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Dual Enrollment Program Earns Re-Accreditation With NACEP

The National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) Accreditation Commission recently granted accreditation and re-accreditation to 25 concurrent enrollment programs at colleges and universities nationwide. This brings the total number of NACEP accredited programs across the country to 134, spanning 26 states.

One of the programs granted re-accreditation was the Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Accelerated College Education (ACE) program. ACE focuses on high school students and their ability to earn college credits while in high school through dual enrollment coursework.

The Pennsylvania Highlands ACE Program has a far-reaching impact, serving students throughout Central and Western Pennsylvania. ACE currently partners with 49 school districts throughout Pennsylvania and, over the past 10 years, has helped 10,000+ high school students earn college credits.

As the nation’s only accrediting body for these unique and impactful educational partnerships, NACEP’s standards serve as the model criteria for ensuring parity in faculty, course content, student outcomes, and support. Receiving NACEP accreditation means an institution has met the nation’s most rigorous standard in concurrent enrollment program development, management, and evaluation across multiple, multifaceted program areas.

To earn NACEP accreditation, concurrent enrollment programs conduct a self-study, document how their programs adhere to NACEP’s sixteen standards, and undergo a rigorous peer-review process conducted by a team of representatives from NACEP accredited programs as well as the NACEP Accreditation Commission. NACEP’s accreditation is valid for five years for initial accreditation and then seven years for reaccreditation, during which time programs commit to uphold NACEP’s standards and report annually on program practices.

“On behalf of the Accreditation Commission, I want to congratulate all of the newly accredited and re-accredited programs,” stated NACEP Accreditation Commission Chair, Michael Beam. “These programs have successfully demonstrated that they meet the NACEP standards for high-quality programming for concurrent enrollment, and college-provided faculty models. Many thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who make this process possible, specifically the Accreditation Commissioners and the Peer Reviewers. None of this work and support is achievable without their amazing contributions.”

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is also accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

About National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships

The National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) is the leading membership organization supporting programs that successfully transition students from high school to college through college credit-bearing courses. NACEP promotes quality programming through national standards, accreditation, and professional development. Members offer college courses to high school students through a variety of delivery methods and use a range of terms such as concurrent enrollment, dual enrollment, dual credit, and early college. NACEP’s national member network of close to 500 institutions includes colleges and universities, high schools/school districts, and state agencies actively share the latest knowledge about best practices, research and advocacy.