CLEP and Systemwide Credit by Exam policy: Nationally Recognized Prior Learning Assessment CLEP and...

CLEP and Systemwide CLEP and Systemwide Credit by Exam policy:Credit by Exam policy:Nationally Recognized Nationally Recognized

Prior Learning AssessmentPrior Learning Assessment

College-Level Examination ProgramCollege-Level Examination Program®® (CLEP (CLEP ® ®))

Ohio Credit Transfer Policy

• The Ohio General Assembly, the Ohio Board of Regents, and Ohio's universities and community and technical colleges support multiple educational pathways to meet the full spectrum of student needs and educational aspirations. They further affirm that improved transfer student mobility will increase student satisfaction, degree completion and the efficient use of tax dollars.

• To improve student mobility-must include provisions to maximize the award and application of credit for prior learning and equitable treatment for transfer students. Inter-institutional cooperation is essential to facilitate the necessary transfer of students and application of credit hours.

• Articulation and transfer will move away from the traditional process of constructing course equivalencies on the basis of course descriptions, credits, and seat time.

• The new equivalency development model, competencies to competencies,

matches learning outcomes to articulate specific levels of learning mastery.

Why is it important to consider systemwide policy for credit-by-exam?

Consistent credit-by-exam policy supports:• Seamless articulation and transfer of credit for

students with qualifying exam scores;• Academic persistence and degree completion;• Recognition of prior learning for nontraditional

learners, adults, and student veterans; and • Reduction of transfer barriers and accumulation

of excess credits.

The Process of Developing Systemwide CLEP Policy

• Defining The 70% Standard In Ohio Transfer Assurance Guide Learning Outcomes, http://regents.ohio.gov/transfer/policy/Defining70Percent.pdf

• Each CLEP exam has a downloadable Test Information Guide (TIG), describing the exam content, specifications, and standards setting-

• CLEP TIG review by faculty-determines course match equivalency for credit recommendations

• Faculty may take a CLEP exam for free• College Board ACES Validity study compares students’ course

outcomes to CLEP exam performance.

CLEP Test Development Committees CLEP Test Development Committees

• 29 committees, each with 3 or 4 members

• All committee members are college faculty who teach the relevant course

• Faculty are drawn from:• All regions of the US• Four-year and two-year colleges• Public, private, and proprietary institutions

• Committee members usually serve for 4 years

What Do Committee Members What Do Committee Members Consider?Consider?

• What knowledge and skills are we currently testing?

• What knowledge and skills should we be testing?

• Would we use this assessment to test our own students?

• Evaluating the exam:• Critical thinking and other skills• Emerging topics or methods in the subject• Outdated items or ways of testing the subject• Fairness

CLEP Curriculum SurveysCLEP Curriculum Surveys

• CLEP surveys college faculty who teach the relevant course:• How is your course formatted?• What topics are covered?• What skills should students have?• How do you assess students?• What has changed in the way the subject is taught?

• Committee reviews results and adjusts exam content.

The Test Development ProcessThe Test Development Process

Item Development• Write and edit new

exam items• Pretest the items• Analyze statistical data• Put items into

operational forms

Form Assembly• CLEP’s testlet model• Test specifications• Range of difficulty• Relevance• Rigor

Standard Setting• Web-based standard

setting• Faculty “judges”

evaluate items• The RCGS-recommended

credit granting score

• Committee review

Other Considerations

Curriculum surveys • Academic Advisory Committees • Trends in the discipline• Exam software capability

CLEP Scoring and Standard SettingCLEP Scoring and Standard Setting

What does the recommended credit-granting score of 50 represent?

• A scaled score of 50 is used as the passing score—equivalent to a C in the comparable course—for all CLEP exams.

• Each exam undergoes a standard-setting study by a panel of college faculty who teach the equivalent course.

• The panel determines the skills and knowledge that a typical C student can demonstrate upon completing the comparable course. Then each exam question is evaluated for difficulty and relevance in light of that typical student’s abilities.

• CLEP scaled score range is 20-80. The final credit-granting score recommended by the panel is converted to a scaled score of 50.

California State University System


* 23 universities


* 23 universities* over 400,000 students, 20,000 faculty


* 23 universities* over 400,000 students, 20,000 faculty* 60% of CSU graduates transfer in

California State University SystemStudents who transfer into the CSU almost always begin at a California Community College, having started or completed a 39-unit package of GE.


certifyingCalifornia Community College

(“sending institution”)

39 lower-division units

Students who transfer into the CSU almost always begin at a California Community College, having started or completed a 39-unit package of GE.


California State University (“receiving institution”)

nine upper-division units











prior learning at thebaccalaureate level









(“pass-along”)









(“pass-along”)

* other CCCs or four-years









(“pass-along”)

* other CCCs or four-years* military and other training









(“pass-along”)

* other CCCs or four-years* military and other training* external exams (AP or IB)









(“pass-along”)

* other CCCs or four-years* military and other training* external exams (AP or IB)

up to 39 units



CLEP Policy before 2009:


CLEP Policy before 2009:* most campuses had local policies in place for natives


CLEP Policy before 2009:* most campuses had local policies in place for natives* California Community Colleges had no authority to include CLEP in GE certifications, so it came in as elective credit


motivations for change:

Veterans Lounge, Mira Costa College, San DiegoNorth County Times, March 4, 2010


motivations for change:- California Troops to College initiative



motivations for change:- California Troops to College initiative- concerns about financial aid eligibility, time to degree



motivations for change:- California Troops to College initiative- concerns about financial aid eligibility, time to degree- loss of student engagement with repeat learning



Timeline for adoption:



2007-08 Update of Advanced Placement acceptance (from 1997 policy)




2008-09 Review and adoption of International Baccalaureate





Fall 2009 Survey of local acceptance policies





Fall 2009 Survey of local acceptance policiesCollege Board consultation to GEAC





Fall 2009 Survey of local acceptance policiesCollege Board consultation to GEAC

Spring 2010 Adoption of CLEP


For more information:

Ken O’DonnellAssociate Dean, Academic Programs & PolicyCalifornia State University

[email protected]

Minnesota State Colleges &Universities System (MnSCU)

About MnSCU Twenty-five community and technical colleges Seven state universities Fifth largest public system (54 campuses) 260,000 Students in credit based courses 164,000 Students in non credit based courses

MnSCU Board of Trustees Policy 3.33 CLEP

Goal to strengthen college readiness standards

Statewide Policy Student Benefits Clear transfer policies, consistent scores

If CLEP credit awarded fulfills a requirement in a goal area of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum, it must be accepted by the receiving institution (consistent with system policies for transfer and credit for prior learning)

If CLEP credit is awarded for a course outside the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum, the receiving institution may evaluate it (consistent with system policies for transfer and credit for prior learning)

Scores based on ACE recommendations

Policy is up for review 2010-2011

MnSCU Board of TrusteesPolicy 3.33 College-Level Examination Program

• Part 1. Purpose-to establish consistent practices among all Minnesota State Colleges and Universities for granting credit based on student performance on College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations.

• Part 2. Definitions. College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a testing program of The College Board designed to measure prior learning. A student may earn college credits by achieving a specified level of performance on a CLEP examination.

• Part 3. Credit for College-Level Examination Program. Minnesota State Colleges and Universities shall grant credit for CLEP examinations according to Procedure 3.33.1, http://www.mnscu.edu/board/procedure/333p1.htmlContact: Linda Lade, MnSCU System Director of College Transitions

Related Board of Trustees Policies and Procedures

• Link to: http://www.mnscu.edu/board/policy/index.html

• Policy 3.21 Undergraduate Course Credit Transfer

• Policy 3.37 Minnesota Transfer Curriculum• Policy 3.35 Credit for Prior Learning

Florida Section 1007.27(2), Florida Statutes

• Legislative intent-to provide a variety of articulated acceleration mechanisms available to shorten the time necessary to complete requirements associated with the conference of a postsecondary degree, broaden the scope of curricular options available, increase the depth of study, and reduce accumulation of excess credits.

• FLDOE shall identify the minimum scores, maximum credit, and courses for which credit is to be awarded for each College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement Program, and International Baccalaureate examinations.

• FLDOE shall identify such courses in the general education core curriculum of each state university and community college.

• Each community college and state university must award credit for specific courses for which competency has been demonstrated by successful passage of one of these examinations.

– Contact: Matthew Bouck, [email protected]

Kentucky HB 160• KY Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) is working to implement the new HB

160 legislation-passed May, 2010 , http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/10rs/HB160.htm• AN ACT relating to the establishment of common undergraduate college course

credits for transfer and the awarding of degrees. • Directs CPE to develop a statewide agreement for lower division learning

outcomes course numbering and coursework credits; standardize credit-by-exam equivalencies; develop statewide articulation and transfer procedures; monitor and collect compliance data; provide priority admission of associate degree program graduates to state public universities; create common public college transcript; encourage private college collaboration in transfer agreements; establish appeals process; include definition of "learning outcomes."

• 2(e)Standardize credit-by-exam equivalencies and common passing scores for national exams transferable for general education courses and program-specific prerequisites courses.

• Contact-Adina O’Hara, [email protected]

North Dakota 403.7.4 Common Credit-By-Exam Guidelines

• http://www.ndus.edu/policies/ndus-policies/subpolicy.asp?ref=2594• Procedures are adopted according to SBHE Policy 403.7(3)(C) and govern credit awards

and minimum requirements for successful completion of credit-by-exam programs. • "Credit-by-exam programs" include Advanced Placement (AP), College Level

Examination Program (CLEP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and DANTES Specialized Subject Tests (DSST).

• College Level Examination Program (CLEP)-scores adopted by the American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations for minimum CLEP scores .

• NDUS institutions shall use the Credit-By-Exam Chart to determine minimum credit-granting score, the number of semester credits to be awarded and the course(s) or type of course(s) to be awarded, http://www.ndus.edu/uploads/document-library/2033/CREDIT-BY-EXAM-1-09.PDF

• Contact-Lisa Johnson: [email protected]

Georgia Adult Learning ConsortiumGEORGIA Adult Learning Consortium’s current five members:• Atlanta Metropolitan College , Bainbridge College , Fort Valley State University ,

Georgia Southern, Valdosta State University. (The ALC membership will grow by 5-6 institutions this fall, with participants selected via USG RFP process.)

• Membership requires agreement to ALL existing ALC principles and agreements, including the policy related to CLEP (See attached).

• ALC institutions will 1) accept all available CLEP tests for all 20 years for which test scores are available from the College Board; 2) uniformly use the American Council on Education’s recommended passing score for all CLEP tests; and 3) when any ALC member institution transcripts credit for course matched to a CLEP test and student transfers to another ALC member institution, the institution to which the student transfers will not require an additional/original score report (avoids additional fee for the student).

• Contact: Mary Ellen Dallman, Valdosta State, [email protected]

CLEP AND PLAEfficiency and Effectiveness

Early research indicates assessing prior college-level learning from experiences increase effectiveness and efficiencies for the student and the college.

A greater emphasis on seamless articulation across higher education systems and institutions increases.

Ways to standardize the assessment of prior learning:

PLA recognition for “course-match” models.Nationally recognized, standardized credit by exam

increases credit portability (See-ACE, CLEP, CAEL)• CLEP is the most widely used, college-based credit-by-examination

system in the United States and is also used by international students. By succeeding on a CLEP exam, individuals may earn between three and 12 college credits at 2,900 institutions.

Recent Research Validates CLEPRecent Research Validates CLEP

CAEL/Lumina Study (March 2010) : Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success

Study of 48 institutions about prior learning assessment (2001-2008; age 25 and above)

Persistence: Completed 80 or more credits within 7 years• PLA Student: 56%• Non-PLA Student: 22%Time to degree (PLA vs. Non-PLA)• Bachelor’s Degree: Saved 2.5 to 10.1 months to attain degree• Assoc. Degree: Saved 1.5 to 4.5 months to attain degree Degree Attainment within 7 years• PLA Student: 56% (43% Bachelors; 13% Assoc.)• Non-PLA Student: 21% (15% Bachelors; 6% Assoc)

CLEP Research Findings• An Investigation of Educational Outcomes for Students Who

Earn College Credit Through the College-Level Examination Program Nancy K. Scammacca; Barbara G. Dodd; PDF 05/13/2005

• This study investigates the educational outcomes of the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) for students who earned credit through CLEP compared to those students who earned comparable credit through the AP Program and through traditional course enrollment. Results indicate that CLEP students did as well as, or better than, those in the comparison groups in nearly every case.

• http://professionals.collegeboard.com/data-reports-research/cb/educational-outcomes-clep

Degree Completion: Degree Completion: An Attainable GoalAn Attainable Goal

2010 study of Florida public institutions: preliminary results for CLEP students to be released 2010…..

• CLEP students graduate in less time than non-CLEP students.• CLEP students have higher GPAs than non-CLEP students.• Students earning credit through CLEP perform better in subsequent English

courses than non-CLEP students.

The College Board College Completion Agenda

• In a knowledge-based economy, critical-thinking and research-oriented skills are necessary to be successful productive employees.

• The % of American adults with postsecondary credentials is not keeping pace with other industrialized nations.

• To help policymakers and educators achieve the goal of 55% by 2025, The College Board Advocacy & Policy Center has developed the College Completion Agenda-

• Two new resources for policymakers and educators, The College Completion Agenda 2010 Progress Report and The College Completion Agenda State Policy Guide provide:

– groundbreaking reports to provide the best state by state data and information to inform and shape education policy and improve college success. (Chapter 10-Adult Education)

– a new dynamic, interactive website combines data with policy strategies, allowing information to be easily accessed and customized by each state. http://completionagenda.collegeboard.org

Q & A

• Many thanks!

ContactsContacts Ken O'Donnell

State University Associate Dean Academic Programs and Policy

CSU Office of the Chancellor 562-951-4735

[email protected]

Pamela A. Kerouac

Senior Assessment Manager

The College Board

[email protected]

CLEP Email: [email protected]

Professional Resources

• Test Information GuidesURL: http://www.collegeboard.com/clepresourcecenter

• Username: clepadmin2

• Password: CLEPmsa22# (case sensitive)

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