NACEP Standards are measurable criteria that address quality in concurrent enrollment programs. The standards promote the implementation of policies and practices to ensure that:
- Concurrent enrollment courses offered in the high school are the same as the courses offered on-campus at the sponsoring college or university.
- Students enrolled in concurrent enrollment courses are held to the same standards of achievement as students in on-campus courses.
- Instructors teaching college or university courses through the concurrent enrollment program meet the academic requirements for faculty and instructors teaching in the sponsoring postsecondary institution.
Additionally, the standards encourage greater accountability for concurrent enrollment programs through required impact studies, student surveys, and course and program evaluations.
The standards are the basis for accreditation, but all concurrent enrollment programs can benefit by using the standards as a framework for program development.
As the only national set of quality standards applicable to concurrent enrollment partnerships, NACEP’s standards serve as model standards that have been adapted or incorporated into state policy in 15 states.
NACEP’s standards of program quality were first adopted in 2002, covering five categories:
- Curriculum
- Faculty
- Students
- Assessment
- Program Evaluation
After a two year process that included valuable member input at multiple stages, Accreditation Committee recommendations, and board deliberation over many months, the NACEP Board of Directors adopted a revised version of the standards on December 15, 2009.
Download the Standards
- 2011 Standards
- 2011 Standards and Required Evidence for Accreditation
- Accreditation Guide For Peer Reviewers and Applicants (updated October 2013) that includes interpretation of NACEP’s Standards, the range of acceptable practices, and frequently asked questions about the Standards.
