AACRAO is a long-standing champion in the advancement of the Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR) having collaboratively developed pilots, guidelines, and best practices that allow for the expansion of the idea of the traditional record. Through past Lumina Foundation grants, and a current grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, AACRAO continues to be a leader in the development and adoption of CLR in American higher education. These efforts aim to bring CLR to scale nationally to address important challenges in credit mobility for learners.
Additionally, AACRAO is working to promote awareness and advance knowledge around the Learning and Employment Record (LER), a system that contains verifiable information about a person’s achievements spanning an inclusive range of contexts to include the CLR, the higher education component of the LER, that provides verified credentials representing the skills and competencies achieved by the student during their academic career.
AACRAO will support higher education contributions of robust learning to the overall CLR/LER work by putting forth recommendations of academic record practices that protect the integrity and validity of these expressions of learner achievement, supporting the principles of interoperability and student-centered records, and continuing to seek collaboration and innovation partners.
Join the Community of Practice
News
An institutional example of a digital badge policy from the University of Wisconsin - Madison (as of December, 2022).
The AACRAO Alternative Credentials work group published their final report in July, 2022. This report provides research on best practices for members' institutions considering or already offering certificates and micro-credentials. The intention of this report is to create standards for definitions and portability of alternative credentials.
The IMS Global CLR Implementation Guide is a comprehensive data standard that meets the objectives of an official institutional learning-focused and comprehensive learner record.
The AACRAO Alternative Credentials work group provides research on best practices for members' institutions considering or already offering certificates and micro-credentials. The intention of this report is to create standards for definitions and portability of alternative credentials.
CLR Phase II seeks to expand the understanding and use of CLRs among additional institutions. Download the CLR Phase II Report to learn more.
Per our review, the CLR Standard from IMS Global is the only comprehensive data standard in place today that meets the objectives of an official institutional learning-focused and comprehensive learner record.
For this second phase of the Lumina grant there were four main goals:
During the first phase the CLR project, one of the most significant barriers to the development and implementation of the student record was the integration of data to populate the record with data and evidence of learning.
In the second phase of work, AACRAO assembled the CLR Data Integrations Work Group to identify the barriers to data integration that exist today at most institutions. While some colleges and universities will be able to address these challenges through internal resources and expertise, most lack the infrastructure to address the barriers they may face. This Work Group provided universities with information on moving forward, creating potential guidelines, and working to promote standards that not only benefit students but also employers and other admitting institutions.
National ReachAACRAO's efforts to advance CLR have helped institutions across the United States. The 2021 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation enables additional institutions to be supported and further contributes to the knowledge resources for CLR adoption and best practices.
A January 30, 2023 Inside Higher Ed Beyond Transfer blog post: Addressing Failure of Implementation - Supporting and promoting innovation on campus.
A recent white paper lays out recommendations to create a successful national LER ecosystem. Read the takeaways on how 1EdTech can help you get started with digital credentials.
Digital Credentials Consortium and NationSwell working with stakeholders to identify barriers and opportunities
07/12/2022
The release of this report is the first in a series of efforts from AACRAO to better ensure that alternative learning opportunities are more consistently regarded and valued by learners, consumers, and society.
Full story
07/27/2022
05/05/2020
New Report Concludes that the IMS CLR Standard Meets the Objectives of an Official Institutional Learning-Focused and Comprehensive Learner Record
02/08/2016
Understanding, building upon, and improving the student record to increase student success.
See how AACRAO is pushing the conversation forward in the CLR/LER space.
CLR/LER is growing, see the work and learn how you can get involved.
See how the comprehensive learner record can be used as a tool for your recruitment and hiring initiatives.
Catch up on all the CLR/LER updates happening in the higher education community, view resources, and get involved.
See how the Credential Futures Coalition is working to develop a scalable, resilient, and sustainable ecosystem to support learner-worker mobility.
See how AACRAO is partnering with two higher ed institutions to finalize their CLR initiatives.
Explore CLR and see the work AACRAO and other organizations are doing to ensure this initiative is successful.
The latest efforts from AACRAO and the higher education community working to advance the CLR.
Learn about the changes and efforts being made to implement and advance CLR at institutions.
AACRAO releases implementation guide for IMS Global Comprehensive Learner Record Standard.
Learn about the Midwest Credential Transparency Alliance and the work being done to develop and promote pathways to high-quality credentials.
Latest C&U issue covers topics in comprehensive learner records, job satisfaction, international credential evaulation, and more.
Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR) Phase II Report is out now and available for download.
The Comprehensive Learner Record doesn't just verify student learning - it can prepare them for the workforce too.
Annual Meeting presenters discuss the importance of using data to facilitate and expand the faculty-student relationship.
AACRAO Consulting is partnering with Parchment CLR Services to enable higher education institutions to develop and deploy CLR.
Implementing, designing, and issuing Comprehensive Learn Records (CLR) with Parchment.
Join the free virtual event: January 26 and 27.
Enrollment and admissions directors, how useful are verified, machine readable digital credentials?
An open monthly forum for institutional leaders to discuss and get advice on implementing a comprehensive learner record.
Standardization and interoperability to support students.
Webinar: Discover student-centric approaches to CLRs, like creating a clearer path to degree.
CBE may not result in grades as we traditionally recognize them, but rather outcomes. How do we record that?
A conversation on why a national LRI is critical for supporting higher education today and in the future.
Challenges and solutions to creating better records from multiple data sources.
Institutions can create a free account to publish all types of credentials in a common language on a cloud-based Registry, allowing institutions to better understand what sets them apart. Learn how.
AACRAO and NASPA invite colleges, universities, and systems interested in developing and implementing CLRs to apply.
A pilot student record badge that certifies critical thinking in a community context.
UW-Extension and UW Colleges develop comprehensive transcript pilot for CBE degree programs.
How Dillard University's extended transcript is raising the emotional sophistication of the entire campus.
IUPUI Student Records and Student Affairs partnering to formally recognize out-of-classroom learning
Brandman University's pilot project.
LaGuardia Community College's digital badging project helps keep students committed to college.
A strategy to increase engagement and participation beyond the classroom at the Borough of Manhattan Community College.
The tools, infrastructure, training, funding, and steps necessary to implement a holistic learning document.
USC's model cocurricular transcript will help the institution assess the success of experiential learning programs.
UMUC's comprehensive transcript aims for portability, dynamism and longevity.
Stanford's pilot comprehensive student record is not for academics.
Elon University's visual representation of cocurricular experiences.
Interested in learning more about the CLR? Complete the form below to contact us.