Resources

Issue Brief

Postsecondary CBE: A Primer for Policymakers

July 27, 2023

Competency-Based Education (CBE) holds the potential to unlock opportunity for millions of learners by offering them the option of demonstrating their learning, untethered from the 'seat time' required in completing credit hours. In a new primer for policymakers, CHEPP and the American Institutes for Research (AIR) unpack what CBE is, what CBE is, how it works, the potential benefits to learners, and how institutional practice is driven by federal higher education policy. The goal of this primer is to provide policymakers with valuable information about CBE as they consider how institutions of higher education can meet the needs of more learners across the country.

Letter

Comment Letter to the Senate HELP Committee regarding the reauthorization of ESRA

April 19, 2023

CHEPP submitted the following comments to a request for input from the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee regarding its consideration of the reauthorization of the Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA). To help inform the ESRA reauthorization process, CHEPP’s comments explain how education research can better capture data that is relevant for today’s higher education learners. The letter also asks Congress to use ESRA to improve reporting on innovative practices to better inform higher education policies, as well as improve data collection on college students with disabilities.

Letter

Public Comment Letter Regarding the Requirements and Responsibilities of Third-Party Servicers (TPS)

March 30, 2023

CHEPP submitted the following public comment to the U.S. Department of Education on the requirements and responsibilities of third-party servicers (TPS). In February 2023, the Department released updated guidance on TPS that greatly expanded the number of higher education institution contracts that are considered a TPS entity. TPS previously only applied to contractors directly administering Title IV dollars, not the administration of Title-IV eligible programs. CHEPP’s letter outlines considerations the Department should make in implementing this expansion, such as whether this gives more contractors heightened access to student data and how to handle when current contractors do not comply with the new guidance.

Report

The New Traditional Learner: Redesigning Higher Education to Drive Learner Success

March 29, 2023

The demographics of today’s higher education student body are dramatically different than several decades ago. Today’s learners have much different and more diverse needs than the stereotype of an 18-year-old attending a residential college full-time immediately after graduating high school. The current mismatch in higher education between design and the needs of so many learners must be addressed to tackle challenges with persistence and completion. The following report explores how a higher education system built in the last century fails to meet the needs of this one and what actions can be taken to redesign higher education for today’s learners.