Understanding the Military Evaluation Process: A Sound

Academic Practice

Cynthia BruceAssociate Director, Military Programs

California State University-FullertonMay 16, 2008

ACECenter for Lifelong Learning

Guiding Philosophy

“WHAT an individual learns is more important than WHEN, WHERE, and

HOW the individual learned it.”

What is the Military Evaluations Program (MEP)?

The Military Evaluations Program provides institutions with a basis for recognizing military educational experiences in terms of civilian academic credit.

Since the early 40s, MEP has reviewed and made credit recommendations for thousands of college-level courses offered by the military services.

Since 1974, MEP began evaluation of military occupational specialties as well.

Commission on

Lifelong Learning

Commission on Lifelong Learning

Term Ending June 30, 2008 John J. Bowen, University President, Johnson & Wales

University (RI) Robert A. Corrigan, President San Francisco State

University (CA) Jay Halfond, Dean, Metropolitan College, Boston

University (MA) Scott E. Knapp, President, Central Maine Community

College Cameron J. Martindale, Senior Vice Chancellor for

Advancement and External Relations, Troy University (AL)

Irvin D. Reid, President, Wayne State University (MI) Craig D. Weidemann, Vice President for Outreach, The

Pennsylvania State University

Term Ending June 30, 2009 Tony Atwater, President  , Indiana University of

Pennsylvania Fay R. Avery, Chancellor, University of Northern

Virginia Lionel R. Bordeaux, President, Sinte Gleska University

(SD) Vicky L. Carwein, Chancellor, Washington State

University Tri-Cities Terrence A. Gomes, President, Roxbury Community

College (MA) Judith A. Ramaley, President, Winona State University

(MN)

Term Ending June 30, 2010 Deborah M. DiCroce, President, Tidewater Community

College (VA) Mauri Ditzler, President, Monmouth College (IL) William B. Drake, Jr., President, Midway College (KY) Rockne Freitas, Chancellor, Hawai'i Community

College Sandra L. Kurtinitis, President, The Community College

of Baltimore County (MD) David E. Leasure, President, Jones International

University (CO) David L. Levinson, President, Norwalk Community

College (CT) Anita D. McDonald, Chancellor, Pennsylvania State

University–DuBois Regina S. Peruggi, President, Kingsborough

Community CollegeCity University of New York

Ronald P. Sexton, Chancellor, Montana State University–Billings

Jesse R. Smith, President, Jones County Junior College (MS)

Special Appointment Nicholas H. Allen, Provost Emeritus and Collegiate,

Professor, University of Maryland University College Lee Bash, Dean, College for Working Adults, William

Penn University (IA) Phyllis Eisen, Executive Director, Center for Workforce

Success, National Association of Manufacturers (DC) Victor Herbert, Dean of Instruction, Fire Department,

City of New York Jerome H. Sullivan, Executive Director, American

Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (DC)

Commission Chair – Term Ending June 30, 2009 Roger H. Sublett, President, Union Institute and University (OH)

ACE Staff Officer: Susan Porter Robinson, Vice President, Lifelong Learning, Center for Lifelong Learning

Who determines the courses or occupations to be reviewed for Military? DANTES contract each fiscal year (October 1)

Respective branches identify courses and occupations and submit requests through the service liaisons for scheduling with ACE

Course materials received at ACE offices POIs (programs of instruction) from military schoolhouse point of contact Minimum 45 contact hours to be considered

Occupation materials Descriptions Job task analysis Promotional exams (if applicable)

ACE’s Content Review Committee (CRC) Scope and complexity Disciplines

Military

Formal military instruction and military

occupations specialties courses approved by a central authority

Correspondence courses with proctored end-of course exams

Distance learning/online courses with documented rigid control test conditions and firm identification of the student.

Course Evaluations

Program Evaluations Content Review Committee

Selection of EvaluatorsThe Program Evaluations Content Review Committee meets weekly to determine the appropriate content/academic areas from which the slate of potential evaluators for each review team should be drawn.

Members of the Committee reflect a diversity of backgrounds in academe as well as professional experience. Committee members include:

James H. Selbe, Director of Program Evaluations

Cynthia Bruce, Associate Director, Military Programs

Deborah Ross Warin, Associate Director, CREDIT Programs

Shannon Demko, Assistant Director, CREDIT Programs

Evelyn Howard, Assistant Director, Military Programs

Michele Spires, Assistant Director, Military Programs

Ad hoc committee members within ACE are consulted with regard to a specialized content area.

Selection of EvaluatorsCommittee responsibilities and procedures:

Review the submitted course materials to identify and determine the academic content areas reflected in the course descriptions and learning outcomes

Discuss the areas of academic expertise or training, as well as the program areas and institutions from which potential evaluators should be drawn

Achieve a consensus regarding the academic fields to be represented in the evaluation team

Index courses by Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) coding developed by U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

Selection of EvaluatorsCommittee responsibilities and procedures:

List of faculty expertise (based on the CIP disciplinecodes aligned with each profile) is developed

CRC evaluates the review team list of candidates for each academic field

CRC selects a team of at least three subject matter specialists whose competence is most appropriate (per discipline area/course)

Institutional and geographic diversity in forming the subject matter review teams is essential

After the evaluation team has been formed, the Associate Director confers with them, reviewing the procedures and responsibilities with which they are charged in conducting the review

Institutional RepresentationFaculty Reviewers by Type of

Institution

4-Year College32%

University37%

Practitioner or Other

3%Community

College28%

Evaluation Process

Occupational Review at Camp Lejeune, NC

Bobby Anderson, Larry Davis and George Boulward

Course Review at Great Lakes, IL: Malcolm Allen, John Sutton, and Bohdan Likaschewsky

1. Pre-meetings with points of contacts phone conferences;

review handbook and

expectations

2. ACE representative and Subject-matter specialists (faculty) travel to military base

3. Review written materials (conduct interviews for occupations)

4. Document evaluation and write descriptionsLearning outcomesAssessment measuresOutcomes to collegiate learning (credit

recommendation)

Course Review: On Site In-briefing / overview of courses by point of contact and

mission of schoolhouse

Review materials (hands-on) Instructor materials Learner materials Assessments

Tour unique lab environments or training simulators

Speak to SMEs / instructors for courses

Course Review: On Site Consensus by reviewers (3 per course)

Team write-up Learning outcomes Instruction methods Topics Credit recommendation Special notes

Exit briefing

Sample Course Team Consensus Sheet (TCS) - Military

Military Occupation Review: Official Documentation

Occupation manuals Duties, qualifications, expectations

Technical guides / training manuals Promotion examinations

Study guides Other official military documentation

Branch specific

Military Occupation Evaluation: Service Member Interview

Focus on the representation of the job expectations at the pay grade

Clarification and validation of the official military documentation

Military Occupation Review: Team Process

Synthesis of information Alignment to current curricula Determination of post secondary content and rigor

Credit recommendation Related competencies

Team consensus must be 100%

Military Occupation Team Consensus Sheet (TCS)

Military Occupation: Related Competencies

Specific to the occupation review

Aligned with each of the credit recommendation subject areas

Displayed in Military Guide Online (not on service member’s transcript)

New requirement October 2006 (feedback from institutions)

After the Review

Military

Team documentation returned to main office Internal review of team materials Final report to military schoolhouse and

appropriate liaison 30-45 days Feedback look with military schoolhouse Exhibits uploaded to database

Credit Recommendation “Life”Military: Courses POI updates

Change in course Change in curriculum Any change

No more than 10 years

Re-reviews included as part of DANTES contract

Military: Occupations No more than 10 years

Trends of realignment, merges, job-task structures impact re-reviews

Defining College Level Work

Content and Rigor

MUST BE at the Postsecondary Level!

Evaluative Criteria

Course content

Learning outcomes

Evaluative instruments appropriate to measure the participant’s learning

Applicability to a range of postsecondary programs

Depth and breadth of material

Outside assignments

Level of difficulty

Levels of CreditVocational / Certificate This type of coursework is normally

found in year-long certificate programs that are designed to provide students with occupational skills.

Course content is specialized, and the accompanying training emphasizes procedural (hands on) rather than analytical skills (theory).

Lower Division Course emphasis is on learning

basic principles that have broad judgmental applications.

Coursework typically found in programs leading to the associate degree and/or the first two years in a baccalaureate institution.

Upper Division Course content usually involves

specialization of a theoretical or analytical nature beyond the introductory level.

Course content is usually found in the last two years of a baccalaureate program.

Graduate The course and its content

typically involves: - Critical analysis.- Scholarly and professional

application of specialized knowledge within a discipline.

- Independent study.- Original research.

No Credit Recommended

Material presented in the course is not comparable to courses offered by colleges and universities

Material offered is inadequate for a judgment to be made

Inadequate evaluation/assessment tool

Military Guide Onlinewww.militaryguides.acenet.edu

TRANSCRIPTSTRANSCRIPTS

WANTED: A FEW GOOD FACULTY MEMBERS

To ensure a formalized process that colleges and universities can trust

To network and learn from colleagues across the country

To validate and support students’ non-traditional learning

To integrate training and learning to an educational portfolio.

Why Serve on an ACE Review Team?

Serve as an Evaluator ACE pays all evaluators an

honorarium and travel.

You must be actively teaching college-level courses.

When a review is scheduled that

requires your area of content expertise, you will be contacted directly and advised of the opportunity to serve on the ACE team.

For more information: evaluator@ace.nche.eduwww.acenet.edu/evaluators

Occupational and Course Review, Mobile, AL: LT Kevin Berry takes the team on a tour of the aircraft.

Faculty Evaluator Database

Online application Reviewed before imported Academic institution affiliation Degrees / credentials Courses teaching

Delivery Level

Short “standard” biography Resume or CV required Audit every couple years

www.acenet.edu/evaluators/servehttps://militaryguides.acenet.edu/EvaluatorForm.htm

Evaluator Handbook Sample

www.acenet.edu/evaluators

How to Contact Us............

American Council On Education

Military Programs

One Dupont Circle, Suite 250

Washington, DC 20036

202-939-9432

866-205-6267

Mileval@ace.nche.edu

Cynthia Bruce

Associate Director, Military Programs

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