Prior Learning Assessment in Washington Compiled by Robin Jeffers, Bellevue College

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1 Prior Learning Assessment in Washington Compiled by Robin Jeffers, Bellevue College Bates: Prior Training or Related Experience: Due to the college s competency-based system, credit is not given for prior work experience or vocational education and training. However, registered degree and certificate students have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, and if deemed appropriate by instructors, move forward at an accelerated pace. Career education instructors will evaluate competency and may award mastery of skills, provided the skills are demonstrated to the standards of performance defined within the program. There is only one subject area where Bates has a formalized PLA (prior learning assessment) process, that is for students in the AAS-T degree in Career and Technical Education. Contact: Carole Brewer, Dean Educator Training, Bellevue: For learning that s not covered by CLEP or military credits Bellevue College does a prior learning portfolio that students learn how to assemble by taking a 1-credit Prior Learning Portfolio Development course. The instructor of the portfolio course recruits a content specialist (CS) from among the faculty. The CS meets with the student a minimum of twice, first to approve the portfolio outcomes, discuss the number of credits being requested, and perhaps to suggest appropriate readings; then to provide feedback on the draft. Once the portfolio is complete, the CS assigns credits. The student then pays for the credits, and the credits are transcripted as grey electives PLA credit, but not credit for specific BCC courses. Contact: Robin Jeffers, Coordinator, Assessment/Effectiveness, rjeffers@bellevuecollege.edu Cascadia: Cascadia does have a prior learning assessment process, no details available. Clover Park Technical College: Since CPTC uses the ACE guides for military experience, most prior learning assessment is done for students who have course work from non-accredited colleges (like beauty schools or video production schools) or who have long tenure in job-related work. CPTC does not have many students who go through this process even though it is a great value. Below is the information from the CPTC catalog: Students who wish to receive credit for prior learning will complete the Prior Learning Assessment Request Form available from the Student Records Office and pay the following fees for assessment services: $25 evaluation fee and $10 for each course for which prior learning credit is requested. Instructors will evaluate the prior experiential learning of a student in relation to the competencies of the program and will award credit for demonstrated learning outcomes that are appropriate to the subject, course or program offered. All credits awarded for this type of experience will be noted as such on the student s transcript with a grade of X. Credit for prior experiential learning may constitute no more than 25 percent of the credits needed for program completion. CPTC s process was developed several years ago as part of the state-wide push for award credit for prior learning. Contact: Judy MacDougall (judy.macdougall@cptc.edu, (253) ) is the person who can provide you with the process information. Edmonds: Full details (and contact information) can be found at: How will I earn college credit? You will be assessed through the course challenge process that will determine the degree to which you have met the learning outcomes of the course challenged. This could be a test but it could also be a demonstration, written documentation, oral interview, or other appropriate method by which the assessor determines your understanding of the subject matter. If you

2 have taken courses at other institutions or received training through military or apprenticeship programs, you might also request an evaluation of your transcripts to determine possible "transfer in" credit. What kind of learning is appropriate? Knowledge that is current and corresponds to courses taught at the college may be assessed for college credit. Your level of competence should be comparable to that of students in regular courses, including both theoretical and practical knowledge of the subject. It must be possible to evaluate what you know and can do. What will this cost? At the present time, Course Challenges and Special Projects are not state-funded. A self-supporting fee of $175 is charged for each course challenge. There is no refund for unsuccessful challenges. The fee for a Special Project is $250. There is no refund for incomplete projects. Payment by credit card can be made over the phone ( or ); by mailing a check payable to EdCC to the Cashiers Department (at Edmonds Community College th Ave West, Lynnwood, WA 98036); or paying in person on the first floor of Lynnwood Hall on the main campus (address above). You will work with an assigned faculty member and the PLA Director is available to assist you throughout this process. Contact: Pam LeMay, PLA Director, at (425) or plemay@edcc.edu Everett: The requirements are fairly strict. Students must have completed ENGL & 101 and be able to write fairly well and they must follow a specific format for the portfolio. Students are allowed up to 6 months in which to complete the portfolio. Initially, students meet with a prior learning assessment (PLA) evaluator. Discussion of any credits or certifications earned at EvCC and perhaps other colleges. Often a student may be awarded credit for certification if it is a close equivalency in content and hours with one or more of the EvCC classes. If the student is pursuing a transfer degree option, of course that limits the applicability right away. If it still seems worthwhile and they do not have transcripts of certificates, then they would be a candidate for a portfolio. An appropriate faculty member would review the portfolio. We have to know that it would be worth the student's time before they begin such a project. Then, they begin the process. If only one EvCC student is going through the process at a time, the evaluator may customize the "workshop" to be a one-to-one set of short meetings and even some correspondence via . The student is asked to submit pieces of the portfolio (short autobiography, short report of their learning style, etc.) as they go through the process. The PLA does not edit their portfolio, but does give suggestions about expanding some parts (tell us more) and about maybe rearranging parts so that the sequence makes the best sense. The final portfolio goes to a faculty advisor who determines credit (or not). A faculty advisor would make an appointment with a student or contact them if they had any questions or concerns. Although very few students have completed the process, all who have participated have received their requested credit. They pay a non-refundable fee of $100 before beginning the portfolio and $25 per credit awarded. If they only submit certificates, they pay a flat $30 and we keep an inventory of types of certificates and amounts of credit that can routinely be awarded. Typically, it's from Fire Science, Law Enforcement, some Business and Education. Go to the EvCC website and select "Admissions and Registration;" then go to "Transfer Credit," to get an overview of the process. Contact: zcline@everettcc.edu. Grays Harbor: No

3 North Seattle: The student is responsible for collecting documents to support their portfolio and make an appointment with the Faculty Coordinator of the program toward which the Experiential Learning credit will apply. The Faculty Coordinator will assess the student's documented life learning and match this experiential learning to academic courses needed for the student's area of study at NSCC. Faculty Coordinators will use the following criteria to evaluate Prior Experiential Learning for the portfolio: 1. Learning Outcomes 2. Discipline Specific Competencies 3. Skills and Competencies 4. Course or Class Equivalencies 5. Transferable Skills 6. Training and Professional Development 7. Professional Growth and Education [See full form at end of this document.] Pierce: The student will work with the PLA Evaluator to compile documentation for prior learning assessment credit by matching their experiential learning to course objectives. The PLA Evaluator will determine which courses and how many credits will be approved for PLA credit. Evaluators will maintain student PLA files for 5 quarters. [See full form at end of this document.] Skagit: No process in place. South Puget Sound CC: We do occasionally allow credit for instruction offered by non-accredited organizations. If students have military coursework, DOP training, Red Cross First Aid, for-profit college classes (like the former BCTI), schooling from foreign countries, or other formal, classroom setting type training that applies specifically to the student s degree, we will consider their petition for Credit for Alternative Learning Experiences. The credits frequently come in the form of stocking-stuffers where a student may be a couple of credits shy of graduation, or they have gone through the Army s Primary Leadership Program and we can use their training to fulfill a Human Relations requirement in a technical degree or McLane Fire Department offers agency training that applies to our Fire and Emergency Services degree. Formally, CALE is outlined in the College Handbook: There are several requirements that must be met before a student may petition for credit and there is an application fee of $ The coursework is either transcripted at the end of the transcript as a block of credits at the time of graduation or for $10.00 per credit fee, the coursework may be transcripted into a specific quarter (generally the Fire folks). The forms are available in Enrollment Services, but we only hand them out on a case-by-case basis. Contact: Sheryl Kermoade, , skermoade@spscc.ctc.edu South Seattle: The instructional Deans are responsible for assessing prior work and they usually assign this task to instructional faculty closest to the field. Tacoma: An experiential learning course, EXPLR 190, Electronic Portfolio, was developed for adult students hoping to receive college credit for prior learning. Students enrolled in the course create electronic portfolios that demonstrate mastery of learning outcomes for specific courses. The portfolios are then used to petition for credits associated with these courses, which may or may not be awarded. Students apply and pay for the credit they petition to receive prior to their portfolio review by program faculty. Contact: April Reid, areid@tacomacc.edu

4 Whatcom: At Whatcom CC, the primary contact for prior learning is Nancy Mullane, Associate Director for Transfer Advising and Prior Learning. She coordinates the Credit by Examination or Evaluation process. Faculty determine the evaluation method required for students to demonstrate mastery of the course content which can include portfolio evaluations and/or examinations. or North Seattle Prior Experiential Learning Portfolio (PELP) College credit may be earned for Prior Experiential Learning (EL). This credit assessment is available to students pursuing degrees or certificates at North Seattle Community College (NSCC). This form will be completed by the student seeking credit and a faculty member designated by the Dean (preferably faculty lead or coordinator). Credit for Experiential Learning can make up no more than 25% of the required credits for a degree or certificate at NSCC. Students must complete at least one quarter at NSCC before EL credit can be processed. Credit for Prior Experiential Learning will only be considered for professional & technical programs and will not be considered for the following degrees: Associate in Business, Associate of Arts, Associate of Science & Associate of Science options 1 & 2. The student is responsible for collecting documents to support their portfolio and make an appointment with the Faculty Coordinator of the program toward which the Experiential Learning credit will apply. The Faculty Coordinator will assess the student's documented life learning and match this experiential learning to academic courses needed for the student's area of study at NSCC. Faculty Coordinators will use the following criteria to evaluate Prior Experiential Learning for the portfolio: Learning Outcomes Discipline Specific Competencies Skills and Competencies Course or Class Equivalencies Transferable Skills Training and Professional Development Professional Growth and Education 1. Student Information: Name: NSCC Student ID Number: Program Title: Program Code: Year Started: Address: Phone: 2. Documentation of Student Prior Experiential Learning Volunteer Work / Community involvement: Items listed here could include documents to verify participation in local government, coaching, volunteer work for charities, schools, business, religious organizations, etc. Particular care must be given to documenting acquired skills / learning in this endeavor. Agency / Community Organization Duties (start) (end) Documentation What skills / learning were acquired through this experience that will qualify for credit? (Additional space is available if needed)

5 Life experiences, Hobbies, etc. Items listed here could include technical skills acquired through life experience (i.e. self taught computer skills, skills acquired from parent/friends, hobbies, etc.) Particular care must be given to documenting acquired skills / learning in this endeavor. Experience Activities (start) (end) Documentation What skills / learning were acquired through this experience that will qualify for credit? (Additional space is available if needed) Miscellaneous: Anything that does not fall into the categories above should be addressed here. Particular care must be given to documenting acquired skills / learning in this endeavor. Experience Activities (start) (end) Documentation What skills / learning were acquired through this experience that will qualify for credit? (Additional space is available if needed) 3. Credits / Courses Earned: This section is a listing of courses that the student qualifies for based on Prior Experiential Learning documented above (section 2). Course Title Course Number Item Number Credits 4. Fees (fee pay code EX): The fee for evaluating each course will be $39.06/course. The fee will be collected prior to the faculty assessment.

6 Quarter Summer Fall Winter Spring 20 CREDIT FOR PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT (PLA) EVALUATION FORM Student I.D. No. Birth date Student Name Mailing Address Street City State Zip Telephone Home Alternate I am currently enrolled at Pierce College Yes No Today's CREDIT FOR PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES 1. Prior Learning Assessment awards credits for prior experiential learning outside the College. 2. Credit for prior learning is awarded on a course-equivalency basis and must meet the course outcomes. 3. Credits awarded will be for courses taught at Pierce College. 4. The student must complete 12 credits at the College with a GPA of 2.00 or above before applying for PLA credit. 5. The student will work with the appropriate department/program faculty in which the student is seeking credit. 6. The student must provide evidence based documentation for credit evaluation. 7. PLA credits may be applied to a maximum of 25% of the total degree or certificate credits. 8. PLA credits are awarded on a pass/fail basis only. 9. PLA credits do not count toward residency requirements for a degree. 10. Students seeking PLA credits are charged PLA Evaluation fees of $20.00 per approved credit. This fee must be paid after the PLA evaluation and before credits can be posted on the student s transcript. 11. The Prior Learning Assessment Evaluation form must be filed with the Registrar's Office no later than the 3rd week of the quarter for processing within the current quarter. Forms received after the 3rd week will be processed in the subsequent quarter.

7 12. I have read and agree to the above guidelines for requesting Prior Learning Assessment credits. Student Signature COURSES FOR WHICH STUDENT IS SEEKING CREDIT TO BE FILLED OUT BY THE PLA EVALUATOR Course # Course Title Credits Approved Total Credits Approved $20 X # of Credits $ PLA APPROVAL USE ONLY This is to verify that the above student has been approved based on the credit for prior learning assessment documentation for a total of college credits for the above courses. PRINT PLA Faculty Evaluator NAME PRINT Program Coordinator NAME PRINT Registrar NAME PLA Faculty Evaluator Signature Program Coordinator Signature Registrar Signature

8 CREDIT FOR PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES 1. Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) awards credit for documented experiential learning outside the College. 2. Credit will be awarded for courses offered at Pierce College. 3. The student must complete 12 credits at the College with a GPA of 2.00 or above before applying for PLA credit. 4. PLA credits may be applied to a maximum of 25% of the total degree or certificate credits. 5. Prior learning credits do not count toward residence requirements. 6. Students seeking PLA credits are charged PLA Evaluation fees of $20.00 per approved credit. The fee must be paid before PLA credits are posted on the student s transcript. 7. Credit for Prior Learning Assessment Evaluation forms must be filed with the Registrar's Office no later than the 3 rd week of the quarter for timely processing and recording. Forms received after the 3 rd week will be processed in the subsequent quarter. CREDIT FOR PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES 1. Students can obtain the Credit for Prior Learning Assessment Evaluation form from the Registrar's Office, Advising Center, Program Coordinators or Faculty Advisor. 2. Students can inquire about the process for PLA credit from Faculty Advisors and Program Coordinators. 3. If PLA is appropriate, the student will work with the appropriate department/program of the degree program in which the student is seeking credit. 4. The student will work with the PLA Evaluator to compile documentation for prior learning assessment credit by matching their experiential learning to course objectives. The PLA Evaluator will determine which courses and how many credits will be approved for PLA credit. Evaluators will maintain student PLA files for 5 quarters. 5. The PLA Evaluator will sign the Credit for Prior Learning Assessment Evaluation form indicating credit for PLA approval. 6. The PLA Evaluator will submit to the Program Coordinator the student documentation and the Credit for Prior Learning Assessment Evaluation form for signature approval. 7. The student will take Prior Learning Assessment Evaluation form to the Cashiers Office and make payment for approved credits. 8. The Prior Learning Assessment Evaluation form must be filed with the Registrar's Office no later than the 3rd week of the quarter for processing with the current quarter. Forms received after the 3rd week will be processed in the subsequent quarter. 9. The Registrar s Office will submit paperwork for faculty payment.