Transcript Slide 1

College-Level Examination Program®
(CLEP ®)
Credit-by-Exam and PLA
Creating a wave…….
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 1967
• 1,700+ colleges administer CLEP
• 211,000 exams administered in 2009–10, including 76,500 administered to
military service members
• Exam fee = $77.00
• New website- http://clep.collegeboard.org
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 postsecondary 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
History and Social Sciences
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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
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Information Systems and Computer
Applications
Principles of Management
Financial Accounting
Introductory Business Law
Principles of Marketing
Composition and Literature
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American Literature
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature
College Composition
College Composition Modular
English Literature
Humanities
Science and Mathematics
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Calculus
College Algebra
Precalculus
College Mathematics
Biology
Chemistry
Natural Sciences
Foreign Languages
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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?
www.collegeboard.com/clepcomposition
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
Exams Administered to National Candidates, 2009-10
College
grad, 12%
College
senior, 27%
High school
student,
11%
High school
grad, 9%
College
freshman,
14%
College
junior, 11%
College
sophomore
, 16%
Age Group
Exams Administered to National Candidates, 2009-10
36 and
older, 21%
Under 18,
8%
30-35, 11%
18-22, 38%
23-29, 22%
CLEP for Military and Veterans
• CLEP exams are free for eligible military
service members
www.collegeboard.com/clepmilitary
• Military veterans may seek reimbursement
from the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs for exam and fees
www.collegeboard.com/clepveterans
Highest Volume CLEP Exams
Exams Administered to National and Military Candidates, 2008-09
40,000
35,000
34,000
30,000
27,000
25,000
20,000
14,000
15,000
14,000
13,000
9,000
10,000
5,000
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Composition
Exams*
Spanish
Analyzing &
Interpreting
Literature
College
Math
College
Algebra
*Freshman College Composition, English Composition with and without Essay
Sociology
2008 Survey of National Test Takers
45% have taken an
online course
70% are working
full- or part-time
45% are first-generation college
students
Testing
http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/clep
Where to test?
Common Questions
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 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?
Locations
Contact
Days
Hours
Evenings
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
www.collegeboard.com/clepprep
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®
http://professionals.collegeboard.com/data-reportsresearch/cb/clep
• To participate in an ACES validity study, available from
– College Board, go to this link,
http://professionals.collegeboard.com/higher-ed/validity/aces
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
05/13/2005
• This study investigates the educational outcomes of the CollegeLevel 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.
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http://professionals.collegeboard.com/data-reports-research/cb/educational-outcomes-clep
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.
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The % of American adults with postsecondary credentials is not
keeping pace with other industrialized nations.
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To help policymakers and educators achieve the goal of 55% by 2025,
The College Board Advocacy & Policy Center has developed the College
Completion AgendaTwo new resources for policymakers and educators, The College
Completion Agenda 2010 Progress Report and The College Completion
Agenda State Policy Guide provide:
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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.
http://completionagenda.collegeboard.org
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
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Outreach
Life and Career Planning
Financing
Teaching-Learning Process
Student Support Systems
ALFI Principles
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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
100%
90%
80%
44%
Did not earn degree or
credential
70%
60%
78%
0%
Other
50%
Earned Bachelor's Degree
40%
43%
30%
1%
20%
10%
0%
15%
6%
Did not earn PLA credit
(n=46,881)
13%
Earned PLA credit
(n=15,594)
Earned Associate's Degree
Credit Accumulation, No Degree
Earners
60%
50%
56%
Did not earn PLA credit
(n=23,101)
Did earn PLA credit
(n=1,800)
40%
30%
28%
22%
20%
18%
16%
16%
13%
12%
10%
7%
1%
9%
2%
0%
Earned few er
than 10% of
credits for
degree
Earned 10Earned 20Earned 40Earned 60Earned 80% or
19% of credits 39% of credits 59% of credits 79% of credits more of credits
needed
needed
needed
needed
needed
Time to Bachelor’s Degree
Months to Bachelor's Degree
45.0
40.0
39.7
37.2
36.1
35.8
33.1
35.0
34.5
29.6
30.0
25.0
20.0
No PLA
Credit
(n=5,342)
1-6 PLA
credits
(n=860)
7-12 PLA
credits
(n=782)
13-24 PLA
credits
(n=1,170)
25-36 PLA
credits
(n=668)
37-48 PLA
credits
(n=161)
49 or more
PLA credits
(n=219)
Time to Associate’s Degree
47.4
48.0
45.4
Months to Associate's Degree
46.0
44.6
44.0
42.9
42.0
40.1
40.0
38.0
36.0
No PLA Credit
(n=1,906)
1-6 PLA credits
(n=230)
7-12 PLA credits 13-24 PLA credits 25-36 PLA credits
(n=176)
(n=78)
(n=55)
Summary
• PLA students had better graduation rates than
non-PLA students
• PLA students had higher rates of persistence
at the same institution compared with nonPLA 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 creditsleading 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 StrategiesNow 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 StrategiesNow 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
Connecting Students to CLEP
In Your State and on Your Campus
Faculty &
Advisers
Admissions
Office
Test Center
Registrar’s
Office
Students
Adult &/or
Veterans
Office
Closing Remarks
Q&A
Thank you!
Contacts
Pamela Kerouac, Ed.D. ,Senior Assessment Manager, College
Board [email protected]
CLEP Email: [email protected]
Adina O'Hara, Ph.D., Senior Associate for Academic Affairs
KY Council on Postsecondary Education
Frankfort KY 40601
[email protected]
Cathy Brigham, Ph.D. , CAEL
[email protected]
The value of open ended
questions……..
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