System Procedure 3.5.1 Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) Program

BoSystem Procedures
Chapter 3 - Educational Policies

Access a PDF copy of this procedure

for Board Policy 3.5


Part 1. Purpose
To establish consistent practices in the implementation of the Postsecondary Enrollment Options program across the colleges and universities of Minnesota State.

Part 2. Definitions

Concurrent enrollment course
A college or university course made available through the PSEO program offered at a high school site.

Early or middle college program
A program that allows high school students to earn both high school and college credits with well-defined pathways towards earning a postsecondary degree or credential in addition to a high school diploma. For the purpose outlined in Minn. Stat. 124D.09, Subd. 9(b), early or middle college programs are partnerships approved by the Minnesota Department of Education between State-Approved Alternative Programs (SAAP) and eligible postsecondary institutions. Students participating in these approved programs may enroll in developmental education courses.

National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnership (NACEP)
The national accrediting body for concurrent enrollment partnerships, providing standards and requirements to ensure high quality concurrent enrollment programming.

PSEO by contract
An agreement between the college or university and a school board or governing body that covers the costs of PSEO courses.

PSEO course
A course taken by eligible high school students and taught by college or university faculty on the college or university campus or online.

Part 3. Admissions Requirements and Course Placement for PSEO and Concurrent Enrollment Students

Subpart A. Eligibility Standards for 11th and 12th grade students
PSEO participation must be available to 11th and 12th grade students who are enrolled in a Minnesota public or nonpublic high school and present evidence of the ability to perform college-level work. Such evidence includes the following:

  1. For 11th grade students, 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 (e.g. ACT, SAT, Pre-ACT, etc.);
  2. For 12th grade students, 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 (e.g. ACT, SAT, Pre-ACT, etc.); or
  3. For 11th and 12th grade students, documentation other than that specified in 1 and 2 of this subpart that demonstrates the student's readiness and ability to perform college-level work as determined in college or university policies and procedures.

Subpart B. Eligibility standards and access for 9th and 10th grade students
These students must meet at least one of the following standards.

  1. Rank in the upper one-tenth of their class, or
  2. attain a score at or above the 90th percentile on a nationally standardized, norm-referenced test, or
  3. have a favorable recommendation from a designated high school official to enroll in college or university courses.

Eligible 9th and 10th grade students may only enroll in a course offered through concurrent enrollment or through PSEO by contract under the following conditions defined in Minn. Stat. 124D.09, Subd. 5b:

  1. The school district and the eligible postsecondary institution providing the course must agree to the student's enrollment; or
  2. The course is a world language course currently available to 11th and 12th grade students, and consistent with Minn. Stat. 120B.022 governing world language standards, certificates, and seals. Indigenous languages and American Sign Language (ASL) are eligible under this provision.

Subpart C. Exception for 10th grade students and Career and Technical Education PSEO courses
Notwithstanding the eligibility standards established in Part 3, Subpart B of this procedure, Minn. Stat. 124D.09, Subd.4(b) requires a student who is in 10th grade and has attained a passing score on the 8th grade Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment in reading and meets any of the other course prerequisites or course enrollment standards established by the college, including but not limited to assessment test scores, program admission, or other requirements, may enroll in a career or technical education course at a system college.

If the student receives a grade of C or better in the course, the student must be allowed to take additional courses in subsequent terms including, but not limited to, career and technical education courses.

A current 10th grade student who did not take the 8th grade Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment in reading may substitute another reading assessment accepted by the enrolling college.

Students admitted under this provision may be required to attend academic advising sessions at the discretion of the college.

Subpart D. Eligibility Review Process
Each college and university shall have a process for reviewing evidence of student eligibility to participate in the PSEO program. This admission process must address each of the criteria in Part 3, Subparts A and B of this procedure, and may include faculty, as appropriate.

Subpart E. Course Placement
Students choosing to enroll in PSEO courses or concurrent enrollment courses shall meet the requirements of Board Policy 3.3 and System Procedure 3.3.1 Assessment for Course Placement, before enrolling in courses that require a specific level of reading, writing, or mathematics skills.

Part 4. Courses Offered through PSEO and Concurrent Enrollment

Subpart A. Concurrent enrollment course offerings
Concurrent enrollment courses must be college-level courses approved through the college or university curriculum process, meet standards required for applicable accreditations, and follow the college- or university-approved course outline.

Subpart B. Access to online courses
Pursuant to Minn. Stat. 124D.09, subd. 9 (e), students may enroll in online courses through PSEO or concurrent enrollment consistent with the college or university's policy regarding general student enrollment in online courses.

Subpart C. Developmental education courses A college or university must not enroll students in remedial, developmental, or other courses that are not college level except when a student is eligible for the graduation incentives program under Minn. Stat. 124D.68, and enrolled full time in a middle or early college program that is approved by the Minnesota Department of Education. p>

Part 5. PSEO Student Support 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 communicating their academic performance in PSEO courses with their high school.

Subpart B. Access to learning resources
A college or university offering courses through the PSEO program, shall ensure that all PSEO students, including those not on a campus site, have the same level of access to learning resources (libraries, laboratories, databases, etc.) and learning management systems as the college or university students and faculty in the same higher education courses or programs.

Subpart C. Student performance and program effectiveness
A college or university shall collect data about the performance of each student enrolled in PSEO or concurrent enrollment courses for use in monitoring student progress and measuring PSEO program effectiveness. Students enrolled in PSEO or concurrent enrollment courses shall meet the college or university policy for Academic Standing as defined in Board Policy 2.9 and System Procedure 2.9.1.

Part 6. Concurrent Enrollment Agreements

Subpart A. Concurrent enrollment agreement requirements
A college or university, and school district or governing board shall complete an agreement to offer one or more concurrent enrollment courses, signed by the appropriate representative of each party, which must address at a minimum:

  1. each party’s role in adhering to National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnership (NACEP) standards and requirements relevant to the agreement;
  2. qualifications and responsibilities of high school instructors as defined in Part 8 Subparts B and C of this procedure, including documentation of high school teacher qualifications;
  3. college/university support provided to the instructor as defined in Part 8, Subpart A of this procedure;
  4. other resources, such as laboratory space and course materials, needed to support quality concurrent enrollment teaching and learning;
  5. compliance with student participation requirements as specified in Part 3 of this procedure;
  6. financial arrangements for offering the course(s);
  7. duration of the agreement and frequency of its review, which must be at least annually; and
  8. a high school teacher’s compliance with all expectations for communicating with the college or university faculty member and participation in the required orientation and professional development activities.

The agreement between a school district or governing board and a college or university and the financial arrangements for delivering concurrent enrollment courses must be in conformance with the Minnesota State common pricing structure and practices for concurrent enrollment agreements that exist at the time the agreement is signed.

Subpart B. Concurrent enrollment exception
A high school may allow non-concurrent enrollment students to take concurrent enrollment courses for high school credit only. The concurrent enrollment instructor and college or university faculty member shall ensure that all concurrent enrollment students are held to college- or university-level course standards.

Part 7. Concurrent Enrollment Program Requirements

Subpart A. NACEP accreditation
All concurrent enrollment programs must adopt and implement the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnership's program standards and required evidence for accreditation. Minn. Stat. § 124D.091, Subd. 1.

Subpart B. Advisory boards
Colleges and universities offering a concurrent enrollment program must establish an advisory board. The purpose of the advisory board is to engage stakeholders in concurrent enrollment decisions. The advisory board’s duties, structure, and additional board requirements are described in Minn. Stat. § 124D. 09 subd. 10b.

Part 8. Concurrent Enrollment Instructors

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

  1. adhere to all NACEP standards related to this subpart;
  2. 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;
  3. 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; and
  4. provide the same level of access to learning resources (libraries, laboratories, databases, etc.) and learning management systems as the college or university’s students and faculty in the same higher education courses or programs.

Subpart B. Concurrent enrollment instructor qualifications
The minimum qualifications for concurrent enrollment instructors must be determined by the college or university of record, consistent with Higher Learning Commission expectations for minimum faculty qualifications and Board Policy 3.32 Faculty Qualifications and System Procedure 3.32.1 College Faculty Qualifications.

Subpart C. College and university evaluation responsibilities for concurrent enrollment instructor qualifications
All college and university concurrent enrollment programs must document the evaluation and approval of concurrent enrollment instructors within the specified technology identified by Minnesota State.


Related Documents:

To view any of the following related statutes, go to the Revisor's Office website. You can conduct a search from this site by typing in the statute number.

  • Minn. Stat. 124D.09 Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act

System Procedure History:

Date of Adoption: 06/11/03
Date of Implementation: 07/01/03
Date of Last Review: 08/10/20

Date & Subject of Amendments:

08/10/20 – Update access to PSEO for 9th and 10th grade students to align with state statute; add language related to access to online courses for PSEO students that is consistent with institutional polices as required by state statute; update language about access to developmental education courses through PSEO to align with state statute, revised language related to course placement to align with recently amended Board Policy 3.3 and System Procedure 3.3.1; added language to address access to online courses directed by state statute; revised language for the exception for 10th graders accessing CTE courses related to course placement and access to additional courses; added language on access to learning resources and learning management systems for students and concurrent enrollment instructors to align with HLC expectations; added definitions to define PSEO course, PSEO by contract, concurrent enrollment course, and early and middle college; incorporates state statutory requirements for NACEP accreditation and concurrent enrollment advisory boards; incorporated adherence to NACEP accreditation when relevant; added language to concurrent enrollment agreements to reflect the newly adopted concurrent enrollment systemwide common pricing structure; updated language for concurrent enrollment instructor qualifications to reflect alignment with HLC expectations and recently amended Board Policy 3.32 Faculty Qualifications and System Procedure 3.32.1 College Faculty Qualifications; deleted language that did not align with HLC expectations for minimum faculty qualifications for concurrent enrollment instructors; added language to require storage of faculty qualifications and evaluation determinations in Minnesota State database; added, changed, or deleted reporting requirements to align with the current state of statutory, board policies and system procedures.

 

Additional HISTORY.

-