PTCC Secures NACEP Accreditation for Concurrent Enrollment

Pine Technical and Community College (PTCC) has been granted accreditation through the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) Accreditation Commission!

NACEP is an accrediting body that works closely with 500 institutions around the country providing best practices, research and advocacy for quality Concurrent Enrollment programming. To earn NACEP accreditation, Concurrent Enrollment programs must conduct a self-study, document how their programs adhere to NACEP’s sixteen standards, and undergo a rigorous peer-review process conducted by a professional team of representatives on the NACEP Accreditation Commission.

Concurrent Enrollment partnerships provide high school students the opportunity to take college credit courses. Concurrent enrollment is a low-cost, scalable model for bringing college courses to students in urban, suburban, and rural high schools. Students gain exposure to the academic challenges of college while in their supportive high school environment, earning college credit at the time they successfully pass the course. Concurrent enrollment also facilitates close collaboration between high school teachers and college faculty that fosters alignment of secondary and postsecondary curriculum.

PTCC NACEP accredited Concurrent Enrollment high school partners include: Chisago Lakes High School, East Central High School, Elk River High School, Fridley High School, Forest Lake High School, Hinckley-Finlayson High School, Mora High School, North Branch High School, Ogilvie High School, Pine City High School, Rush City High School, Rogers High School, Spectrum High School, Willow River High School, and Zimmerman High School.

1,257 Concurrent Enrollment students from these high schools saved nearly $1 million dollars through PTCC’s Concurrent Enrollment Program, earning them a total of 5,690 college credits.

“Providing students with access to postsecondary education during high school has incredible impacts for students, schools, and the community. Not only are students able to earn college credit at no cost to them, they are able to explore future career options and have tools to make important decisions about their future before graduating high school. Students who enroll in concurrent enrollment courses are substantially more likely to graduate high school, go to college, and stay in college through degree completion, often in less time than their non-participating peers,” said Kierstan Peck, Director of Student Affairs and K-12 Partnerships at PTCC. “Schools are able to offer rigorous college coursework, taught by qualified high school teachers onsite without needing to leave high school to seek out college courses on campus. The community benefits by having a more educated workforce, and in some cases, students who have earned industry recognized credentials and are ready to enter the workforce in high school or right out of high school.”

To learn more about Concurrent Enrollment at PTCC, visit www.pine.edu/future-students/college-credit-in-high-school/concurrent/