PLA at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

1. PLA at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Jerry W. Kiel, Ph.D. Vice President for Student Affairs & Student Success Kentucky Adult Learner Summit February 5, 2008

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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? PLA Survey Questions

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

12. 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

13. 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)

14. Accepted PLA Methods in PA in Comparison with National Survey

15. 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

16. 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

17. 21st Century Economic Realities Median Personal Income of Pennsylvania Workers by Educational Attainment, 2005

18. PA’s Percent of Total Population Enrolled in College Has Increased But Remains Relatively Low(18-64 Yr Olds – 2004) 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 . . Source: National Center for Higher Education Management Systems

19. 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

20. 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)

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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)

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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