U.S. Audit Faults Education Dept. On Direct Assessment

“Degree programs that award students credit by assessing their skills – rather than making them pass courses – have been touted by the Obama administration, members of Congress and many in higher education as a promising new innovation. But the U.S. Department of Education’s Inspector General this week threw some cold water on the enthusiasm for that model, known as direct assessment, criticizing how officials have allowed the first handful of programs of that type to become eligible for federal funding,”Inside Higher Ed reports.

“The agency’s independent watchdog said in an audit that the department has not done enough to make sure that the direct assessment programs meet federal requirements before approving them.

Department staff should have more specific ‘risk areas’ in mind when assessing the programs, the report says. For instance, the department should be on the lookout for programs allowing students to use federal aid to achieve credits that are awarded based merely on the skills students learn through life experiences; federal rules require students to actually have some sort of engagement with the learning resources a program offers.”