In order to address the projected and existing shortage of students earning degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), colleges need to take advantage of the asset that many students arriving on campus possess: prior learning, which can be measured by the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) as well as other Prior Learning Assessments (PLAs). This session (which will be interactive with audience Q&A) will include material on Military and Homeschooled students and their abilities to achieve success with CLEP, DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST), and other PLA exams.

Military members with a current Active Duty, National Guard, or Reserves ID Card can take every CLEP and DSST test one time at no cost, but the majority of military members do not know that testing is available or how to go about testing or where to get study materials. Some tests provide military members college credits while also counting towards career advancement.

Newly released data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that between 2003 and 2012, the number of American children between ages 5 to 17 who were homeschooled rose 61.8 percent. This increase means that colleges and universities across the country are seeing more and more homeschooled students but are struggling to know how best to recruit, advise, and support them. Prior Learning and CLEP allow the skills naturally found in the home schooled student to be translated onto a higher level: that of higher education. These students succeed because of the way they are trained, and that same training translates into testing success.

Conference Track: Prior Learning Assessment

This session will address trending topics in CLEP testing from the Unify transition to updates to the CLEP handbook, My Account, and the CLEP Resource Center. There will be plenty of time for Q&A from the audience.

Conference Track: Prior Learning Assessment