College-Level Examination Program ® (CLEP ® ) Credit-by-Exam and PLA Creating a wave…….

CLEP Overview CLEP Overview Credit-by-examination program serving a diverse group of students, including adults, non-traditional learners, and military service members More than seven million exams taken since ,700+ colleges administer CLEP 211,000 exams administered in 2009–10, including 76,500 administered to military service members Exam fee = $77.00 New website-

CLEP Core Purposes CLEP allows a diverse group of students, including adult students, non-traditional learners, and military service members to: demonstrate acquired mastery of college-level course content; translate knowledge into college credit, commonly recognized by qualifying scores in 33 exams; and save time and money toward college degree completion.

Why Do We Want or Need Adult Learners? Only 39% of the U.S. adult population has earned a two- or 4-year degree (SOURCE: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2007) There are 6.8 million adult learners involved in some form of post- secondary education (SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics) Our national and states’ economic recovery depend on a highly skilled and educated labor force. Adult learners want to complete a degree and enter/re-enter workforce as expeditiously as circumstances permit.

CLEP AND PLA Efficiency and Effectiveness Ways to standardize the assessment of prior learning:  PLA recognition for “course-match” models.  Nationally recognized, standardized credit by exam increases credit portability (See-ACE, CLEP, CAEL) CLEP is the most widely used, college-based credit-by- examination system in the U.S. By succeeding on a CLEP exam, individuals can earn between three and 12 college credits at 2,900 institutions.

33 CLEP Examinations 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

New CLEP Composition Exams College Composition College Composition Modular Effective July 1, 2010 Has your institution set credit policy for the new exams?

CLEP Test Development Committees CLEP Test Development Committees 29 committees, each with 3 or 4 members All committee members are college faculty who teach the relevant course Faculty are drawn from: All regions of the US Four-year and two-year colleges Public, private, and proprietary institutions Committee members usually serve for 4 years

Who Takes CLEP?  Adults returning to college  Military service members and veterans  Students who are fluent in Spanish, French, or German  Students at risk for stopping out or struggling with finances  Students with high SAT or ACT scores and homeschooled  Juniors or seniors who have not met lower-division requirements  Transfer students  International students needing to translate their overseas credit

Education Level Education Level Exams Administered to National Candidates,

Age Group Age Group Exams Administered to National Candidates,

CLEP for Military and Veterans CLEP exams are free for eligible military service members Military veterans may seek reimbursement from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for exam and fees

Highest Volume CLEP Exams Exams Administered to National and Military Candidates, *Freshman College Composition, English Composition with and without Essay

2008 Survey of National Test Takers 70% are working full- or part-time 45% are first-generation college students 45% have taken an online course

Testing Where to test?  Locations  Contact  Days  Hours  Evenings Common Questions  How to prepare to take a CLEP exam?  Registration process?  Administration fees?  Payment process?  Specific exams to take?  Re-test policy?  Score reporting?  Study materials?

CLEP Test Prep for Students CLEP prep center provides links to free online resources and textbook suggestions CLEP Official Study Guide, covering all 33 exams Downloadable study guides for each exam

Considering system policy for credit-by-exam? Seamless articulation and transfer of credit for students with qualifying exam scores; Academic persistence and degree completion; Recognition of prior learning for nontraditional learners, adults, and student veterans; and Reduce transfer barriers and accumulation of excess credits.

College Board Research College Board Research specific to the CLEP® research/cb/clep research/cb/clep To participate in an ACES validity study, available from – College Board, go to this link,

CLEP Research Findings An Investigation of Educational Outcomes for Students Who Earn College Credit Through the College-Level Examination Program, Nancy K. Scammacca; Barbara G. Dodd; PDF 05/13/2005PDF This study investigates the educational outcomes of the College- Level Examination Program (CLEP) for students who earned credit through CLEP compared to those students who earned comparable credit through the AP Program and through traditional course enrollment. Results indicate that CLEP students did as well as, or better than, those in the comparison group in nearly every case.

ACES Content Validity Studies

The College Board College Completion Agenda In a knowledge-based economy, critical-thinking and research-oriented skills are necessary to be successful productive employees. The % of American adults with postsecondary credentials is not keeping pace with other industrialized nations. To help policymakers and educators achieve the goal of 55% by 2025, The College Board Advocacy & Policy Center has developed the College Completion Agenda- Two new resources for policymakers and educators, The College Completion Agenda 2010 Progress Report and The College Completion Agenda State Policy Guide provide:The College Completion Agenda 2010 Progress ReportThe College Completion Agenda State Policy Guide –groundbreaking reports to provide the best state by state data and information to inform and shape education policy and improve college success. (Chapter 10-Adult Education) – a new dynamic, interactive website combines data with policy strategies, allowing information to be easily accessed and customized by each state.

Why is PLA important?

Factors Affecting Adult Participation Affordability Accessibility Aspiration PLA can address all three

Four Approaches to PLA Standardized exams CLEP, DSST, AP Challenge exams Evaluated non-college programs Corporate training Military training Individualized assessments

PLA at Adult-Serving Institutions ALFI – Adult Learning-Focused Institutions Principles for effectively serving adult learners National benchmarking study (Pew and Lumina)

ALFI Principles Outreach Life and Career Planning Financing Teaching-Learning Process Student Support Systems

ALFI Principles Technology Strategic Partnerships Transitions Assessment of Learning Outcomes

The Impact of PLA at Your Institution PLA for Recruitment PLA for Retention PLA for Community Impact

PLA and Academic Outcomes Increased graduation rates Greater persistence Shorter time to degree

Graduation Rates

Credit Accumulation, No Degree Earners

Time to Bachelor’s Degree

Time to Associate’s Degree

Summary PLA students had better graduation rates than non-PLA students PLA students had higher rates of persistence at the same institution compared with non- PLA students PLA students completed their degree (associate and/or bachelor’s) in less time than their non-PLA peers

Kentucky Perspective Importance of stackable and portable credits- leading to credentials in emerging fields and efficient transition and transfer pathways…. A measure of learning outcomes associated with general education Support for Kentucky Adult Learning Initiative

KY Effective Strategies- Now and Moving forward The changing nature and role of higher education in response to the current economic environment… Faculty led TUNING process in Kentucky – aligning learning outcomes with CLEP exam content – engaging stakeholders = employers & students GOAL: Seamless articulation to reduce transfer barriers and support persistence completion

KY Effective Strategies- Now and Moving forward Identifying & leveraging resources to support consistent credit-by-exam policies – Legislative action (HB160) – Collaboration with workforce community – Grant funding – Marketing strategies K Kentucky Adult Learner Initiative (KALI) TransferKentucky portal

Students Registrar’s Office Test Center Faculty & Advisers Admissions Office Adult &/or Veterans Office Connecting Students to CLEP In Your State and on Your Campus

Closing Remarks Q & A Thank you!

Contacts Pamela Kerouac, Ed.D.,Senior Assessment Manager, College Board CLEP Adina O'Hara, Ph.D., Senior Associate for Academic Affairs KY Council on Postsecondary Education Frankfort KY Cathy Brigham, Ph.D., CAEL

The value of open ended questions……..