Guide Offers Recommendations to Help States Develop Prior Learning Policy Recommendations

CHICAGO, IL, USA, February 18, 2016 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) today unveiled State Policy Approaches to Support Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) to help state legislators better understand how to develop their own statewide PLA policy recommendations, CAEL CEO and President Pamela Tate announced today. The resource guide was produced by CAEL, in partnership with HCM Strategists Inc.

In unveiling the guide Tate said, "State leaders are increasingly aware of the value of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) in helping adult learners complete a degree faster and at a lower cost. Many are taking steps to encourage the use of PLA throughout entire systems of colleges and universities. This guide is a resource for state leaders who wish to support PLA, whether through new higher education policy or legislation."

Prior learning is a term educators use to describe learning that a person acquires outside a traditional academic environment. This learning is acquired through work experience, employer training programs, military training or experience, independent study, non-credit courses, volunteer or community service, travel, or non-college courses or seminars, many of which are offered online. Some of this learning is equivalent to college-level learning. Prior Learning Assessment is the process by which an individual’s experiential and other extra-institutional learning is assessed and evaluated for the purpose of granting college credit, certification, or advanced standing toward further education or training.

The guide includes background information on PLA, why states and systems care about PLA, information on the kinds of policies that other states and systems are adopting, and case studies of both general approaches to state- or system-wide PLA and approaches designed specifically to benefit veterans. An appendix provides a sample roadmap, considerations for developing a state- or system-wide policy, a state-by-state list of specific policies currently in place, and additional resources.

An earlier version of this guide proved to be a useful resource to many states and systems. "Our state PLA Taskforce found CAEL's state policy guidance to be extremely valuable. It saved us countless hours of research and provided a useful starting point for developing our own statewide policy recommendations for Montana," said John E. Cech, PhD, Montana Deputy Commissioner of Higher Education.

Download the full guide at http://www.cael.org/pdfs/CAEL_HCM-PLA-State-Policy-Report-2016.

For more information on PLA visit http://www.cael.org/pla.

Concluded Tate, "This guide is a great example of the kind of support CAEL offers to institutions of higher education and their adult learners. As nontraditional students become an ever increasing component of college populations, it’s vital that those dedicated to supporting them understand the possibilities, and challenges, of programs such as Prior Learning Assessment."

The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization based in Chicago, Illinois that assists adults with their educational endeavors, finding practical ways to earn college credit for learning acquired through training and work experiences. CAEL works with the public sector, private sector industries and higher education institutions to ensure that adult students receive the most efficient training and education to occupy a meaningful professional place in a 21st century economy. Since 1974, CAEL has assisted colleges and universities in providing college credit for prior learning. CAEL is the recognized national expert on a method known as portfolio assessment, and their Ten Standards for Assessing Learning are used by colleges and universities, as well as accrediting organizations, across the country.

HCM Strategists is a public policy and advocacy consulting firm focused on advancing effective solutions in health and education. HCM utilizes a network of relationships at the state and federal level to work collaboratively with nonprofits, foundations and corporations.

-We ALIGN by connecting a problem to a policy and to practice.
-We ADVOCATE by capturing attention and strengthening public will to action.
-We ADVANCE by pursuing change through finding common ground, proposing specific solutions and forging strong alliances.

Terrell Halaska, Kristin Conklin, and Michael Manganiello joined forces because they share a vision of and passion for change. Achieving policy change takes a combination of high-level government experience, an understanding of people’s struggles, a network of strong relationships, a keen analytical ability, and the skills to find fresh, creative approaches to addressing issues. When you can enlighten all participants by capturing their attention, finding common ground, and building strong alliances, success is within reach. The result is change that improves our communities and enhances quality of life.


Press release courtesy of Online PR Media.

Jackie Clark
CAEL
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