External Testing) (September 12, 2013)

Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) provides many opportunities for students to earn college credit by examining their prior learning and experiences through external testing, internal testing, portfolio review, and articulating credit from non-credit programs and high school. This report will focus on the external testing opportunities GRCC offers students as tested credit.

The purpose of this report is to present data that shows how many students take advantage of the current GRCC external testing opportunities, and to present data that shows how many of these students complete a degree or certificate at GRCC, or transfer to another college or university.

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  Criterion 4.A.2 The institution evaluates all the credit that it transcripts, including what it awards for experiential learning or other forms of prior learning.
  
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  Criterion 4.A.3. The institution has policies that assure the quality of the credit it accepts in transfer.
  
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  Criterion 4.B. The institution demonstrates a commitment to educational achievement and improvement through ongoing assessment of student learning.
  

1. 
   Process Measures:
   

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  Number of external testing opportunities offered
  
• 
  Number of students awarded credit from external testing
  

2. 
   Outcome measure:
   

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  Number of students completing a degree or certificate
  
• 
  Number of students transferring
  

GRCC provides opportunities to earn college credit through the following external tests:

1. 
   Advanced Placement (AP)
   Students take college level course work in high school designated as AP courses that include a placement test at the end of the course. GRCC awards credit for specific courses based on test scores. Equivalencies for these test scores can be found at http://cms.grcc.edu/sites/default/files/docs/registrar/forms/test_credit.pdf.
   

2. 
   American College Testing Proficiency Examination Program (ACT-PEP)
   Students can take the Abnormal Psychology, Anatomy &Physiology, Microbiology and Statistics exams through Excelsior College and be awarded credit for specific courses at GRCC based on their test scores. The tests are administered at Pearson Learning Centers and students are required to have Excelsior College send their test scores directly to the college(s) of their choice for processing. These credits are not transferable; students must send their scores to each college that they attend as each college awards different credit for specific courses and some colleges may not accept ACT-PEP. Equivalencies for these test scores can be found at http://cms.grcc.edu/sites/default/files/docs/registrar/forms/test_credit.pdf.
   

3. 
   College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
   Students can take specific tests through the College Board and have credit awarded for specific courses at GRCC based on their test scores. A list of approved tests and scores can be found online at http://cms.grcc.edu/sites/default/files/docs/registrar/forms/test_credit.pdf.
   

Tests are administered nationwide and the GRCC Academic Testing Center is an approved testing site for any student who is interested in taking a CLEP exam to earn college credit. The GRCC Academic Testing Center uses the following process to administer this test:

1. 
   Students can go to the GRCC website www.grcc.edu/testing and click on CLEP.
   
2. 
   On the website the following is listed:
   
   1. 
      Listing of CLEP examinations administered at GRCC
      
   2. 
      GRCC equivalents for CLEP
      
   3. 
      The schedule and the application (CLEP is offered every Wednesday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and every Thursday at 9 a.m.)
      
3. 
   Before testing, students must submit a $20 check or money order, which is required with the CLEP application, payable to GRCC.  Registration/application and fee is due the Monday before testing.
   
4. 
   On the day of testing students must arrive at the Assessment Center 15 minutes before testing, present two forms of ID, one must be a pictured ID, and an additional $80 payment for CLEP.
   
5. 
   Each CLEP test is 90 minutes with the exception of College Composition which has an essay component and is a two hour test.
   
6. 
   Students see their test results on the computer screen upon completion of their exam. A hard copy print out of their scores is also given to them by the Assessment Center staff.
   
7. 
   After testing the Assessment Center staff runs an end of the day CLEP report and submits it to the American College Board.
   
8. 
   Within 7-10 days The American College Board (CLEP) sends the official score to the score recipient (the student’s school of choice) to be osted on their transcript.
   

Student Score Reports are sent directly to the Transfer Evaluation Coordinator in the Student Records/Registrar’s Office from The American College Board.  Unofficial scores or transfer scores are not accepted.  Students are identified from the student’s Social Security (SS) or date of birth (DOB) and are searched on PeopleSoft for their student ID number and term.  If unable to identify student, the Student Score Report is forwarded to the Enrollment Center until student is matriculated.  Credits are posted in the test panel of PeopleSoft to the equivalency guide and criteria listed on the Student Records web page. Exams with score of 50 or higher are granted credit and posted as tested credit on the student’s transcript. 

4. 
   Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support Subject Standard Test (DANTES-DSST)
   These external tests are specific for veteran students and civilians may not take these tests. Veterans can take specific tests through National Test Centers either on college campuses or on military bases and credit is awarded for specific courses at GRCC based on their tests scores. A list of approved tests and scores can be found online at http://cms.grcc.edu/sites/default/files/docs/registrar/forms/test_credit.pdf. GRCC does not currently offer these tests on campus.
   

A recommendation to take into consideration is to look at both ACT-PEP and DANTES and make a decision if we want to continue to award credit for these external tests since students are not utilizing them. In addition, for each external test for which we award credit, we are responsible for maintaining the equivalencies that we award. If students are rarely utilizing ACT-PEP and DANTES should we ask the faculty to maintain the equivalencies?

A next step that is already in progress is embedding the external testing equivalency work into the curriculum review process. It is important that we stay up to date on what courses we will award based on test and test score, and embedding it into the curricular work that faculty are already doing. This will ensure up to date equivalencies.

An additional next step that is already in progress is a review of all equivalencies for the external tests that GRCC awards credit for to ensure that the equivalencies are still valid.

In Table 6 the data shows that students are transferring to other institutions that also brought in AP or CLEP credit to GRCC when they enrolled. Data is not yet available past summer 2012 as four year institutions are still reporting on transfer numbers.

Even students who intend to transfer to a four year institution can still benefit from taking an AP exam or CLEP exam prior to starting at GRCC. An initiative to communicate to students of these options might serve to enhance enrollment, persistence and completion for some students.

Next Steps	Responsible	Timeline
a.Work with faculty to review equivalencies for our external exams. Faculty was given links so that they can view the equivalencies that our partner institutions award for the exams. Once evaluations are completed, Student Records staff will update the needed informational sites. (The more in line we can stay with our four year partner institutions as far as what equivalencies we award, the more seamless the transfer will be for our students.)	Department Heads/Program Directors, Associate Deans, (Student Records Staff: Transfer and Articulation Coordinator, Evaluation Transfer Specialist, Registrar and Associate Registrar.)	Process began the beginning of August. Completion and updating of information to be completed March of 2014.
b.Currently we do not notify students when transfer, PLA or test credit is posted due to volume.  It would be efficient if a mass communication email automatically generated to students who have received test or transfer credit on a weekly or daily basis notifying them of such.	Student Records staff: (Senior Tech Specialist, Evaluation Transfer Specialist.) Admissions Office, IT	Winter Semester 2014