Transcript MOHealthWINS: Supporting Academic and Career Success

Debbie Goodall
Margaret Boyd
Cheryl Carpenter-Davis
Overview
 MoWINs grants at Missouri Community Colleges
 Why are we doing this?
 Credit for Prior Learning
 Identifying opportunities for MCC
 Focusing on student success
What is MoWINs?
MoWINsUSDOL State Consortium grants totaling $5 million to:
 Accelerate progress for Low-Skilled and Other Workers
 Build academic skills in technical context
 Improve retention and achievement rates
 Reduce time to completion
 Award credit for prior learning
 Structure stackable credential frameworks that align/link noncredit and credit courses
 Build Programs that meet industry needs
 Work closely with industry and Workforce Sector Partners to
develop/restructure curriculum
 Strengthen on-line and technology-enabled learning
What is MoWINs?
 Commitment goal: Serve 1,500 adult students
 Program areas:
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Information Technologies including Digital Literacy and
Health Informatics
Nursing
Environmental Services/HVAC
Industrial Technology
Manufacturing
Welding
Why are we doing this?
 There are over 10 million unemployed adults.
 Many of them need skill upgrades or new credentials.
 Workers with postsecondary credentials earn more and are more likely to
keep their jobs.
 Adults bring knowledge gained through training and education that has
occurred outside of a college setting.
 Adults often do not complete postsecondary training – particularly if
they’re required to complete remedial or developmental education before
earning a credential.
 Assessing prior learning helps adults and dislocated workers obtain credit
for independently attained knowledge and skills, thereby accelerating the
process of credential attainment.
Did you know…
It takes full-time students, on average,
3.3 years to earn a one-year certificate
3.8 years to earn a two-year degree
4.7 years to earn a four-year degree
It takes part-time students, on average,
4.4 years to earn a one-year certificate
5 years to earn a two-year degree
5.6 years to earn a four-year degree
(Source: Complete College America)
Time is the Enemy
Staying in school longer doesn’t significantly increase a
student’s chance of graduating:
Data shows that taking an extra year to complete an associate
degree or two extra years to earn a bachelor’s degree only
increases graduation rates by 4.9 percent -- for both groups.
Students are opting out, giving up, abandoning their educational
goals.
(Source: Complete College America)
Credit for Prior Learning (c4pl)
 Definition: Awarding college credit for demonstrated or
validated acquisition of knowledge, skills and
competencies attained outside the college-credit
environment.
 Types: College non-credit and on-the-job training;
military and apprenticeship training; reverse transfer
coursework; industry or professional certifications; or inservice training sponsored by associations, business,
government and industry.
A case for Credit for Prior Learning
A recent study of 62,000 students at 48 postsecondary
institutions found that 56% of adult students who had
earned credit for non-credit training or prior experience
earned a postsecondary degree within seven years, while
only 21% of those who completed credits in the traditional
manner did.
(Source: Fueling the Race to Postsecondary
Success, Chicago Council for Experiential
Learning, 2010)
Advantages of c4pl
 Students benefit: accelerates their time to complete a degree
and advance on the industry career ladder.
 Colleges benefit: broadens the pool of students and
encourages the development of state and national articulation
agreements with greater connection to industry.
 Workforce Development benefits: shortens the time to
convert a student/trainee into an employee.
 Industry benefits: creates a stronger connection to both
educational institution and workforce development system.
Some c4pl options to consider….
 Individual student portfolios: Evaluated by faculty with
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deep subject matter expertise
Challenge exams or standardized exams
Full program evaluation for industry/professional training
programs
External source competency-based evaluations (CAEL/ACE)
Retroactive award of credit for credit and non-credit
training programs statewide
Examples of current practices:
 Standardized exams
 Advanced Placement (AP)
 College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
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Credit by examination (CSIS 115 and BTC technical program
courses)
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Credit by Certification
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Reverse Transfer
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Individual student portfolios (Art, Spanish)
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Alignment of credit courses and non-credit training
 Welding, military
Environmental Services Pathway
Process at MCC
 Credit or its equivalent should be awarded only for
learning, and not for experience
 Credit awards and competence levels must be made
by appropriate subject matter and academic or
credentialing experts
 Fees charged for assessment are based on the type
of credit awarded
SWOT Analysis
 Strengths/Opportunities
 Weaknesses/Threats
Feedback
 What are areas where credit for prior learning has
worked well at MCC?
 What are the opportunities for MCC?
 Other areas we should consider?
 Additional concerns and thoughts?
In Summary: Focusing on Student Success
 MCC Mission:
Preparing students, serving communities, creating opportunities
 MCC’s Core Principles:
Completion and Student Learning
 SEM Project Alignment:
Intrusive Advising and Student Support
 The Right Focus:
A student’s right to succeed rather than fail.