Policy: Federal

Cracking the Credit Hour

This report describes the history of the credit hour and redefining the credit hour in a way that accounts for measuring student learning. The report also describes emerging efforts to measure student learning, such as the Degree Qualifications Profile, Tuning USA, and competency-based programs. Finally, the report provides federal policy recommendations for awarding credit hours based on student learning through three tools: the credit hour, experimental sites, and direct assessment.

College- and Career-Ready: Using Outcomes Data to Hold High Schools Accountable for Student Success

This report examines the need for improving high school accountability for preparing students for college and careers. The report also provides examples of how states use outcomes data to track student success beyond high school and how that data is used to hold schools accountable. 

Beyond Retrofitting: Innovation in Higher Education

This report presents an overview of the higher education landscape and proposes policy reforms that would lead to innovation in the U.S. higher education system. These recommended reforms are built on four principles: focusing on outcome measures; being open to new providers of higher education; unbundling the components of higher education; and allowing for portability. The report also presents emerging innovative approaches to higher education, such as competency-based models, focused institutions, and assessments of prior learning.

A Skills Beyond Schools Review of the United States

This report provides an overview of the state of postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) in the United States, including strengths and challenges of the CTE system. It also includes examples of various aspects of CTE systems in other countries and state case studies and recommendations for improving student outcomes of the postsecondary CTE system with a focus on three issues: quality and funding, credentials, and transitions.

Support for States Employability Standards in CTE and Adult Education

Employability skills, such as critical thinking, technology use, and communication, are critical for success in the labor market. Many of these skills have been integrated into the Common Core State Standards and the Common Career Technical Core. Realizing the importance of developing employability skills across all sectors and levels of employment, the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) at the U.S.

Degree Completion Beyond Institutional Borders: Responding to the New Reality of Mobile and Nontraditional Learners

This report explains the process colleges, states, and other organizations use to recognize prior learning and transfer credit. The report also examines institutional policies that impede student progress toward earning college credits and transferring these credits through and among institutions. Additionally, examples of colleges and systems that allow for successful recognition of prior learning and transfer of credit are provided and best practices for using competencies and other methods for college degree attainment, other than just credit hours, are presented. 

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