Evaluation Standards
Once eligibility is established, our reviewers follow clear guidelines for determining the recommendation granted to a course or exam. Courses undergoing review for college credit equivalencies are evaluated against the expectations of accredited institutions of higher education. Our experienced faculty consider the scope and currency of the learning materials, depth, and challenge of the assignments and activities, structure of the course and grading systems, and rigor and sophistication of the assessments used to determine whether students have met the learning outcomes of the course.
When evaluated for workplace competencies, relevant competency statements are identified in published frameworks with relevance to the appropriate industry or discipline. Students are only granted credit for competencies if the review determines that all students must demonstrate mastery of that competency in order to achieve a passing grade in a course.
Conditional Reviews
During the review, the faculty evaluation team may decide that a course’s content, scope, assessment, and rigor very closely align to a postsecondary-level credit recommendation, but the course requires some adjustments. In that case, the team may offer a conditional recommendation with very specific, measurable expectations.
Conditional recommendations will not involve major action steps for course redesign or substantive course revisions. Conditions typically involve some adjustment with rubrics, minor gaps in course materials, policy documentation, and assessment modifications. Ultimately, it is the organization’s decision whether it is appropriate to make these changes and resubmit the course to meet the conditional expectations. The effective date for conditional reviews is the first date of the month when the conditional is lifted.
Technical Reviews
Participating organizations must report to Learning Evaluations staff, in writing, all changes made during the three-year period of recommendation to course titles, content, and delivery no later than 30 days before the changes are implemented. If the changes are deemed substantive, the courses will undergo a Technical Review to determine if the recommendations need to be adjusted.
ACE, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to refuse to work with any organization it deems unfit for any reason, without the need to provide justification.