Transcript Slide 1

With a Map and a Mentor:
Charting Pathways to
College Completion
Mary Beth Lakin, Associate Director
Center for Lifelong Learning
Session Agenda
• Overview of ACE Programs & Services
• Adult Learner Populations: Postsecondary Focus
– Military Veterans
– GED test-takers & graduates
– Learners aged 50 & older
• Initiatives & Programs: Emerging Practices
ACE: Overview
Founded in 1918, the American Council on
Education (ACE), is the major coordinating
body for all the nation's higher education
institutions, representing more than 1,600
college and university presidents, and more
than 200 related associations, nationwide.
It provides leadership on key higher education
issues and influences public policy through
advocacy.
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ACE’s Military Evaluation Program
• MEP provides institutions with basis for recognizing
military educational experiences in terms of civilian
academic credit.
• Since the early 1940s, MEP has reviewed & made credit
recommendations for thousands of college-level courses
offered by the military services.
• In 1974 MEP began evaluation of military occupational
specialties.
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About Military Evaluations
2010 Fiscal Year
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42 installation visits
1,900 courses
105 occupations
95 teaching faculty members
3,700 semester hours in the lower division
1,700 semester hours in the upper division
125 semester hours in the graduate division
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Faculty Evaluators
• Types of institutions
• Approximately 7,000 faculty on military teams
(since 1954)
Com m unity
College
19%
Practitioner or
Other
3%
University
51%
4-Year College
27%
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General Review Process
• Conduct pre-meetings with points of contacts
• Travel to training locations
• Review materials & conduct interviews
• Document evaluation & write descriptions
• Complete final reports
CREDIT Review Process
http://www.acenet.edu/credit/reviewprocess
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Military Occupation Evaluation
• Occupation is job designation by military service.
• Review & assessment are more experiential.
• Teams validate demonstrated
& expected job knowledge, skills,
abilities by pay grade.
Military Programs: Resource Tools for Colleges and Universities
http://www.acenet.edu/militaryprograms/resourcetools
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ACE College Credit Recommendation
Service (ACE CREDIT)
began in mid-1970s.
Review process for participating
organizations uses standards and
procedures established through
Military Evaluation Program.
Corporations
Government
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Immigration and Naturalization Service
U.S. Marshals Service
Foreign Service Institute
www.acenet.edu/nationalguide
ACE Transcript Services
ACE CREDIT Registry and Transcript System
http://www.acenet.edu/transcripts
ACE CREDIT College & University Network
• Recognition of ACE Credit Recommendations
• Support from Lifelong Learning Resource Center
• Identification of Internal Strategies
• Development of Employer Partnerships
• Creation of Maps to Credentials
• Website Profiles
http://www.acenet.edu/credit/network
Landscape for Military Veterans
• Low postsecondary participation & high
unemployment, especially for young veterans
• Gaps in awareness about
education benefits & options
• Lack of experience in translating
military skills & knowledge:
Veterans, colleges, & employers
Landscape for Military Veterans
• ACE/Wal-Mart:
Success for Veterans Award Grants
• Maps to Credentials:
Creating an Integrated Prior Learning Assessment
Model to Accelerate Postsecondary Attainment
• Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD):
Troops to Energy
Emerging Practices
Mapping PLA Credits to Credentials
Emerging Practices: Maps
• Guide learner to degree completion.
• Chart prior learning credits to specific courses.
• Include all aspects of degree requirements.
• Provide assessment options for new learning.
• Adapt for programs & populations.
Example: Minnesota State Colleges & Universities System
Veterans’ Course Mappings:
http://www.students.mnscu.edu/military/vets/identifyMilitaryExp.php
Emerging Practices
Career Pathways Model
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Targeted outreach
Accelerated format
Prior learning applications
Bridge/transition courses
Certificates as building
blocks
Example: CEWD Troops to Energy
• Industry competency
framework
• Career counseling &
mentoring
• Comprehensive &
continuous employer
engagement
Emerging Practices
Transitions: Integrated, Holistic Approach
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Life Planning
Identified Points of Contact
Gathering Places
Community Resources
Venues for Leadership
Example: Lane Community College
Lane’s Integration of Veterans in Education (LIVE)
Emerging Practices
Toolkits for Success
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Promising practices on college campuses
Financing education & using education benefits
Earning college credits for military training
Navigating path to college
Transitioning to employment & training
Supporting veterans’ families
Meeting physical & psychological health challenges
Example: Veteran Success Jam
www.acenet.edu/links/military/ensuring_success
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Landscape for GED Graduates
• Nearly 40 million U.S. adults 16 & older lack high school
diploma or GED credential.
• Since 1942, more than 17 million adults passed GED Test.
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65% give education as reason to take GED test; 43% enroll.
• GED graduates may not enroll immediately or maintain steady
enrollment.
• GED graduates are more likely to enroll in 2-year (or shorter)
programs in high-demand fields such as nursing.
Crossing the Bridge: Year 1 Report. ACE, 2011.
Landscape for GED Graduates
• GED graduates’ postsecondary enrollment
(PSE) varies by age, gender, & ethnicity.
• 83% enroll close to home.
• GED credential is potential PSE gateway,
especially for non-white learners.
• Age, parental status, full-time employment, & self-expectations
risk factors for adults with GED credential.
Crossing the Bridge: Year 2 Report. ACE, 2011.
GED 21st Century Initiative
• New, more rigorous GED test that aligns with
common core state standards & ensures college &
career readiness
• National preparation program that expands learning
resources
• Transition network that connects GED test-takers
with education & career options
Emerging Practices
Contextualized Learning in a Career Field
 GED preparation, basic adult skills, pre-apprenticeship
bridge programs, & English language proficiency
through specific career-tailored curriculum
 Vocational certificates, guaranteed interview with local
employer, or entry into a postsecondary vocational
program
 College credits (developmental education credits or dual
enrollment status)
Example: Virginia PlugGED In
Emerging Practices
Postsecondary or Career Transition Services
 Proactive advisory services
 Orientation programs:
College Student for a Day, college
discovery activities, college survival skills,
or First Year Academy
Example: Community College of Denver’s College Connection
Emerging Practices
Case Management System or Coaching
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Monitors class attendance & performance
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Makes interventions
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Provides social services referrals
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Liaises with teachers
Example: Central Piedmont Community College’s Pathways to Employment
Emerging Practices
Structure to Develop Sense of Self & Community
 Provides experience of work & community service with
tangible results
 Supports participants in taking key roles in activities &
developing leadership skills
 Connects work, service, & leadership with education &
learning
Example: YouthBuild
Landscape for Learners aged 50+
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Living longer
Working longer
Losing work at record-setting pace
Fastest-growing segment of workforce
Increased postsecondary participation:
More than double in little more than decade
Landscape for Learners Aged 50+
• Department of Labor:
Aging Worker Initiative
• Plus 50 Community Colleges
• 21st Century Pathfinders:
Older Learners in University Settings
Emerging Practices
• Recognition of learning drivers
• Multiple environments for learning
• Teaching/learning formats
• Community connections
• Career/education navigation
Emerging Practices: Examples
• Café Plus Concept
http://www.matherlifeways.com/iyc_cafereplicatio
n.asp
• OLLI NSF Initiative
Science Education Center for the Third Age
http://usm.maine.edu/olli/national/NSF_Projects/n
sf_index.html
• Project SHINE at Temple University
http://www.projectshine.org/philly
The maps they gave us
were out of date by years.
--Adrienne Rich
Creating New Maps
What are we learning from emerging practices
with military veterans, GED graduates, &
learners aged 50+?
What could we successfully adapt & sustain
across learner populations?
What is missing from our practices &
approaches? Where do we go next?
Contact Information
Mary Beth Lakin
[email protected]
202.939.9704