Today’s Agenda

• Identifying the Scope of the Problem• Background on Prior Learning Assessments

• What it is• How it can help• Who is CAEL?

• Why LearningCounts.org• How it works• Who uses it• Its impact on recruiting and graduation rates

• Questions

About Your Presenters

Cathy Brigham, Ph.D.Director of Academic ProgramsCAEL, LearningCounts.org

Jo-Carol Fabianke, Ed.D.Associate Vice ChancellorAlamo Colleges

Council for Adult and Experiential Learning

A 501(c)(3) non-profit, international organization with nearly 40 years of lifelong learning experience

National leader in PLA best practices, research, and writing

Dedicated to removing barriers to adult learning

Why College Completion Matters

U.S. position as a world leader in education has slipped from 4th –11th (1997 – 2009)

By 2018, 63% of jobs will require some college or above

Source: Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements through 2018, Georgetown University, Center for Education and the Workforce, June 2010

Tools to Meet these Workforce Needs

Common core initiatives / Transferability

2+2 programs create alliances between affordable community colleges and strong four-year programs

Dual-enrollment programs encourage a more prepared K-16 pipeline

But these are traditional approaches to a nontraditional problem.

Finite number of traditional students –Focus on adult learners

Increase the numbers of highly-trained, college-educated individuals in the workforce

Prepare for emerging industries

Build on transferable skills

Focus On Adult Learners

Increase the numbers of highly-trained, college-educated individuals in the workforce

Prepare for emerging industries

Build on transferable skills

Barriers to Participation

AccessAffordabilityAspiration

What is PLA?Prior Learning Assessment is a process for evaluating knowledge and skills in order to award college credit for learning from:

On-the-job learning

Corporate training

Independent study

Military service

Volunteer service

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How PLA Can Help:Graduation Rates

Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success, CAEL, March 2010

How PLA Can Help:Persistence

Not enough colleges granting credit for prior learning

Need for consistent standards

Adult learners are not aware of PLA so they often repeat what they already know

Need for a national, on-line approach with easy access

Ability to use faculty experts nationwide to review learning portfolios in various disciplines

Why LearningCounts.org

1. One-Stop Shop for PLA

2. Free academic advising

3. Individualized portfolio development and review

Why LearningCounts.org

LearningCounts.org educates adult learners about the multiple

ways people can

earn college credit forwhat they already know.

Why LearningCounts.org

Students have the option tospeak one-on one with a PLA advisor

to find out which PLA option is right for them

Individualized PortfoliosCAEL 100: Prior Learning Assessment Theory and Practice

Six-weeks, credit-bearing, online course

Facilitated by an instructor

Asynchronous

Courses start every few weeks

Teaches students how to recognize and document college level learning; leads them through the development of their portfolio.

Cost: $500

Create and Submit Portfolios

Each portfolio may contain up to 6 credits in any one discipline

Faculty from colleges and universities from across the country will evaluate portfolios and make credit recommendations

Two week turn-around

Credits will be recorded on an American Council on Education (ACE CREDIT) transcript

Cost: $250 for 1-6 credits attempted

Individualized Portfolios

Portfolio Credits

Portfolio Credits

Recommended, 75%

Portfolio Credits Denied,

10%

Portfolio Credits

Pending, 15%

Business / Mktg/ Finance

Trade Fields

Core Liberal Arts

Human Resources

Education

Criminal Justice

Public Admin

Portfolio Disciplines

Faculty Assessors

Nearly 800 faculty applications, 71 faculty assessors trained

Online training for assessors(example?, screenshot?)

Who Uses LearningCounts.org

Learners (matriculated and non)

Institutions – marketing, accreditation, retention and completion improvement plans

Corporations

Workforce boards

Professional associations

Military to Medicine

Veterans Upward Bound

Achieving the Dream

Sample Partner Institutions

Student Benefits• Access to free academic advising

• Information on all major forms of PLA

• Online – accessible – affordable

• National roster of faculty ensure coverage of all disciplines

• Credit-bearing course guiding them through portfolio

• Timely review of portfolios

• Transcription of results by ACE

• Fast, convenient, and reputable

• Access to philanthropic support

Foundation Support

Walmart Foundation StipendsThe Walmart Learning Assessment Stipends program will ensure services offered by LearningCounts.org are available to low-income students.

The stipends will fully support:

1. Enrollment in CAEL 100 (a $500 value)

2. Evaluation of one (or more) portfolio(s)

For requests greater than six credits or across multiple disciplines, students may submit additional portfolios for a fee of $250/portfolio.

Achieving the Dream and LearningCounts.org have partnered to remove obstacles that face adult students and accelerate the pace their learning.

Achieving the Dream

• 33 years old• Completed

Associates Degree• 7 years experience in

Finance• Saved > $3000 in

tuition• Graduating May 2012

Jeff Reardon

Here, a student testimonial was played during the live presentation. To access all of our student testimonials, please visit:

http://www.youtube.com/learningcountsorg

BenefitsBenefit your institution, faculty, and students

Instant capacity to recruit, serve, and retain more adult learners

Administer a PLA program simply and cost-effectively

Refer your students to CAEL 100 and the portfolio process

Eligible for Walmart Foundation stipends

RequirementsAgree to accept credit recommendations

Institutional-level membership in CAEL

Become a Partner

PartnerPlus ProgramBenefits

Turn-key service with administrative and training support

Option to list CAEL 100 in your academic catalog

Flexibility to set your own tuition and assessment rates

Ability to transcribe assessment results directly

RequirementsInstitutional-level membership in CAEL

Annual service fee

Linking to Us

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/LearningCountsORG

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Learning_Counts

Join us on LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/mRTm0s

Watch us on YouTube: www.youtube.com/LearningCountsORG

For more information email:colleges@learningcounts.org

cbrigham@cael.org@cathybrigham