The Credential As You Go Priority 2 Outcome Research Project will utilize a Design and Development Research (DDR) approach following guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education and National Science Foundation. The study aims to inform the ongoing development of incremental credentialing models within the Credential As You Go framework and assess the resulting incremental credentials’ impact on postsecondary learner outcomes through quantitative analyses of academic and perception data. The research focuses on evaluating system- and institution-level policies and processes, with findings intended to protect study informants by not reporting at specific institutional levels.
Credential As You Go has acquired three phases of funding to date. Lumina Foundation funded Phase I, resulting in the Incremental Credential Framework for testing. The Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education funds Phase II (Grant R305T210063), which focuses on rapid prototyping of and research on incremental credentials with a national campaign. An anonymous private donor fund at the Program on Skills, Credentials & Workforce Policy at George Washington University funds the development of the prototype Learn and Work Ecosystem Library. Walmart funds Phase III, which focuses on systems change for expansion and sustainability of incremental credentials. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of Lumina Foundation, Institute of Education Sciences, the U.S. Department of Education, Walmart, or George Washington University.