEs Center for Lifelong Learning: Guiding Philosophy WHAT an individual learns is more important than when, where, and how the individual learned it.

ACE Center for Lifelong Learning Program Evaluations Military Programs Corporate Programs Third-party review gives unbiased assessment of non- traditional learning, training courses Engages subject matter experts in evaluative credit process where institutions may not have expertise

Military Course Evaluations Formal military instruction and military occupations specialties courses approved by a central authority Correspondence courses with proctored end-of course exams Distance learning/online courses with documented rigid control test conditions and firm identification of the student.

Program Evaluation Activities Evaluate formal courses and occupational specialties Publish course and occupation descriptions and academic credit recommendations Transcript and registry services

Overview: Process for Military Programs DoD contract Course and occupation materials submitted ACEs Content Review Committee (CRC) Review Team Selection Committee Pre-site visit telephone conferences Team site visit and recommendations

Military Programs Does Not Evaluate the Following: Air Force courses transcribed by the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) Military schools with degree-granting status Training Courses outsourced to colleges and universities Coast Guard additional skill identifier / qualification codes

About Military Evaluations 2008 Fiscal Year 35 installation visits 1,200 courses 25 occupations 150 teaching faculty members 3,400 semester hours in the lower division 900 semester hours in the upper division 300 semester hours in the graduate division

Reflections or Questions? On to the Evaluation Process

Review Committees Content Review Committee (CRC) Role Determines the appropriate content and academic disciplines for courses and occupations Reviews discipline alignment by the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Determines the scope of the team Review Team Selection Committee Role Reviews evaluators nominated for the team Approves nominations

Accrediting agencies Types of institutions Approximately 7,000 faculty on military teams (since 1954) Evaluator Representation

The General Review Process Conduct pre-meetings with points of contacts Travel to training locations Review materials (conduct interviews for occupations) Document evaluation and write descriptions Final reports

Evaluative Criteria for Courses Course content Learning outcomes Depth and breadth of material Level of difficulty Applicability to postsecondary programs Evaluative instruments Outside assignments Instructor qualifications

Defining College Level Work Content, scope, and rigor must be at the postsecondary level. Vocational / Certificate Lower Division Upper Division Graduate

Vocational/certificate level This type of coursework is normally found in year-long certificate programs that are designed to provide students with occupa- tional skills. Course content is specialized, and the accompanying training emphasizes procedural (hands-on) rather than analytical skills (theory).

Lower Division Associate/Baccalaureate Degree Category Course emphasis is on learning basic principles that have broad judgmental applications. Coursework typically found in programs leading to the Associate Degree and/or the first two years in a baccalaureate institution.

Upper Division Baccalaureate Course content usually involves specialization of a theoretical or analytical nature beyond the introductory level. Course content is usually found in the last two years of a baccalaureate program.

Graduate Degree Level The Course and its Content Involves: Critical Analysis Scholarly and Professional Application of Specialized Knowledge within a Discipline Oriented towards Independent Study Typically involves Original Research

No Credit Recommended Material presented in the course is not comparable to content and rigor at the postsecondary level Material offered is inadequate for a judgment to be made Inadequate outcome assessments

Military Occupation Evaluation Occupation is a job designation by the military service Review and assessment are more experiential in nature Teams validate demonstrated and expected job knowledge, skills, abilities by pay grade

Military Occupation Evaluations: The General Process Review Committees Content Review Committee (CRC) Review Team Selection Committee Teams Travel to the military installation Review official occupation documentation Interview service members Develop final recommendations

Military Occupation Evaluations: Official Documentation Occupation manuals Technical guides and training manuals Promotion examinations Study guides Other official branch specific documentation

Military Occupation Evaluations: Service Member Interview Focus on the representation of the job expectations at the pay grade Clarification and validation of the official military documentation

Military Occupation Review: Team Process Synthesis of information Alignment to current curricula Determination of post secondary content and rigor Team consensus must be 100%

Military Guide Online Daily updates 1954 to1989 The last printed Guide

Over… 15,000 course exhibits 3,100 occupation exhibits Military Guide Online

Sample Exhibits

2009 Guide On CD (late November 2009 release) The Military Guide on CD

Reflections or Questions? On to Transcript Overview

AARTSSMARTACE Corporate Central Texas College33,326 University of Phoenix28,497 University of Maryland University College/Europe/Asia16,143 American Military University9,031 North Central Institute8,924 Troy University7,178 Excelsior College5,328 American Intercontinental University Online4,810 Grantham University4,342 Pierce College3,762 University of Phoenix12,260 American Intercontinental University5,446 Coastline Community College4,368 Excelsior College3,527 Colorado Technical University OnLine3,302 American Military University (Manassas)2,961 Thomas Edison State College2,374 University of Maryland University College1,807 Park University (Main Campus)1,489 Ashford University1,448 Thomas Edison State College482 Excelsior College220 University of Maryland University College83 Community College of the Air Force44 University of Phoenix39 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University34 American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography30 Ashford University29 Walden University29 Michigan Technological University : Top 10 Transcript List

Military Transcripts: AARTS and SMART

Features of Web Delivery

AARTS Operations 415 McPherson Avenue Ft. Leavenworth, KS Carol Brown SMART Operations NETPDTC, N Saufley Field Road Pensacola, FL Laurine Anderson x1097, 1236, or Web Sites and Contact Information

Military Transcripts: CGI and CCAF

Web Sites and Contact Information Coast Guard Institute Commanding Officer (ve) 5900 SW 64th Street, Rm 228 Oklahoma City, OK (405) fax anscript.asp Community College of the Air Force Operations CCAF/DFRS 100 South Turner Blvd Gunter Annex AL (334) _airforce.asp

Resources: A Transfer Guide Written specifically for the service member Released March 2009 Provides simple, straightforward guidance on understanding military credit recommendations and transcripts Includes definitions of common terms, answers to frequently asked questions, and a transfer credit checklist On ACE Web site transferguide

Resources: ACE Military Brochures

Serve as an Evaluator You must be actively teaching college-level courses. When your discipline expertise is needed, you are contacted directly to serve on the ACE team. Evaluator training provided; also provide evaluator handbook ACE pays all evaluators an honorarium and travel.

Faculty Evaluator Database Online application Academic institution affiliation Degrees / credentials Current teaching position Short biography Resume or CV required CIP codes identified Routinely audited

Applying Evaluated Credit Mapping non-traditional credit toward degree requirements is much like applying transfer credits: There is no magic formula Varies by individual student (as appropriate to his/her degree requirements) Requires knowledge of what was learned (depth and breadth of content, learning modalities, and outcomes) Often involves faculty/departmental involvement in those credit decisions Goal of the decision process is to find the best fit

Transfer Decision Resources Related Competency descriptions in the ACE Guide exhibits SOC DNS Credit Evaluation Supplement Alternative methods for demonstrating acquired knowledge and skills: Portfolio Review (EERs, OERs, certificates) Challenge examinations Nationally recognized testing programs (CLEP, DANTES SST, or Excelsior College Exams) Combining credits from other military experiences

Purpose: academic placement guidelines for optimizing the application of non-traditional credit toward degree requirements Credit mapping of ACE credit recommendations for military training and occupational specialty experience CLEP/DSST/ Excelsior Exams CCAF courses DANTES Independent Study Courses SOC DNS Credit Evaluation Supplement

Ensuring Consistent Credit Awards Establishing standard procedures (institutional and departmental level) Creating institutional tracking mechanisms Automating credit award look up function Building your database incrementally (as evaluations needed) Collaboration, rely on experts to guide policy and procedural development Where state-wide articulations exist, leverage work of other institutions with military evaluations

ACE Resource Tools for Colleges and Universities Centralized repository for colleges and universities Sample transcripts Rank charts Quick links to other resources

SOC Resource Tools for Colleges and Universities

Burning Issues in Military Voluntary Education Aggressive marketing strategies of educational competitors/ incentives and inducements to enroll (free laptop) Academic policies (or lack thereof) related to military deployments, attendance, and withdrawals for military reasons Accountability what are appropriate measures of student success given military students high operations tempo? Affordability of college for military students/family members Awareness of military/veteran issues as an institutional priority Fair treatment of returning warriors by faculty and college administrators

American Council on Education One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 250 Washington, DC Toll Free: Military Programs or Corporate Programs or Lifelong Learning Resource Center

Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges 1307 New York Avenue, NW Fifth Floor Washington, DC Phone: ; Fax: