DANTES April 2022
INFORMATION BULLETIN
Credit for Prior Learning: How Much Credit do Colleges Actually Accept for Military Courses, Occupations, and CLEP/DSST exams? Let’s Find out! By: Matthew Schwantz, Credit by Exam Program Manager, and Rebecca Hilgeman, Prior Learning Assessment Analyst
In this issue: Credit-by-Exam Remote Testing/ Prometric Remote Proctoring Update / 2 DANTES Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) / 5 College Board / Prometric Remote Proctoring Update / 10 My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) / 11 Hot News / 12
1Contact Info / 15
DANTES Credit-by-Examination (CBE) Program
professionals. With a simple system validation and minimal setup requirements, students with irrehe Credit by Exam (CBE) program is a Prior gular schedules, in remote geographical areas, or Learning Assessment program that provides without an on-base NTC are able to access CreditDoD with a means to evaluate, document and by-Exams convenient to them. translate prior learning into college credit recomCoordination between DANTES, College Board, and mendations. The program helps service members Prometric verified the validity of using the remote earn college credit for knowledge gained through testing through a pilot program with the U.S. Air previous experience, reduces course completion Force, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Army National time, avoids Military Tuition Assistance costs, and Guard. Without access to National Testing Centers documents scores on the Joint Services Transcript (NTC), three remote areas were used as testing (JST). The exams are developed, maintained, and pilots to determine if remote testing would work administered by national testing agencies, Profor the local service members. After the conclusion metric (DSST exams), and the College Board (CLEP of the pilots, the outcome proved successful, and exams). three things were identified to successfully utilize remote testing: The fiscal Year 2021 had 25,546 DANTES-funded candidates’ take 36,114 College Level Examination • An internet/WIFI connection Program (CLEP) and DSST exams, earning 86,114 • A personal, non-government Computer (No potential college credits. Apple computers for CLEP exams)
T
Credit-by-Exam Remote Testing
•
A private room.
For more information check out: https://www.danFY21 also saw the addition of Remote Testing tes.doded.mil/EducationPrograms/get-credit/ options for both CLEP and DSST exams. Remote creditexam.html Testing is a secure, computer-based testing platform providing a locked-down testing environment monitored live, in real-time, by trained and certified
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Service members now can take DSST exams in-person or online at a time and location that is convenient for them. For a remotely proctored exam, testing candidates supply a computer that must have a camera, microphone, and an internet connection and be able to install a small app before the test event. The experience is supported by a readiness agent, proctor, and security agent. It’s as easy as registering to take a DSST at a National Testing Center. All service members must go to www.getcollegecredit.com and follow the instructions for registering for a remotely proctored DSST exam. The Prometric website www.prometric. com/proproctor candidate also summarizes system requirements and a quick video about what to expect on test day. Service members always need to remember to choose exams relevant to their degree path. Education counselors will help determine exam alignment with a degree and determine if the school will accept the exam for credit. It’s always important to take the time to study before the test and register for a DSST exam; free study guides are available through EBSCO learning. Currently, all DSST exams, except Public Speaking, are available remotely. Prometric conducts comparability studies to confirm that the DSST exam experience, reliability, and pass rates are consistent for in-person and remote delivery.
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COLLEGE CREDIT BY EXAMINATION PROGRAM OVERVIEW: The Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education (VolEd) Program, through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), offers the Credit-by-Exam program to help service members earn college credit* for knowledge gained through previous experience, independent study, and/or training. Funded credit-by-exam tests, include: CLEP: The College Board’s College Level Examination Program DSST: formerly DANTES Subject Standardized Tests, but now owned and managed by Prometric *College credit recommendations for these exams are made through the American Council on Education (ACE) and are subject to the acceptance of individual academic institutions.
STUDENT BENEFITS: Earn college credit* for prior knowledge Reduce course completion time; the average exam takes only a few hours vs. 8-15 weeks of course attendance Finish your college degree sooner by reducing time in class or online Save money; DANTES funds one attempt per exam title for eligible examinees Avoid tuition assistance costs for courses replaced by credit earned through testing Exam scores are included on a service member’s Joint Services Transcript (JST) Test prep and study materials are provided at installation libraries and education centers, online, and via mobile apps Remote Proctoring available for both CLEP and DSST exams
PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY: All active duty, National Guard and Reserve component service members, in all military Services, including the U.S. Coast Guard, are eligible for this program. U.S. Coast Guard (active and Reserve) spouses maintain eligibility through funding by the Coast Guard. Air Force DoD civilian employees (excluding contract employees) are also eligible through funding provided by the Air Force.
COUNSELOR RESOURCES:
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Updated: 9/23/2021
CLEP Counselor Tools: https://counselors.collegeboard.org/ Test Prep with EBSCO Learning Express: www.myvoled.com/infographics Military Pass Rates: www.myvoled.com/infographics
Helping Service Members Achieve Their Education Goals
DANTES_PLA@navy.mil www.MyVolEd.com/CLEP www.MyVolEd.com/DSST College Board/CLEP: www.clep.collegeboard.org Prometric/DSST: www.getcollegecredit.com
Study Covering 25% Of Military Students Shows $110m In TA Cost Avoidance!
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n the education world, we know there is a big difference between college credits that are recommended and the credits that are applied to a degree. DANTES Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) programs generate recommended credits for evaluated military training, occupations, and experience through the assessment of prior learning (College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or DSST). Whether from the Military Training Evaluation Program or the Credit-by-Exam program, these recommended credits are documented on service members’ Joint Service Transcript (JST), as well as the Community College of the Air Force transcripts. While the credits generated through these programs are deemed equivalent to those earned by attending in-person courses, academic institutions determine whether the credits will fulfill specific course requirements on service member degree plans.
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To better understand the value of these PLA programs, DANTES studied how recommended credits were being applied at the institution level. DANTES reached out to eight schools to determine if DANTES-Generated credit was received and if those credits were applied. With data representing 74,002 Military students, who make up 26% of Tuition Assistance (TA) participants, the answer was eye-opening and truly underscored the value of Education Counseling and the PLA programs. A few of the key takeaways from the data provided by this subset of schools, which covered 25% of annual TA funding: • In Academic Year (AY) 2021, more credits were applied to degree plans via PLA than through TA Funding. • PLA generated credits helped DoD avoid $110M in Military TA costs • Class of 2021 military students using DANTES PLA programs graduating from these schools saved an average of $7,742 and 20 months over the course of their degrees.
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ets talk about the STEM degrees. Military students are having more interest in STEM degrees. DANTES tracked the breakdown between graduate, undergraduate, and STEM degrees. In the eight schools that we collected data from, there were 12,780 degrees awarded to service members in academic year 2021. Pilot Schools Military Student Graduating Class:
71% Completed their Undergraduate Degree
BACHELOR
11% Completed their Graduate Degree
MASTER
STEM 17% Completed a STEM Degree
While many people associate PLA credits with lower division or general education, DANTES wanted to evaluate where military courses and College Level Examination Program (CLEP)/DSST credits are applied for those service members pursuing a Graduate degree or a degree classified as Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM, as classified by the VA). More than 36,000 PLA-generated course credits were applied to graduate degrees, and more than 115,000 PLA-generated credits were applied to STEM degrees. For every three credits applied for non-STEM courses, one credit was applied for STEM. The total value of these credits was $37.8M.
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AY21DOLLAR PLA DOLLAR VALUE-SERVICE BY SERVICE AY21 PLA VALUE-BY $60,000,000.00 Plus $5,802,250 Plus $4,509,750
$50,000,000.00
$40,000,000.00
$30,000,000.00 USA TA Avoidance, $46,504,500
Plus $2,761,500
$20,000,000.00 USN TA Avoidance, $25,283,250
$10,000,000.00
$0.00
Army
USAF TA Avoidance, $42,314,000
Plus $3,909,750
Navy
Credit Value to Armedto Services CreditApplied Value Applied Active Duty
USCG TA Avoidance, $2,758,500
USMC TA Avoidance, $16,195,500
Marine Corps
Air Force
Plus $1,954,000
Coast Guard
Additional CreditCredit Value Applied to Veterans who have Separated Additional Value Applied to Veterans
CV-19 Pandemic’s Impact on the Credit-by-Exam Program: Two Years Later The Coronavirus Pandemic 2019 created major disruptions for the Credit-by-Exam program, as 95% of on-base National Test Centers (NTCs) closed to comply with local restrictions to limit the spread of the virus. Testing fell quickly to just four percent of normal levels, and DANTES initiated weekly reporting of NTC status and volume. Throughout CV-19 reporting, monthly volume remained well below average levels throughout the Summer of 2020. Over the next few months, ~20 on-base institutions submitted written notice to permanently close and disestablish their NTCs, citing state and university prohibitions for in-person delivery as well as the budgetary impacts of COVID-19. While many NTCs have since reopened, two years later we have not reached pre-COVID levels.
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Exam Volume CV19 (2020-2022) 9000 8000 7000 6 000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0
8058 5537 3308
ar -2 2
22
M
Ja n-
v-2 1
1
No
Se p2
l-2 1 Ju
M
ay -2 1
ar -2 1
M
Ja n-
21
v-2 0
0
No
Se p2
l-2 0 Ju
M
ay -2 0
321
ar -2 0 M
Pre-CV19 (17-19) AVG
By the end of 2020, the percentage of active CONUS NTCs rose to 50%. Exam volume in the post-COVID era continues to be much lower than in the years prior to the pandemic. DANTES is currently providing roughly 50% fewer exams than we did before COVID. The majority of test volume occurs at on-base NTCs, so this decline in volume is likely linked to the number of open on-base NTCs. Some Education Counselors are teaming up with base schools to host Grand Reopening events for their NTCs. This can be done with a Prep-a-Thon or in coordination with an Education Fair or other base event. If you would like more information on hosting a Prep-a-Thon, please reach out to dantes_pla@navy.mil.
% Of Active On-Base NTCs 90%
Pre-Covid: 85%
80% 70% 60% 50%
58%
40%
# of NTCs Active
30%
100
20%
% of Active On- Base NTCs (CONUS)
% of Active On-Base NTCs (Global)
Goal
Mar-22
Feb-22
Jan-22
Dec-21
Nov-21
Oct-21
Sep-21
Aug-21
May-21
Apr-21
Mar-21
Feb-21
Jan-21
Dec-20
Nov-20
Oct-20
Sep-20
Aug-20
Jul-20
Jun-20
May-20
Apr-20
Mar-20
0%
Jul-21
0
6%
Jun-21
10%
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# of NTCs with 0 Volume
We would like to thank the following schools for sharing data in support of our study (listed alphabetically) • • • • • • • •
Columbia Southern University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Excelsior College Park University Southern New Hampshire University University of Arizona Global Campus University of Maryland Global Campus Waldorf University
DISCLAIMER OF ENDORSEMENT: The information provided in this list is for informational purposes only and neither constitutes nor implies any endorsement, recommendation, or favoring of any entity, product, service, or organization by any part of the Department of Defense.
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College Board / Prometric Remote Proctoring Update
College Board Remote Proctoring Update
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ANTES-funded test takers can schedule their remote-proctored CLEP exams with Proctortrack. Test takers who’ve already created a Proctortrack profile can log in and choose an available date and time slot to take their exam. For those who don’t have a Proctortrack profile yet, follow the steps to create one on the What to Expect with Remote Proctoring page.
Students must have a PC or laptop (no Macs), an internal/external speaker and microphone, a camera, and, if taking notes during the exam, a whiteboard with a dry erase marker or one sheet of paper in a transparent sheet protector with a dry erase marker. They must also be alone in a private room. All 34 CLEP exams are available to take using the remote proctoring program. As with first attempts at CLEP exams, remote proctoring fees are covered by DANTES. However, DANTES doesn’t pay the exam fee or the remote proctoring fee for a previously funded CLEP exam.
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Prometric Remote Proctoring Update Prometric supports service members and their families through partnerships with professional certification and licensure programs, in addition to the well-known credit by exam program, DSST. Throughout the past two years, access to testing has been a challenge. To provide greater flexibility, remote proctoring has truly changed the testing industry. While remote proctoring has been around for many years, the rapid shift to this option has enabled programs, including DSST, to continue testing globally throughout lockdowns and restrictions.
My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA)
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y Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) eligible spouses can now take College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DSST exams. The MyCAA Scholarship is a workforce development program that provides up to $4,000 of tuition assistance to eligible military spouses. The Scholarship assists military spouses in pursuing or maintaining a license, certification, or associate degree necessary to gain employment in an occupation or career field. Who is Eligible for the Scholarship? Spouses of service members on active duty in pay grades E-1 to E-5, W-1 to W-2, and O-1 to O-2 who have successfully completed high school can request tuition assistance while their military sponsor is on qualifying Title 10 military orders are eligible. Spouses married to a member of the National Guard and reserves in these same pay grades are also eligible. How do I Establish an Account with the MyCAA Scholarship? Eligible spouses can visit the My Career Advancement Account Scholarship website at https://mycaa.miltaryonesource.mil/mycaa and provide the required Spouse Profile information. All scholarship participants are required to use DS Logon to access their accounts. Military spouses enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, or DEERS, are eligible for a DS Logon account.
“I believe that the Kuder Journey education and career counseling program offered by DANTES is a valuable tool for Soldiers as it allows them to learn, assess, and plan for their future. A college and career plan can be developed based on the needs and interests of the Soldier and allow them to have more choices in the future.” Daniel Tremel, Education Services Officer Camp Zama Education Center USAG Japan
For more information, click the picture below!
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HOT NEWS Virtual Registration for the 2022 PDI Plenary Sessions will open soon!
DANTES is excited to offer this opportunity to those who cannot attend in person. You will be able to register for virtual attendance via the DANTES website: https://www.dantes.doded.mil/Webinars/index. html You can also visit this webpage to watch for PDI updates: https://www.dantes.doded.mil/CounselorsReps/index.html - look under “DoD VolEd Professional Development Institute (PDI)” Be sure to download the MilEd Benefits app, https://www.dantes.doded.mil/Resources/MilEdBenefits.html as we will provide all necessary information about the 2022 PDI on the app. If you do not have the ACCESS CODE, please see your PDI Service Rep.
Free CLEP Second Score Send Available
CLEP® will now offer test takers two complimentary score sends to institutions of their choice. When students reach the Score Send Information section during registration, they can either select a score recipient from the CLEP website, or if they can’t find their college or university on the website, they can manually enter the institution to receive scores. After entering information for one institution, students will be asked if they’d like to send a score to another institution. Students will have the opportunity to send two scores per exam, and they must select the institutions to receive scores prior to exam day. To send scores to more than two institutions or after taking an exam, students need to place a transcript order and pay the transcript fee. LOOKING FOR YOUR TRANSCRIPTS? If you are missing CCAF test scores, please send your inquiry to ccaf.edservices@us.af.mil with the information listed below. If you are missing test scores on your Joint Services
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Transcript (JST) or other transcription/score reporting services, please send your inquiry to DANTES_PLA@ navy.mil with the information listed below. • Full Name • CLEP or DSST Exam • Title of Exam • Date of Exam DANTES COUNSELOR SUPPORT NETWORK (DCSN) JOIN US! DANTES is continuously looking for ways to connect with the Services’ Voluntary Education (VolEd) Professionals in an effort to help share program updates and to help you have the best information available to provide service members with the information needed to reach their education and career goals. Join our new group on LinkedIn, called “DANTES Counselor Support Network (DCSN)” - This group was created just for you as a way to share and collaborate. Visit the DCSN Group and sign up today!
HOT NEWS Online Academic Skills Course (OASC) Educator Training featuring My Academic Predictor (MAP) Apr 28, 2022 1 PM Central Time Join us as Peterson’s presents an overview of the Online Academic Skills Course (OASC) Educator Training and demonstrates how counselors can review service member MAP scores. Education Counselors and other VolEd professionals will learn how to access the OASC Educator Training Course and navigate the OASC portal. In addition, you will learn how to view a service member’s MAP scores and we will discuss how this information relates to AFCT scores. Counselors will also learn where to access and order marketing materials for the OASC program to help increase service member engagement. Join us for what will surely be an informative and interactive session! Email questions related to this webinar to: dantes_ academicskills@navy.mil
The OASC Academic Skills Training App has brought preparation for the Armed Force Classification Test (AFCT) onto the phones and devices of Soldiers and made it easier for them to prepare wherever they are located. It is uncommon in this day and age to find a Soldier without a device and having the capability to pick up your cell phone while waiting in line at the grocery store or in between sets while lifting weights and be able to use this time wisely to prepare is a great benefit offered by DANTES through the App. I believe that the My Academic Predictor Tool becoming available soon is going to be a valuable resource for both Soldiers and Counselors supporting them. The scores reported for the Pre and Post Map will not only show the Soldier a picture of where they are in the preparation but also allow the Counselor to assess if a Soldier is ready to take the AFCT or if more preparation is necessary to set them up for success. The upcoming provided training on 28 April 2022, is a welcome resource for all staff members to understand the tool in an effort to better assist Soldiers and work as a team with them in support of their goals.
Daniel Tremel, Education Services Officer Camp Zama Education Center, USAG Japan
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HOT NEWS
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https://www.linkedin.com/ company/10843412
For more info contact us: DANTES_Outreach@navy.mil Jeff Allen, Director Michelle Alexander, Editor Reproduction in whole or in part is permitted for any purpose of the United States Government, except that copyrighted materials cannot be reproduced without written permission from the copyright owner. The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by DANTES of the linked websites, or the information, products, or services contained therein.
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