History

Immediately after World War II, the consensus in the educational community was that the practice of granting blanket credit to World War I veterans as a reward for length of service was educationally unsound. Educators concluded that military learning experiences applicable to civilian curricula should be assessed by faculty for potential credit. Therefore, in December 1945, at the request of civilian educational institutions and the regional accrediting associations, the American Council on Education (ACE) established the Commission on Accreditation of Service Experiences, renamed the Commission on Educational Credit and Credentials in 1979, to evaluate military educational programs and to assist institutions in granting credit for such experiences. The first edition of the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services was published in 1946.

The extension of the World War II G.I. Bill to include veterans of the Korean conflict, and the subsequent enrollment of many veterans in colleges and universities, created a need for the second edition, published in 1954.

The 1968 edition was prepared in anticipation of the increased enrollment of veterans resulting from the educational assistance provided under the Veterans Readjustment Benefits Act of 1966, and with the expectation that many would apply for educational credit for their learning experiences in the armed services. In addition, technological advances had necessitated major changes in service training, with a resulting need for new or revised educational credit recommendations.

The 1974 edition of the Guide was prepared primarily to respond to three emerging considerations. First, because of the growth in vocational and technical programs and the emergence of the concept of postsecondary education, there was a need to evaluate courses for possible credit in the vocational and technical categories in addition to the baccalaureate and graduate categories of previous editions. Second, active-duty servicemembers were enrolling in increasing numbers in civilian educational programs and were seeking credit for formal military courses soon after completing their service school training. Third, credit recommendations were needed for the many courses initiated or revised by the military since 1968.

The 1974 edition marked the beginning of a new approach to reporting evaluations of formal military training. At its fall 1973 meeting, the Commission approved the concept of an ongoing Guide system. Elements of that system included the publication of biennial editions of the Guide through computerized composition, continual staff review of courses, and the computerized storage of course information for a more rapid updating of credit recommendations. In 1994, the computerized Guide system came in house, with all data managed by the Military Evaluations Program staff.

Over the years the recommendations contained in the Guide have assisted education institutions in granting credit to hundreds of thousands of servicemembers. Surveys showed that most of the nation's colleges and universities use the formal course recommendations in awarding credit to veterans and active-duty service personnel. The recommendations have been widely accepted because formal military courses share certain key elements with traditional postsecondary education programs. They are formally approved and administered, are designed for the purpose of achieving learning outcomes, are conducted by qualified persons with specific subject-matter expertise, and are structured to provide for the reliable and valid assessment of student learning.

The recommendations reflect the Commission's belief that it is sound educational practice to give recognition for learning, no matter how or where that learning has been attained, provided that the learning is at the appropriate level, is in the appropriate area, and is applicable to an individual's postsecondary program of study.

Until 1975, however, no mechanism existed for providing recognition for the learning a servicemember attained through such learning experiences as self-instruction, on-the-job training, and work experience. In 1975, the Commission implemented a program for the evaluation of learning represented by demonstrated proficiency in Army enlisted military occupational specialties (MOS's). The MOS evaluation procedures were developed, tested, and refined during a feasibility study conducted by ACE and sponsored by the Department of the Army. Evaluators made recommendations for educational credit and advanced standing in apprentice training programs. Subsequently, the occupational assessment program of the Commission was expanded to include Navy general rates, ratings, warrant officers, and limited duty officers; Army warrant officer MOS's; Navy warrant officer and limited duty officer specialties; Coast Guard enlisted ratings and warrant officers; and selected Marine Corps MOS's. A small number of Naval Enlisted Classifications (NEC's) also have been evaluated.

In 1994, ACE published the 1954-1989 Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. It contained all courses and occupations with exhibit dates from 1954 to December 1989. In 2005, this archived edition was incorporated into the Guide Online.

With the publication of the 1994 edition, the Guide contained all course and occupation exhibits with start dates of January 1990 and later. In 2006, after 60 years of publishing the hardbound Guide, ACE published the final three-volume hardbound edition, with the online version, replacing it as the sole source of information for all military courses and occupations that ACE continues to evaluate for the services.