Accreditation

NACEP Accreditation

College in the Schools is accredited by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) National Standards for Quality Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP), which indicates the program has met or exceeded standards of excellence related to Partnerships, Curriculum, Faculty, Students, Assessment, and Program Evaluation. 

CIS Faculty Coordinators play a pivotal leadership role in providing and documenting the professional education and cohort development that sustains the curriculum, faculty and assessment standards.  The NACEP accreditation process occurs every seven years.  CIS faculty coordinators responsibilities include the preparation of discipline-specific documentation and evidence and participation in the site visit with NACEP accreditation reviewers. 

NACEP National Standards for Quality are the framework for accreditation. These standards ensure that:

• College courses offered in high schools match the quality and vigor of those on campus.

• Students in concurrent enrollment courses meet the same achievement standards as their on-campus peers.

• Instructors meet the academic requirements of the sponsoring institution and receive ongoing professional development.

• Programs demonstrate greater accountability through thorough evaluation.

NACEP Accreditation or its equivalent are required of concurrent enrollment partnerships by Minnesota Statute to enable Minnesota public high school partners to qualify to receive the prorated funding provided by the Minnesota Legislature.

For additional information about dual credit and concurrent enrollment programs, check out the Fast Facts section of the NACEP Resource Center.

Faculty Coordinator Resources for 2025-26 Re-accreditation

CIS faculty coordinators play an important role in CIS's reaccreditation application.  They provide documentation and evidence required for CIS to demonstrate that the program meets or exceeds certain NACEP standards. 

In May 2025 CIS staff provided each faculty coordinator with a cohort-specific Google Drive folder that included templates and instructions to help prepare the required documentation and evidence. To find the folder search your Google Drive for "NACEP Reaccreditation - [Cohort name]." Submit all completed materials to CIS staff in this cohort-specific Google Drive folder.

Documentation and Evidence from Faculty Coordinators:

CIS will collect four things from all faculty coordinators, to be included in the application for re-accreditation:

1. Statement of Equivalency

2.  Description and evidence of professional development for CIS instructors, including:

   • New CIS instructor course-specific orientation

   • Ongoing course-specific professional development workshops

3. Paired syllabi

4. Paired assessments

Additional documentation or evidence required for NACEP reaccreditation is prepared and assembled by CIS program staff.

Deadline: 

Submit all materials by March 15, 2026

Additional Resources:

• NACEP Reaccreditation: Guidelines for CIS Faculty Coordinators (Google Slides)

• A link to the slides and Zoom recording from the 5/23/25 meeting NACEP Reaccreditation: Guidelines for CIS Faculty Coordinators was emailed to instructors on 6/2/25 and is available upon request

• NACEP's Accreditation Standards website includes a link to the PDF of the NACEP Accreditation Guide

  • Statement of Equivalency Guidelines can be found in Appendix B of the NACEP Accreditation Guide, page 27.

Samples of Professional Development Workshop Agendas:

• Sample Agenda Slide Set (Education)

• Sample Agenda Slide Set (Spanish)