This document discusses the benefits of prior learning assessment (PLA) for higher education institutions. It notes that PLA can help institutions meet President Obama's goal of increasing the number of college graduates by 2020 by allowing students to earn credit for knowledge gained outside the classroom. Research shows PLA participants are over twice as likely to complete degrees and do so more quickly. PLA benefits institutions by recruiting students with advanced standing, reducing costs, improving retention, strengthening partnerships with employers, and allowing competency-based assessment. The document advocates for PLA as a way to help institutions, students, and the broader degree completion agenda.

1. Why Consider PLA
for your Institution?
Presented by
Nan Travers, Ph.D.
SUNY Empire State College
Prior Learning Assessment Professional Development Series

2. Why PLA? Why Now?
Degree Completion Agenda
• President Obama
• Challenged every American to commit to at least one year of
higher education or post-secondary training.
• Set goal that by 2020, the United States would once again have
the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.
• Lumina Foundation
• Increase the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees,
certificates and other credentials to 60 percent by the year 2025.
• TAACCCT Grants

3. Lumina Foundation Gallop Poll
(2013)
• 87% of Americans think students should be able to receive
college credit for knowledge and skills acquired outside the
classroom
• 75% indicated that they would be more likely to enroll in a
higher education program if they could be evaluated and
receive credit for what they already know

4. PLA Provides Students
Opportunities
•Earn college credit for learning
outside of the classroom.
•Recognizes students for what they
know.
•Complete degrees sooner at a
lower cost.

5. Who are the Students who use
PLA?
Adult Students
• Professional
Learning
• Volunteer
Learning
• Self-Study
• Personal
Experiences
Younger Students
• Home schooled
• Dual-
enrollment
• Advanced
Placement
• Self-study
Currently
Enrolled Students
• Service
Learning
• Extra
research/study

6. Positive Impacts on Institutions
Recruitment
Financial
Management
Retention
Academic
Development
Partnerships
Competency-
Based
Assessment

7. PLA as a Recruitment Tool
• Students start with Advanced Standing
• Accelerates time-to-degree
• General education equivalencies (AP, CLEP)
• Focus on intended major
• Cost reduction for students
• Target populations
• Military
• High achieving students
• Working professionals

8. PLA as an Expense Management
Tool
• Student perspective
• Accelerates time to degree
• Represents a form of scholarship
• Institutional perspective
• Cost-efficient use of scholarship $$
• Targeted Populations
• Industry partner perspective
• Reduces tuition reimbursement
• Maximizes use of corporate training

9. PLA as a Retention Tool
• CAEL research (2010) shows:
• More than 2X the rate of completion
• 43% PLA participants earned a Bachelor’s degree compared to 15%
• 13% PLA participants earned an Associate degree compared to 6%
• Less time to complete degree
• Earned more institutional credits (54 credits vs. 44 credits)
• Other research shows increases in:
• Study skills
• Problem solving
• Reflection
• Self-regulation/self-awareness/self-direction

10. PLA as a Partnership Tool
• Professional Learning Evaluations
• A non-collegiate training or program curriculum is evaluated
by an organization or higher education institution to
determine the extent of college-level learning.
• Students need to verify that they have achieved the
designated learning outcomes as indicated by the evaluation.
• Evaluation Team consists of:
• Faculty
• Field Experts
• Administrative Oversight
• Consortium for the Assessment of College Equivalency (CACE)

11. PLA as an Academic Process
• Increases knowledge-base of an institution
• Faculty professional development
• Increases breadth and depth of a program
• Meet General Education requirements
• Connects programs to industry

12. PLA as Competency-Based
Assessment
• PLA as Direct Assessment
• Portfolios
• Examinations
• Professional Learning Evaluations
• Defining College Level Learning
• Global Learning Qualifications Framework (GLQF)
(www.esc.edu/suny-real/global-learning-
qualifications-framework)
• Connecting Credentials
(www.connectingcredentials.org)

13. Thank You!
For more information on Prior Learning Assessment
• View additional videos
• Contact SUNY.REAL@esc.edu
Prior Learning Assessment Professional Development Series