1. Resilience in Serving Adult Students in a Changing Landscape: Solutions and Innovations in Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)
COMBASE, Denver
September 23, 2018
Jeannie McCarron - Director, Higher Education
Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)

2. Agenda Introduction to CAEL Adult learner demographic overview
Shifting focus: Data &Trends
Innovations in Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)
PLA Accelerator
LearningCounts™
Evaluation with the Adult Learner 360
Discussion

3. Introduction to CAEL Council for Adult and Experiential Learning
A 501(c)(3) non-profit, international organization with nearly 44 years of lifelong learning experience
National leader in PLA best practices, research, and writing
Dedicated to removing barriers to adult learning
Recognized by regional accrediting bodies
CAEL is a non profit organization that works at all levels within higher education, public and private sectors to help adults access the education and credentials they need.
For 40 years, we’ve helped higher education institutions build programs and services to serve and support adult students
A pioneer in identifying best practices in assessment of experiential learning, CAEL is now considered the national expert in Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) – the process by which colleges evaluate college-level knowledge and skills gained by adults outside of an academic setting
We helped hundreds of colleges and universities build and enhance their own PLA programs.

4. CAEL’s Unique Integrator Role
Colleges & universities
Corporations
Labor unions
Government, community and philanthropic entities
Public Policymakers

5. CAEL’s Overarching Goal:
Meaningful Learning, Credentials, and Work for Every Adult
For more than 44 years, CAEL has been linking adults’ lifelong learning with credits and careers

6. Demographics Are Shifting
To view all sources for data used in this document, please visit

7. Demographics Are Shifting
To view all sources for data used in this document, please visit

8. CAEL Works to Reverse the Trend
Adults must overcome unique challenges. It is no surprise that fewer than 40% of adult learners meet their academic completion goals.

9. Overall College Student Population
Source: The Parthenon Group, “The Differentiated University

10. Who Are Your Adult Students?
Career Accelerators
Industry Switchers
Academic Wanderers
Career Accelerators (Advancing)
Older
Going to college to advance in their career
Some prior college
Value non-traditional delivery methods
Need strong up-front career counseling / advising/ placement
Industry Switchers (Changing Careers)
Motivated by under or unemployment
Looking at entirely different field or industry
Value institutions strategic partnerships with labor market
Need assistance with career advising and transitions
Academic Wanders
Believe college credentials will open doors
Lower income or unemployed
Not satisfied with previous college experience
Need assistance with academic performance

11. The Lens for Shared Challenges
Declining or Static Enrollment Numbers
Barriers to Persistence/ Retention
Increasing Completion/ Degree Attainment Numbers
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) projections of HE enrollment from 2007–2018 suggest that the number of students over 25 will remain stable or increase during the current decade
WICHE reports by 2020 fewer high school grads than in 2013
Marc Singer suggests diminishing numbers of adults due to higher employment
½ of US undergraduate students fail to persist to degree completion according to the Lumina Foundation
The average student loan debt is $28,400 according to The Institute for College Access & Success
Only 1/3 of non first-time students who reenroll in a postsecondary degree program successfully complete it per the National Student Clearing House

12. Continued Innovations for Adults
Accelerated course scheduling
Online and Hybrid course offerings
CBE courses/ programs
Increased opportunities for PLA
Apprenticeships
Washington Monthly
Babson Survey Research Group

13. Why is PLA Important?
75%
of Americans would be more likely to enroll in higher education if they could receive credit for what they already know.
America’s Call for Higher Education Redesign,
Lumina Foundation, Feb. 2013

14. Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)
Credit for Prior Learning (CPL)
Experiential Learning
Assessment for Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)
Recognition for Prior Learning (RPL)
Validation and Accreditation of Experience (VAE)
Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR)
Learning from Experience
TimewiseTN (Tennessee’s statewide PLA initiative)
Recognizing & Assessing Prior Learning (Rhode Island)

15. What is Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)?
Prior Learning Assessment is the process for evaluating knowledge and skills to award college credit for learning from:
On-the-job training
Independent Study
Military and Volunteer
Service
Training Courses
and/or Certifications
Work Experience

16. PLA Suits Adult Students
Feel Empowered
Feel Motivated
Decrease Cost
Persist toward completion (Resilience!)
Sources: CAEL, Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success, 2010;
CAEL, Random Access: The Latino Experience with Prior Learning Assessment, 2014

17. Student Retention Students with PLA take MORE courses at the college.
Students with PLA credits take on average 9.9 more course credits than students without PLA credit.
Source: CAEL, Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success, 2010

18. Graduation and Completion
2 X
Community College/Technical College students are 2 times more likely to persist to graduation

19. Hispanic Student Graduation Rates
3 X
3 times more likely to persist to Associate’s degree
the actual number is 7.8 times more likely to graduate

20. Multiple PLA Methods Student Portfolios Evaluated Non-College Training
Industry Recognized Certificates
Evaluated Non-College Training
Standardized Tests
Student
Portfolios
College Credit,
Persistence,
Graduation
[go through them]
There are quality standards for PLA - CAEL set the standards – many accrediting bodies reference the standards. Some examples: credit is for learning, not for experience. Determination of credit awards must be made by appropriate subject matter experts. There should be clear policies and procedures for assessing learning and awarding credit for it.
CAEL has been validating PLA for nearly 40 years – and training faculty, and helping institutions develop their programs. [Note handout with some of our training opportunities and publications. Also please note that we have an annual conference every November.]
For four decades, we have known what’s good about PLA – recognizes learning no matter where it takes place. Saves students time and money. But we also heard from advisors who believe that PLA has a motivating effect. [explain why]
But for most of this time, there was no real proof that PLA motivated students to persist and reach their educational goals. But now that has changed.

21. Prior Learning Assessment
What often goes wrong?
Confusing path for students
Option not communicated to students by advisors or faculty
Colleges do not promote PLA, especially community colleges
Documenting learning in writing a barrier for many students

22. Best Practices in PLA: 10 Principles of Readiness
1).  There should be an institutional commitment to serving adult learners.
2).  Assessment practices should be in place at the institutional or program level that examine learning outcomes.
3).  There should be a culture of innovation and openness to change.
4).  There should be student or market readiness indicators (i.e. requested opportunities to earn credit by demonstrating work/life experience-based learning)
5).  There should be a clear rationale for implementing PLA.
6).  There should be cross-functional and systematic support or excitement for PLA.
7).  A PLA Handbook and corresponding policy should be in place and available to everyone.
8).  Roles and responsibilities relating to PLA implementation should be clarified and transparent.
9).  A commitment to PLA training and professional development should be in place.
10).  Metrics to monitor effectiveness and continuous improvement should be in place.
(instead of reading the bullets, read this…)
THE PLA Accelerator formalizes what may be an inconsistent intake process.
This tool also helps to build capacity for advisers. Once the student has completed the tool, their adviser can review the detailed informal and formal learning history, and make recommendations for the best prior learning assessment (PLA) options. If an adviser used to have a full hour long conversation with the student learning about and documenting their prior learning, now they can spend time talking to the student about their next steps instead of data gathering.
And, this data is stored for later access (by both the student and the adviser).
The tool itself does not recommend any certain method of PLA, advisers can make recommendations based on the students’ experience and expertise, and your institution’s policies.
We are building robust reports that will help you measure the impact of your PLA Programs.

23. Innovations: LearningCounts™
Online Portfolio Development Course
Portfolio Tool and Guidance
Individualized Assessment by Faculty
Here is a high-level overview of the LC service: LC has 3 elements
THE online course which teaches students how to build a portfolio against a specific course from your catalog; LC Courses to teach students how to discover and document their own college-level learning and build portfolios online
The e-portfolio tool allows students to submit the portfolio online to be evaluated by LC assessors, or your own faculty trained as LC assessors
Students can build multiple portfolios, but they’ll want to be sure the portfolio credit will fit within their degree plan.

24. Innovations: LearningCounts™
Here is a high-level overview of the LC service: LC has 3 elements
THE online course which teaches students how to build a portfolio against a specific course from your catalog; LC Courses to teach students how to discover and document their own college-level learning and build portfolios online
The e-portfolio tool allows students to submit the portfolio online to be evaluated by LC assessors, or your own faculty trained as LC assessors
Students can build multiple portfolios, but they’ll want to be sure the portfolio credit will fit within their degree plan.

25. Popular Portfolio Subjects
Business and Management
Information Systems/Technology
Human Resources
Finance/Accounting
Criminal Justice/Legal
Hospitality/Event Management
Healthcare Administration
80%
Success Rate
The portfolio areas reflect the most common kinds of jobs that adult students are doing.
These aren’t the only topics, but they are most common.

26. Innovations: Helping Students and Advisors Navigate PLA - PLA Accelerator
3-Minute Video

27. Innovations: Helping Students and Advisors Navigate PLA - PLA Accelerator
Engage with students at an earlier stage of the funnel
Capture student matches to all forms of PLA
Help faculty and administrators understand the demand for PLA
Useful both for in-house PLA programs and LearningCounts colleges
Support services include advisor training and marketing tools

29. Questions? Feedback. Discussion. What can CAEL do for you?
Jeannie McCarron, Director, Higher Ed
Phone:
CAEL Website: