Offering first-class concurrent enrollment for high school students

The National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) has granted national accreditation to the University of Missouri-Kansas City High School/Dual Credit Partnership (HSCP).

UMKC is among 12 colleges and universities to receive accreditation or re-accreditation from NACEP. The schools provide college credit-bearing courses to high school students taught by college-approved high school teachers.

“UMKC is one of the few colleges in Missouri that is now nationally accredited for concurrent enrollment,” said Carla Mebane, Ed.D., director of UMKC’s HSCP. “This process has introduced us to every aspect of concurrent enrollment, and because of this we are better prepared to ensure high standards within our high schools, to be accountable ourselves and to ensure accountability with our high school partners. And most importantly, to effectively prepare our high school students for success once they enter college.”

As the only national set of quality standards applicable to concurrent enrollment partnerships, NACEP’s standards serve as the model criteria for ensuring that the course content and expectations for student work in high schools match the standards of the sponsoring college or university.

NACEP Accreditation Commission Chair Jaclyn Dumond, manager of school partnerships at the University of Southern Indiana, remarked, “I am proud to recognize these 12 programs for their commitment to excellence in concurrent enrollment. Although the accreditation peer-review process is rigorous, these programs have risen to NACEP’s high standards and demonstrated that the high school students enrolled in their programs are, without a doubt, receiving the same quality education as they would receive on the college campus.”

Dr. Rusty Monhollon, assistant commissioner for Academic Affairs at the Missouri Department of Higher Education, stated, “Missouri has a rich history of providing dual credit. Missouri’s dual credit policy reflects a commitment to high quality and integrity, and there’s no better way to ensure that a program is abiding by these principles than to earn NACEP accreditation.”

To earn accreditation from NACEP, concurrent enrollment programs conduct a self-study, document how their programs adhere to NACEP’s seventeen standards, and undergo a rigorous peer-review process conducted by reviewers from NACEP-accredited programs. NACEP’s standards were developed and refined over many years, serve as a model for quality standards in sixteen states and are implemented by a wide range of higher education institutions. The NACEP Accreditation Commission manages NACEP’s accreditation process, reviews Peer Review Team reports and makes accreditation decisions.