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System Procedures
Chapter 3 - Educational Policies
Click here for a PDF copy of this procedure.

Procedure 3.5.1 Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) Program

for Board Policy 3.5

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Part 1. Purpose. In accordance with Minnesota Statutes section 124D.09 and Policy 3.5, this procedure governs the implementation of the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options ("PSEO") Program by system colleges and universities.

Part 2. Admissions Requirements for PSEO Students

Subpart A. Eligibility standards. PSEO participation shall be available to juniors and seniors enrolled through a Minnesota high school, home school, or alternative learning center who present evidence of the ability to perform college-level work. Such evidence includes the following:

1. for juniors, class rank in the upper one-third of their class or a score at or above the 70th percentile on a nationally standardized, norm-referenced test;
2. for seniors, class rank in the upper one-half of their class or a score at or above the 50th percentile on a nationally standardized, norm-referenced test; or
3. fo3. for juniors or seniors, documentation other than that specified in Part 2. Subpart A.1. and Subpart A.2. of this procedure of the student's readiness and ability to perform college-level work as determined by the college or university.

A college or university may set higher standards than those specified in Part 2. Subpart A.1. and Subpart A.2. for all students as needed to ensure student success.

Subpart B. Eligibility review process. Each college and university shall have a process for reviewing evidence presented by students seeking to participate in the PSEO program. This process shall address each of the criteria in Part 2. Subpart A. of this procedure and shall include faculty participation as appropriate.

Part 3. PSEO Student Support, Enrollment, and Performance.

Subpart A. Student support. A college or university offering courses through the PSEO program shall ensure that PSEO students are provided with information that.

1. describes available academic and student support services and
2. outlines student responsibilities, including their responsibility to communicate with their high school about their academic performance in courses offered through PSEO.

Subpart B. Student enrollment. Students choosing to enroll in PSEO courses, including PSEO concurrent enrollment courses, shall meet the requirements of Board Policy 3.3 and System Procedure 3.3.1, Assessment for Course Placement, before enrolling.

Subpart C. Student performance and program effectiveness. A college or university shall collect data about the performance of each student enrolled in courses through PSEO for use in monitoring student progress and measuring PSEO program effectiveness. These data shall be reported to the Office of the Chancellor.

Part 4. PSEO Offered through Concurrent Enrollment Courses.

Subpart A. Definition. As defined in Policy 3.5, a PSEO concurrent enrollment course is a college or university course made available through the PSEO program, offered through a high school, and taught by a high school teacher. As specified in M.S. 124D.09, concurrent enrollment courses enroll only high school students who may earn both high school and college credit for satisfactorily completed courses.

Subpart B. PSEO concurrent enrollment courses. PSEO concurrent enrollment courses shall be college-level courses approved through the college or university curriculum process, shall meet institutional standards required for accreditation, and shall follow the college- or university-approved course outline.

Subpart C. Concurrent enrollment agreements. Each college or university and school district wishing to offer one or more concurrent enrollment courses shall complete an agreement, signed by the appropriate representative of each party, which shall, at a minimum, address:

1. qualifications and responsibilities of high school instructors as defined in Subparts E. and F. of this procedure, including documentation of high school teacher qualifications;
2. college/university support to be provided to the instructor as defined in Subpart D. of this procedure;
3. other resources, such as laboratory space and course materials, needed to support quality concurrent enrollment teaching and learning;
4. compliance with student participation requirements as specified in Part 2. and Part 4. Subpart H. of this procedure;
5. financial arrangements for offering the course(s); and
6. duration of the agreement and frequency of its review, which shall be at least annually.

The form of the agreement between a district and a college or university and the financial arrangements for delivering concurrent enrollment courses shall be in conformance with system-determined practices for concurrent enrollment agreements that exist at the time the agreement is signed

Subpart D. PSEO concurrent enrollment instructor support. For each high school teacher approved to provide PSEO instruction as a concurrent enrollment instructor, the college or university shall:

1. 1. Provide a college or university faculty member who shall communicate regularly with the concurrent enrollment instructor and monitor assignments, exams, projects, student academic achievement, and instructional effectiveness to ensure that the course meets the learning outcomes contained in the course outline approved by the college or university and that students are held to college-level standards; and
2. 2. Provide each concurrent enrollment instructor with a required orientation to the concurrent enrollment program and on-going opportunities to participate in appropriate campus-based and/or program-specific faculty development activities.

Subpart E. PSEO concurrent enrollment instructor designation. Designation of a high school teacher to be a concurrent enrollment instructor requires:

1. completion of an application by the high school teacher;
2. approval by the teacher's principal as part of the application; and
3. approval by the college or university after consultation with faculty in the relevant discipline, consistent with Subpart F. of this procedure.

Participation in a concurrent enrollment program by a high school teacher shall require compliance with all expectations for communicating with the college or university faculty member and participation in any required orientation and professional development activities, as outlined in the concurrent enrollment agreement and as described in Subparts C. and D. of this procedure.

Subpart F. PSEO concurrent enrollment instructor qualifications. The minimum qualifications for concurrent enrollment instructors shall be those determined by the college or university of record, consistent with the following:

1. For two-year colleges, the system established credential fields and minimum qualifications for faculty are designated in Board Policy 3.32 and System Procedure 3.32.1 College Faculty Credentialing
2. For state universities, minimum qualifications for faculty are determined by academic departments.

When no teacher in the high school meets these qualifications, the partners shall explore a variety of options for providing access to courses through the PSEO program, including:

1. on-line courses taught by college or university faculty members;
2. on-campus college or university courses; and
3. college and university courses offered by a college or university faculty member in the high school.

If the partners determine that none of these options is feasible, and with the approval of the school district and the college or university as specified in Subpart E. of this procedure, a teacher who does not meet the minimum qualifications may be approved to teach a concurrent enrollment course based on evidence of a combination of substantial teaching experience, advanced coursework appropriate to the discipline, and/or other relevant experience and expertise. Approval to teach a PSEO concurrent enrollment course on this basis may be made contingent upon:

1. completion of additional graduate coursework;
2. field experiences; or
3. a program of structured independent study appropriate to the discipline or credential field within mutually agreed upon time parameters.

A high school teacher who was approved as a concurrent enrollment instructor prior to November 10, 2008 may continue to teach the same course or courses at the discretion of the college or university of record after consultation with the faculty member assigned to work with that high school teacher.

An annual report of high school teachers approved by a college or university as concurrent enrollment instructors shall be provided to the Office of the Chancellor. The report shall include the total number of concurrent enrollment instructors, the number of concurrent enrollment instructors who do not meet the minimum qualifications, and information about the basis for approving those concurrent enrollment instructors who do not meet minimum qualifications.

Subpart G. Students in PSEO concurrent enrollment courses. PSEO concurrent enrollment courses shall not simultaneously enroll PSEO and non-PSEO high school students except as provided in Subpart H. of this procedure.

Subpart H. PSEO concurrent enrollment exceptions. A high school that wishes to have a college or university offer a PSEO concurrent enrollment course to its students, but cannot generate sufficient enrollment to offer that course only to PSEO students, may request approval for an exception from the president of the college or university. The president of the college or university shall approve or deny the request after the appropriate college or university consultation process. In any concurrent enrollment course that enrolls both PSEO and non-PSEO students:

1. PSEO students shall be the majority of the students in the course; and
2. The concurrent enrollment instructor and college or university faculty member shall ensure that all PSEO students are held to college-level course standards.

An annual report of all concurrent enrollment exceptions granted by a college or university shall be provided to the Office of the Chancellor and shall include information about efforts made to reduce the number of exceptions approved.

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Approval Date:	06/11/03,
Effective Date:	07/01/03,
Implementation Dates:	Implementation of Parts 1, 2, and 4 - 11/10/08 Implementation of Part 3 for students who enroll beginning in Fall 2009,
Date & Subject of Revisions: 11/13/08 - amended to clarify and/or add detail regarding concurrent enrollment programs and practices.

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