Much is unknown about those who do not finish high school and there is a need to understand who enters and completes alternative high school completion programs, such as the HiSet (High School Equivalency Test), GED (General Education Development Test), or growing number of state sponsored high school equivalency programs. The purpose for…

Problems and barriers that women often face when re-entering the higher educational system are identified, and ways in which institutions can be more responsive to re-entry students are suggested. A wide range of possible actions is included so that institutions can pursue those most appropriate to their individual circumstances. Definitions are…

Four experiential learning programs that are in the early stages of development are described. The report from the Consortium of the California State University and Colleges details the efforts of a traditional, decentralized system to introduce flexibility into the use of examinations for crediting prior learning. A description of a large,…

The placement and proficiency system of the University of Illinois was designed to promote good student attitudes towards courses into which they were placed enable students to perform near their maximum capability, reduce the instructor's burden by generating relatively homogeneous ability groupings in courses, and encourage students to begin…

This report discusses the various interpretations of the external degree concept, its potential impact on American higher education, and how an urban university may expand and improve its delivery systems to a larger variety of student populations on a sound financial basis. Areas covered include: prospective students; experience with home study…

The development, implementation, and integration of a nontraditional adult degree program at Mary Baldwin College, a traditional liberal arts institution, is described. The adult degree program is designed for adult men and women who cannot attend classes in the traditional manner; it may involve independent study, courses at other accredited…

The Measurement and Evaluation Center coordinates credit by examination at the University of Texas at Austin. Credit earned by examination is equivalent to credit earned by taking the course, but cannot be counted as credit earned in residence. To receive credit by examination, the student must also meet all other conditions of eligibility…

Evaluation of prior learning for the External Degree Program at Florida International University is described. Efforts in the following areas are presented: (1) implementation and evaluation of the competency-based assessment tool, (2) integration of the assessment process with other processes of the External Degree Program and the entire…

Nontraditional methods of qualifying for a college degree are described in this student guide to off-campus study and examination. The three external degree institutions in the United States that offer these programs are discussed. They include: Regents External Degree Program of the University of the State of New York; Thomas A. Edison College of…

The College Outcome Measures Project (COMP) was organized to design, develop, validate, and disseminate assessment instruments and procedures to measure and evaluate the knowledge and skills that undergraduate students are expected to acquire as a result of general or liberal education programs, as well as those important to effective functioning…

Credit earned by examination at the University of Texas at Austin is equivalent to credit earned by taking the academic course, but cannot be counted as credit earned in residence. In the 1988-89 testing year, eight colleges or schools of the university participated in the credit-by-examination program. Evaluations of 29,698 test scores from 50…

This report documents the results of the credit by examination program at the University of Texas at Austin during the 1990-91 testing year. Credit earned by examination at this University is equivalent to credit earned by taking the course, but not to credit earned in residence. In this report, numbers relating to eligibility for credit are…

This paper briefly summarizes the validation and implementation of three CLEP examinations (humanities, social science/history, and natural sciences) that complement the placement and proficiency system of the University of Illinois. Three groups of juniors in fall 1971 who had completed specific distributional sequences that had satisfied general…

In the two studies reported, students who wrote the CLEP and students who did not were compared in grade point average, graduate rate, and rate of progress. For both studies, the CLEP students performed at least as well as non-CLEP on all but one measure. (Author/LBH)

The use of the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) was evaluated by the Florida Postsecondary Education Planning Commission. In addition to a comprehensive analysis of research studies relating to CLEP conducted in various states, CLEP policies at state universities and community colleges in Florida were examined. Perceptions of Florida…