PLA Advisory BoardFebruary 10, 2014

Ross Garmil Nan Travers

Overview of

“State Policy Approaches to Support Prior Learning Assessment”

CAEL 2012

States With Statewide Policies

Alabama Alaska Colorado Florida Hawaii Idaho Indiana Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

Minnesota

North Dakota

Ohio

Oregon

S Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Wisconsin

West Virginia

Approaches to Policy Development

Legislative mandate for systems to recognize PLA, establish policy.

System-wide mandate for colleges to recognize PLA, establish policy.

System-wide establishment of specific policies.

Common Areas of Focus: Educational Policy

Who holds the authority? Assessment methods Transfer of credit within system Transparency Fees Transcription

Common Areas of Focus: Student Services Policy

Workforce Development Veterans Capacity Building Promotion

Internal College Policies

Assessment Methods Fees Transcription What departments accept PLA? How credits are applied Total number of credits Residency requirements Transfer policies

TAACCCT Grant Charge

Strategy 6: Build and offer a uniform statewide system for awarding academic credit through prior learning assessment.

Survey results from our policies

Responses Across All Groups

Consistency & clear language

Common definition and terminology

Distinction - System vs. Campus policies

Suggested Definition

Prior Learning Assessment is the evaluation of verifiable college-level learning gained outside of a traditional academic environment for academic credit.

Philosophy StatementsMany people have developed college-level learning outside of the

traditional classroom and this knowledge is as valuable as knowledge gained through more formal learning settings.

Individuals acquire verifiable college-level learning through work, completing professional certifications and licenses, serving in the military, engaging in community service and volunteer activities, and studying independently such as through open educational resources and the internet.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is a valid format through which students can document college-level learning gained outside a traditional college course.

Prior learning can be identified and assessed in a variety of ways to determine if college credit should be awarded towards academic credentials.

Principle Statements

SUNY Campuses ascribes to the CAEL Standards

List the CAEL Standards?

Rewrite the CAEL Standards?

Through prior learning assessment, credit is granted for verifiable college-level learning, but not for the experience itself.

CAEL Standards1. Credit or its equivalent should be awarded only for learning, and not for experience.

2. Assessment should be based on standards and criteria for the level of acceptable learning that are both agreed upon and made public.

3. Assessment should be treated as an integral part of learning, not separate from it, and should be based on an understanding of learning processes.

4. The determination of credit awards and competence levels must be made by appropriate subject matter and academic or credentialing experts.

5. Credit or other credentialing should be appropriate to the context in which it is awarded and accepted.

6. If awards are for credit, transcript entries should clearly describe what learning is being recognized and should be monitored to avoid giving credit twice for the same learning.

7. Policies, procedures, and criteria applied to assessment, including provision for appeal, should be fully disclosed and prominently available to all parties involved in the assessment process.

8. Fees charged for assessment should be based on the services performed in the process and not determined by the amount of credit awarded.

9. All personnel involved in the assessment of learning should pursue and receive adequate training and continuing professional development for the functions they perform.

10. Assessment programs should be regularly monitored, reviewed, evaluated, and revised as needed to reflect changes in the needs being served, the purposes being met, and the state of the assessment arts.

Whose authority awards PLA Credits

System Level?

The chief academic officer ultimately has the authority to award PLA academic credit. At each campus, the CAO will assign a designee to award PLA credits and oversee the procedures.

Campus Level?

Each campus must indicate under whose authority awards PLA credits and make explicit the procedures for this award.

Faculty involvement? – Oversee the curriculum

Types of PLA credits that can be accepted

See Policy on College-level proficiency examinations

Create a list

Options?

Required of all campuses?

Question: How are the different types of PLA accepted into the certificates and programs under the TAACCCT grant?

Types of Credits

CLEP

DANTES

AP

Excelsior/Regents College

Challenge Exams

Other Exams

International Baccalaureate

Military Credit

ACE

NCCRS

Individual College’s Professional Learning Evaluations (PLE)

Individual Portfolio Assessment (iPLA)

Who Can Participate

Matriculated students only

Students enrolled in a credit-bearing course

Non-matriculated students

The State University of New York (SUNY) campuses provide access to prior learning assessment opportunities for all students

Which Disciplines Accept PLA credits

Set by local campuses?

All campuses toward General Education credits?

All Disciplines?

Standards for Assessment of CreditsCAEL:

Assessment should be based on standards and criteria for the level of acceptable learning that are both agreed upon and made public.

Assessment should be treated as an integral part of learning, not separate from it, and should be based on an understanding of learning processes.

Standards set by SUNY?Overarching statement about standards?Standards set by campuses?

Course Equivalency

Equivalent learning to courses

Learning Outcomes/Competencies

College-level Learning standards (Global Learning Qualifications Framework)

Documentation

What documentation is required?

Exams

Military

Professional Learning Evaluations (PLE)

ACE

NCCRS

Individual Colleges

iPLA

How credits are applied

Transfer Credits

Redundancy

Number of Credits

Transcription

Communication

Who to Contact

Advising

Publications

Website

Fees

Set by System?

Set by Campuses?

If campuses, should there be an overarching statement that guides locally set fees?

Fees by PLA type?