Winners of the Inaugural 2024 CAEL-WICHE Credit for Prior Learning Equity Awards - Tools and Strategies to Recognize All Learning

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum

The report announces the inaugural CAEL-WICHE Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) Equity Awards and highlights winners’ approaches for expanding fair access to CPL credit-earning. It explains the equity paradox: historically underserved adult groups receive CPL at lower-than-average rates, even though CPL can improve credential completion. Across champion, rising stars, and honorable mentions, the document details strategies such as consistent implementation, data capture, faculty engagement, and policy and data-system alignment to close CPL equity gaps.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction: Credit for Prior Learning and Equity

Equity paradox and the rationale for awards

Equity definitions and priority populations

Winners and thematic highlights

Equity champion: strategies and evidence of impact

Equity rising stars: pilots, oversight, and expansion

Honorable mentions: goals and models

Winners of the Inaugural 2024 CAEL-WICHE Credit for Prior Learning Equity Awards and Their Lessons for the Field CPL EQUITY CHAMPION MIAMI DADE COLLEGE CPL RISING STARS LEHMAN COLLEGE WEST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CPL HONORABLE MENTIONS SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAPELLA UNIVERSITY METRO STATE UNIVERSITY CUNY SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES CLOSING EQUITY GAPSIN CREDIT FOR PRIOR LEARNING Tools and Strategies to Recognize All Learning By Rebecca Klein-Collins, Christina Sedney, and Patrick Lane © 2024 Strada Collaborative d/b/a CAEL. All rights reserved. Thematic Highlights Among Winners in their Efforts to Close CPL Equity Gaps Collecting data to explore the problem Focusing on professional/ occupational programs Raising the visibility of CPL Addressing policy across the institution Engaging the whole enterprise Defining equity specifically for the institutional context Leveraging data systems to track progress and success Using CPL creatively to expand access to diverse student populations 2024 CAEL-WICHE Credit for Prior Learning Equity Awards The CAEL (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning) and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) announce the inaugural winners of the Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) Equity Awards, recognizing strategies that have been proven to put CPL in reach of key adult learner populations and/or increase their CPL credit-earning. |
CPL EQUITY CHAMPION ($10,000 prize)
| | --- | | MIAMI DADE COLLEGE – florida A comprehensive approach with consistent implementation, data capture, workforce connections, and leveraging technology to create new efficiencies.
Evidence of impact: A 366% increase in CPL awards over a two-year period, with
CPL credit-earning reflecting proportional representation of Black and Latino/a students. | |
CPL EQUITY RISING STARS ($5,000 prize each)
| | --- | | LEHMAN COLLEGE – new york
Pilot testing new approaches, engaging faculty, and focusing on regular review of disaggregated CPL data.
Evidence of impact: Dramatic increase in CPL credit-earning, with 93% of CPL students being students of color.
WEST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE – california
Cross-college planning and oversight, data infrastructure, and intentional expansion within female-dominated technical career programs.
Evidence of impact: A seven-fold increase in CPL credit-earning, with a narrowing of the gender gap and an increase in CPL credit among Latino/a students. | CPL HONORABLE MENTIONS ($1,000 prize each) Salt Lake Community College (Utah) and Capella University (Minnesota) had clear goals for expanding access to CPL across their institutions, with growing evidence that these efforts are achieving important results. Metro State University (Minnesota) and City University of New York School of Professional Studies (New York) provided unique and creative applications for CPL that hold promise and can serve as important models for expanding access to postsecondary learning to all. © 2024 Strada Collaborative d/b/a CAEL. All rights reserved. [cael.org](cael.org) [wiche.edu](wiche.edu) CREDIT FOR PRIOR LEARNING REFERS TO VARIOUS METHODS THAT POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS USE TO EVALUATE AND AWARD CREDIT FOR LEARNING THAT COMES FROM WORK, MILITARY OR LIFE EXPERIENCES—CPL IS ALSO KNOWN AS PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT OR RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING. Adults who earn credit for prior learning are 17% MORE LIKELY TO GRADUATE than adults who do not. 2024 CAEL-WICHE Credit for Prior Learning Equity Awards 1 Introduction: Credit for Prior Learning and Equity The need for postsecondary learning has never been more important in creating opportunities for individual economic mobility. Though results vary significantly by different types of credentials, today’s high-quality jobs require some kind of postsecondary learning or credential. To maximize impact for all who want access to these opport

FAQs

What are the CAEL-WICHE Credit for Prior Learning Equity Awards designed to recognize?

The awards recognize institutions using proven strategies to put CPL within reach of key adult learner populations and/or increase CPL credit-earning.

Why does the report focus on an “equity paradox”?

It highlights that some historically underserved students receive CPL at lower-than-average rates, despite CPL’s meaningful impact on credential completion.

What kinds of strategies do winners use to close CPL equity gaps?

Winners emphasize consistent implementation, data capture and disaggregated tracking, faculty engagement, raising CPL visibility, and aligning policies and institutional systems to expand access.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum