NACEP Expands its Leadership of the Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Field

Chapel Hill, NC - The National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships, a professional membership organization supporting programs that offer college courses to high school students, unveiled its new Strategic Plan for 2017-2019. The organization will expand the scope of its activities to encompass a wider range of dual enrollment models while maintaining the organization's emphasis on the quality of these programs as reflected in the newly-revised mission: advancing quality college courses for high school students. The plan was announced at the recent NACEP 2016 National Conference. Over 800 people attended the conference and related events in Louisville, Kentucky October 16-19, 2016.

Participants in the four days of events included college officials and faculty, high school leaders, policymakers, and researchers who came together to learn about emerging trends and best practices in quality college transition programs that propel students to success in college.

The plan sets a vision for the future where all high school students will be prepared for, have access to, and succeed in quality college courses. NACEP's Executive Director Adam Lowe noted "this vision emphasizes the importance of deep collaboration between high schools and their postsecondary partners in order to prepare all students for college work, whether in career-oriented fields, general education, or both."

The Strategic Plan set objectives aligned with five goals:

Strengthen the Voice and Engagement of All Members;
Communicate the Benefits of Quality Concurrent Enrollment;
Enhance the Value and Recognition of NACEP Accreditation;
Provide Leadership for Policy that Affects Concurrent Enrollment; and
Expand the Scope of the Organization to Include Other Dual Enrollment Models.

"NACEP’s membership has grown at an extraordinary pace over the past few years and we want to make sure we have ample opportunities for our members to lead and engage," said Tim Stetter, president of NACEP’s Board of Directors.

Reflecting the organization's expanded leadership for the field, NACEP organized the inaugural convening of the 44 colleges and universities selected to participate in the U.S. Department of Education's Dual Enrollment Pell Experimental Sites initiative. Deputy Undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Education Dr. Kim Hunter Reed addressed the participants during the event, which was sponsored by ACT, Inc. and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

NACEP's increased policy impact was emphasized throughout the recent national conference. A State Policy Workshop brought together 50 state agency staff and other individuals from 27 states engaged in state policy with national experts on state policy from Achieve, Education Commission of the States, and NACEP to discuss dual and concurrent enrollment funding models, public reporting, school accountability, and teacher credentialing. Along with partners from KnowledgeWorks Foundation and Jobs for the Future, NACEP Executive Director Adam Lowe shared how dual and concurrent enrollment is emphasized in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and plans for strengthened collective impact through the formation of a new College in High School Alliance.

Continued growth of dual and concurrent enrollment nationwide elevates the importance of NACEP's work to raise the caliber of programs through standards, accreditation, professional development, and direct assistance. Institutions increasingly recognize NACEP accreditation as the benchmark of program quality - nine states encourage or provide incentives for programs to earn NACEP's accreditation, as do three academic disciplinary associations in History, English and Composition.

New Leadership
At the conference, new officers and Board of Directors members began their leadership terms. The new president of the organization is Tim Stetter, University of Washington. Patrick Cannon, Purdue University Northwest, is the new president-elect. Guillermo (Memo) Caldera, Utah Valley University, is the newly elected member-at-large. Rakhshi Hamid, Laramie County Community College, is the new representative for the two-year postsecondary institutions. Kent Scheffel, Lewis and Clark Community College, is now past president of the organization.

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About NACEP
The National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) is a professional membership organization supporting programs that offer college courses to high school students. NACEP's national network of 400 colleges and universities, 50 high schools and school districts and 25 state agencies and system offices actively share the latest knowledge about best practices, research and advocacy.

Concurrent and dual enrollment partnerships provide high school students the opportunity to take college credit-bearing courses. Called concurrent enrollment when taught by college-approved high school teachers, concurrent and dual enrollment partnerships successfully transition students from high school to college. As the sole national accrediting body for concurrent enrollment partnerships, NACEP helps programs adhere to the high standards so students experience a seamless transition to college and teacher benefit from meaningful, ongoing professional development.