Previous 2020 research from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), made possible by funding from Lumina Foundation and Strada Education Network, found that prior learning assessment/credit for prior learning (PLA/CPL) has a strong positive effect on adult student credential completion, benefitting all student subgroups.
CAEL and WICHE examined this equity gap more closely in this new study, Equity Paradoxes in The PLA Boost: Opportunity Unrealized for Some Students despite the Potential for Improved Credit Completion.
A closer look at the original dataset from The PLA Boost resulted in new equity-related findings:
New interviews with PLA/CPL institutions helped provide additional insights for what factors may be at play in the credit receipt patterns by Black adult students and low income adult students. These factors likely include barriers of cost, inadequate outreach and support around PLA/CPL programs, policies and practices that are not adapted to all types of prior learning experiences, and lower self-confidence among many adult learners, particularly certain subgroups that are historically underrepresented in higher education.
The report points to several strategies that postsecondary institutions can take to mitigate those factors and to help ensure PLA/CPL programs are available and accessible to all adult learners. These include:
Read the full Equity Paradoxes in the PLA Boost report, an executive summary, and other supporting information below.
Equity Paradoxes in the PLA Boost
1-Page Research Snapshot
2020 PLA Boost Report
Free CPL resources for postsecondary institutions