Policy Priorities to Policy Effects

By Sean Carey, CAEL Ambassador and member of the CAEL Policy Advisory Group

We know that public institutions, regulatory systems, and governments are not as nimble as private entities. Red tape aside, participatory governance takes time. However, when public entities do implement change via policy or legislation, they often make up for past stagnation through broad impactful strides. When examining policies that create or expand opportunities for adult learners, there is substantial progress being made at various state and system levels with Minnesota, Delaware, and Louisiana serving as a few notable examples. However, policies often differ substantially state by state. Therefore, to guide state policies in need of progress, it is essential to identify and codify best practices.

Beginning in 2023, I and several counterparts across the higher education and workforce landscape participated in CAEL’s policy advisory group. Collectively, we identified various policy priorities that support the adult learner, address affordability, and strengthen partnerships. The work resulted in Empowering Adults: CAEL’s Vision for Economic Advancement through Public Policy and State Strategies. The vision that we contributed to is comprehensive, progressive, and much needed. With that, to overcome inertia and achieve broad impactful strides, we must, as CAEL's Public Policy and State Strategies Vision asserts, prioritize policies that encourage “seamless attainment of postsecondary credit and/or credentials for experiential learning, including apprenticeship, on-the-job training, military experience, immigrant experience and education, etc. and facilitating standardization of those credits across postsecondary institutions.”

A Tale of Two States

I became interested in education policy when I observed the effect that specific legislation had in my home state of Illinois. To examine this impact further, and to narrow the scope of analysis, I reviewed higher education policies that serve the adult learner in the neighboring states of Illinois and Indiana. My purpose is not to compare policies as better or worse, but to view them on a spectrum of progress – to move away from policies that limit and to move toward those that amplify opportunity.

At the regional accreditation level, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) requires that institutions have formalized and transparent policies. While this is a necessary baseline standard, the institution must then develop expansive adult learner protocols on their own. To spotlight Illinois, there has been progress in recent years. For example, in 2018, the Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) Act was passed. The purpose is “to speed the time to certificate and degree completion” and “to facilitate the transitions into postsecondary education for nontraditional students.”While reformative in its intent, the act is not very prescriptive. It leaves institutions isolated, both in development and degree, in the execution of this work. To address employment gaps in early childhood education, the state and the Illinois Board of Higher Education developed several key policies. In 2021, the Early Childhood Access Consortium Act provided more rigor and structure and advanced practical solutions for adult learners than prior policies. However, it is restricted to early childhood education programs only. Further, inherent obstacles regarding CPL transferability, employer partnerships, standard practices, and tracking are documented as areas in need of development. While significant work still needs to be done to increase standard practices and provide seamlessness for adult learners, modest incremental progress is being made in Illinois.

Now to pivot to Indiana, which in March of 2024 released the Indiana Model Credit for Prior Learning Policy Guidance. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE) developed this with CAEL, so it is not surprising that this framework promotes well-crafted structures that provide a seamless and standard landscape for state institutions and for the lifelong learners that navigate in and out of them. Notable policies centered on standardization include developing a centralized statewide CPL clearinghouse and universal guidelines regarding CPL transcription and fees. ICHE also aims to create a seamless experience for the adult learner. Specifically:

• Credit awarded by a sending institution through CPL should be considered eligible for credit evaluation at the receiving institution.
• Efforts should be made to reduce the resubmission of official documentation by students.
• CPL decisions should be student-centered ... [and] address the needs of a student who has changed institutions or objectives or has learned in non-traditional formats.

While I looked at Illinois and Indiana through just one aspect of CAEL’s policy priorities, I encourage you to review your state, system, local workforce board, and institutional policies with the larger vision of empowering adults in view. Policies are not developed in a vacuum, and they are not adhered to just because of someone’s signature. Policies require people to inform their design, and they require that people enact them. Accordingly, I want to highlight the work of the Faculty Advisory Council for the Illinois Board of Higher Education. They recently petitioned the IBHE to work with the Illinois Community College Board “to develop a task force of faculty and administrators that engages Illinois institutions in ... creating a statewide system of policies and practices that mandate transferability of CPL awarded.”

As I previously noted, participatory governance takes time. Let’s put in the work to ensure that policies are developed that reflect our values.

About the Author
As a returning adult learner, Sean Carey became passionate about the power of higher education, which led him to want to work in this field and support adult learners. His 12+ year career in postsecondary education has spanned two- and four-year public institutions in roles such as student support services, teaching, curriculum development, PLA champion, and now associate dean. Carey, a CAEL Ambassador, contributed to the drafting of CAEL’s current policy priorities.

CAEL's full policy overview is available at cael.org.