Sarah Leibrandt, Lisa Montiel, and Nan Travers

2017 National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning

Unlocking the Potential of Prior Learning Assessments through

Better Data

Multistate Longitudinal Data ExchangeSarah Leibrandt, Ph.D.

Research Analyst

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

sleibrandt@wiche.edu

Relating practice, policy, and data

Data collection

Data linkages and preparation

Evaluation/AnalysisTranslation to

actionable information

Program/policy adjustments &

behavior changes

State Data Systems are becoming more robust

• 26 states have full P20W systems, connecting early learning, K-12, postsecondary and workforce data

• 42 states currently link or plan to link postsecondary to workforce data.

Source: SHEEO, Strong Foundations, 2016http://www.sheeo.org/sites/default/files/publications/SHEEO_StrongFoundations2016_FINAL.pdf

State Data Systems shed light on diversity

Source: SHEEO, Strong Foundations, 2016http://www.sheeo.org/sites/default/files/publications/SHEEO_StrongFoundations2016_FINAL.pdf

State Data Systems can provide answers…

• Who are our adult learners?

• What are the education outcomes of our adult leaners?

• What are the employment outcomes of our adult learners?

• Data Dashboards allow users to look at student outcomes• Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics

• Rhode Island Data Hub

Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics

Source: https://kcews.ky.gov/

Rhode Island DataHUB

Source: https://ridatahub.org

The problem

• State data systems tend to respect state borders

• But students, workers, and employers don’t

• Consumer information, data for policy adjustment, and accountability measures can be based on incomplete data

For example: there are community colleges near the NY and NJ border

There are also manyhospitals near the NY and NJ border

One possible solution: The Multistate Longitudinal Data Exchange

56% of completers found in Idaho wage

records

Hawaii<1%

Oregon3%

Wash.7%

Those “not found” reduced from 44% to

35%

22% of degree completers not

found in Idaho wage records were found in the other three

states’ data

Notes: 3,158 students who received associate’s or higher award from an institution in Idaho by Dec. 2010 and had a valid SSN

Uncertainty About Employment Outcomes Reduced by 22% in Idaho

The State University of New York

Lisa Montiel, Ph.D.

Assistant Provost

Office of Institutional Research and Data Analytics

lisa.montiel@suny.edu

Role of SUNY System Admn, Office of Institutional Research & Data Analytics• Provide analytic services to SUNY.

• Integrate data across sources.

• Manage SUNY’s information on enrollment, degrees, instructional cost, financial aid, etc.

• Ensure mandatory reporting requirements are met.

SUNY System & Prior Learning Assessment

• 1976 Memorandum to Presidents on awarding academic credit by evaluation

• Campus level decisions; OIRDA data collection

• Prior learning credits show up as transfer credits

• AP, IB, CLEP, DANTES, military experience, dept. exams, etc = transfer credit

• Is there a difference in student outcomes based on type of prior learning?

Seamless Transfer & Degree Works

• System-wide, comprehensive transfer policy (gen ed & required coursework for major)

• Degree Works = web-based auditing software so student can track progress toward degree & how status would be impacted if changed majors or institutions

Fall 2016 Enrollment of Undergraduate Students Over the Age of 25

First-Time Students Transfer Students All Students

SUNY 6.7% 27.6% 19.1%

2-Year Campuses 10.6% 35.6% 23.8%

4-Year Campuses 1.9% 22.4% 14.0%

Among Students Who Are:

Example of Educational Outcomes: First-Time Associate Students at 2-Year Campuses

Cohort Type Cohort Term Reporting Term Age Group Total Degrees %

Over 25 yrs. 30.6

All others 40.8

Over 25 yrs. 25.5

All others 34.2

Cohort Type Cohort Term Reporting Term Age Group Total Degrees %

Over 25 yrs. 24.6

All others 19.7

Over 25 yrs. 16.5

All others 13.2

1st-Time, PT Associate

Fall 2010 Fall 2016

Fall 2012 Fall 2016

1st-Time, FT Associate

Fall 2010 Fall 2016

Fall 2012 Fall 2016

Employment Outcomes: New York State Dept. of Labor Data Exchange• SUNY System Administration MOU with NYS DOL for all of our 64 campuses

• We sent them SSNs of SUNY graduates for the last 10 years

• NYS DOL returns quarterly wage & employer info (sometimes)

• SUNY System compiles aggregate reports for each campus, enforce data security policies, establish procedures for data use, create research roadmap including scope of work, & determine mode of campus access to data

Employment Outcomes: MLDE

• SUNY partner with WICHE for MLDE participation (without secondary ed & labor)

• About 80% of SUNY graduates working in state

• Downstate area important for multi-state data exchange.

• Online student graduates employment outcomes

SUNY Empire State College

Nan L. Travers, Ph.D.

Director of the Center for Leadership in Credentialing Learning

nan.travers@esc.edu

SUNY Empire State College• One of 64 SUNY Institutions; 35 locations across NY, online, and

international

• Established in 1971, focused on the Adult Learner (avg. age 35)

• Associate, Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

• About 17,000 undergraduate students and 1200 graduate students

• Every undergraduate student can use prior learning assessment (PLA) towards degree requirements

• Advanced Standing credits – Transfer and PLA (avg. 56 credits for Bachelor’s)

• 50% of graduates use some form of PLA in their degrees

• At any given time, 4 - 5,000 students are working on an individualized PLA portfolio (iPLA)

Types of Advanced Standing

• Liberal advanced standing policies• Up to 40 credits for associate degree• Up to 93 credits for bachelor’s degree• Can be used to meet any degree requirements

• Many sources of advanced standing learning• Transcripts (avg. 5 per student)• Standardized Exams (e.g., CLEP, AP, DSST, TECEP, UEXCEL, NYU Language)• Military Credits (ACE-all training and occupations)• Professional training, certifications and licenses (ACE, NCCRS, CACE, Empire

State College, and other regionally accredited institutions)• Individualized PLA Portfolio

Data Needs

• Develop an Advanced Standing document to guide what can be used in a degree• Available credit

• Credit designations (e.g., level, liberal arts, SUNY General Education)

• Degree Design • Degree guidelines (i.e., degree competencies)

• Concentration versus General Learning

• Degree Audit (Degree Works)

General Issues

• No systematic mechanism to share data from/to other organizations or institutions

• Very few external sources have electronic data to share• Convert transcripts, pdfs, and other sources into data

• Hand enter advanced standing data into student information system

• Homegrown databases• PLA Planner

• Degree Program Planner

• Confusing to students and faculty/advisors as to what can or cannot be used in a degree

Compliance Issues

• Financial Aid – need for degree plan, class standing, and for cost of attendance

• Military – both prospect and matriculated students need for degree plan and to know what will transfer in for cost of attendance

• Dept. of Labor – both prospect and matriculated students need for degree plan and to know what will transfer in for cost of attendance

• SUNY Policy – need to tell students transfer credits before first payment

Solutions

• Internally• Articulation tables for all Advanced Standing (transfer and PLA)

• Joint Service Transcript Review of Available Credit (JSTRAC)

• SUNY• Degree Works

• Sharing catalog information

• Updating system-wide PLA policy (original is from 1976)

• Externally• CACE institutions sharing review data

• ACE – initial conversations about data sharing

Discussion Questions

• Does (and if so, how) your institution or state system distinguish types of advanced standing credits?

• How does your institution or state system evaluate current PLA programs and policies?

• What data do you wish you had that could provide even more insight into adult learner outcomes?

• What issues has your institution or state system had in addressing data needs?

• What successes have you had?

Contact Us

Sarah Leibrandt, Ph.D., sleibrandt@wiche.edu

Lisa Montiel, Ph.D., lisa.montiel@suny.edu

Nan Travers, Ph.D., nan.travers@esc.edu