PLA at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Jerry W. Kiel, Ph.D.Vice President for Student Affairs & Student SuccessKentucky Adult Learner SummitFebruary 5, 2008

About Edinboro University…

One of 14 universities comprising the PA State System of Higher Education (PASSHE)

Founded in 1857, located in northwestern Pennsylvania near Erie

Enrolls 7,800 students in 100 academic programs (associate, baccalaureate, masters)

Enrolls the highest percentage (18%) of adult learners of any school in the PASSHE

PLA at Edinboro University – A Long History of Helping Adults Succeed The University has offered PLA options to

undergraduate students for 30 years Edinboro an early adopter within the region,

giving it a competitive advantage From earliest days, there were always

champions of PLA on the campus among the faculty and administration

PLA Options Available to Edinboro University Students College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) Advanced Placement (AP) Departmental competency examinations Life Experience credit through portfolio

review Military School/Proficiency Credit AP, CLEP, and Life Experience are used

most often

Pennsylvania Today

Governor Rendell leading the Commonwealth in taking “a new approach for the 21st century economy”

Goal: Move Pennsylvania forward by ensuring that Pennsylvanians 25 and older know the value of, and have the ability to obtain, postsecondary credentials in high-wage, high-demand careers within targeted economic sectors.

Impetus for Pennsylvania’s PLA Initiative Pennsylvania participated in NGA’s

Pathways to Advancement Policy Academy with overall goal to increase adults’ participation in postsecondary education

Major policy strategy developed to increase credentialing of prior learning

Governor Rendell launched statewide PLA initiative to increase visibility of PLA and push for greater recognition of prior learning

NGA’s Pathways to Advancement Recommendation: Increase attainment of portable, marketable,

and transferable credentials recognized by academic institutions and industry.

The Target: Pennsylvania’s adult labor force

Goals of PA PLA Initiative

Increase visibility of prior learning assessment Official endorsement of PLA by State Board of

Education State Board of Education Secretary contacted

nearly 600 educational institutions to raise awareness of the statewide initiative, SBE endorsement, and to provide CAEL’s report, “Recognizing Prior Learning Assessment in PA”

State-wide survey conducted to assess current PLA practices within the Commonwealth

Survey Logistics

Departments of Labor & Industry and Education provided significant input into development of survey and definition of target population

Final survey target population included 191 Pennsylvania postsecondary institutions

Outreach began in late August, 2006 via email and phone calls to registrars’ offices

PLA Survey Questions

Is PLA accepted? How long has PLA been accepted? What kinds of PLA credits are accepted? How do students learn about PLA? When can credit be requested? How is PLA recorded on a student’s transcript? Are there fees for prior learning evaluation or

transcription? How are students prepared for portfolio

evaluation?

Institutional Respondents

A total of 156 institutions (82% of target) responded.

Respondents byType of School

Number of Respondents

Community College 14

State University 14

State 2-Year College of Technology

1

State-RelatedCommonwealth University

8

Total Public Institutions

37

Private College/University 81

Specialized Associate Degree-Granting School

33

Private State-Aided Institutions

5

Total Private Institutions

119

TOTAL RESPONDENTS 156

Key Findings Less than one-third (44) of respondents were aware of

governor’s PLA initiative

Two-thirds (108) expressed interest in learning more about PLA

119 (80%) institutions reported that their school conducts prior learning assessments

Most PA schools which offer PLA have had programs in place for over 10 years

PLA Methods:Trends Common in PA Institutions Most PA Institutions accept PLA credits from

two external standardized testing programs: Advanced Placement (AP) Exams (97) College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Exams

(102)

Least used are: Excelsior Exams (25) Local Training Evaluation (29)

Accepted PLA Methods in PA in Comparison with National SurveyComparison of PLA Methods Accepted

61%

24%

48%

66%

82% 86%

21%

44%

66%

38%

70%

57%

84% 87%

28%

48%

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Pennsylvania Survey National Survey

Conclusions

Widespread awareness of the PLA concept

Broad acceptance of some forms of PLA

Significant variations in policy and practice both across and within PA institutions

Variations in policy and practice must be addressed if PLA is to reach a larger scale in the Commonwealth

Goals of PLA Initiative

Increase recognition of prior learning by PA’s higher education institutions Summit held in November 2006 to discuss the

initiative and showcase best practices both nationwide and in Pennsylvania

Expand discussions of state policy and the possibility of a statewide PLA assessment center with stakeholders across the Commonwealth

21st Century Economic RealitiesMedian Personal Income of Pennsylvania Workers

by Educational Attainment, 2005

$17,001

$26,581

$35,000

$45,480

$61,012

$25,263

0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000

Less than a High School Diploma

High School Diploma or GED only

Some College, No degree

Associates Degree

Bachelor's Degree

Post-Graduate Degree

PA’s Percent of Total Population Enrolled in College Has Increased But Remains Relatively Low

(18-64 Yr Olds – 2004)

Source: National Center for Higher Education Management

Systems

Measuring Up 2006 Results for PA:

25- to 49-year-olds enrolled part-time in some type of postsecondary education in PA increased to 3.1 percent, but still remains below benchmark states . .

Pennsylvania’s PLA Initiative

Pennsylvania Department of Education is working with CAEL to identify best practices and promote PLA across the Commonwealth

Final action plan expected in 2008 PLA greatly needed within NW Pennsylvania Edinboro University well-positioned to build

on its history of success with PLA

Key Aspects of Edinboro’s PLA Program Portfolio preparation an especially popular

choice among adult students. We guide each student individually through the portfolio preparation process.

We utilize block awarding of credits for students in cohort programs (e.g., Nursing, Early Childhood Education)

Who Uses PLA at Edinboro?

Clientele is primarily adult learners who Wish to complete a degree begun earlier

in life Are changing careers Are starting college after years in the

workforce and wish to validate prior learning

The Value of PLA to the Student An incentive for new students, especially

adult learners, to “jump-start” their collegiate careers

Validates prior life experiences Enables students to begin their studies at the

appropriate point Shortens the time to degree completion, the

real payoff

The Benefits of PLA for Edinboro University A valuable recruiting tool for prospective

students Demonstrates institutional commitment to

understanding and meeting societal needs Helps faculty understand that other forms and

forums for learning exist (helps us to be more agile and flexible)

Ensuring Academic Integrity

Awards are the responsibility of the faculty - if the requisite quality is not there, credit is not awarded

Faculty regularly review current programmatic information on CLEP, AP, etc., to ensure that award guidelines are valid

Policy guides all awards Students may earn up to 30 semester credits

for a bacc program, 15 for an assoc program

Challenges We Face

Acquainting new faculty with PLA Promoting PLA options to prospective students Maintaining faculty buy-in

some options are time-consuming (e.g., portfolio review)

some new faculty challenge comparability of learning to traditional in-class instruction

Planned Revisions and Enhancements Our PLA policy is due for review We plan to ensure that PLA options are

known to all prospective students We hope to make inroads into offering

programs (e.g., Corporate CLEP) in collaboration with area employers who offer tuition assistance to their employees

Assess feasibility of becoming an ALFI