College in the High School

College in the High School (CHS) programs provide college level academic courses in high schools to serve qualified high school students.

CHS programs are established through a contract between a high school and a college or university. The high school and college or university together define the criteria for student eligibility. Local contracts shall clarify if participants in CHS classes are only those students seeking to earn college credits or if the classes can be comprised of both (1) students who are not seeking college credit and (2) those who are. In order for coursework to be recorded for academic credit, programs must adhere to the following guidelines.

High school students enrolled in CHS are officially enrolled in the college or university and must meet college specific course requirements and prerequisites.

For students enrolled in CHS, regular college/university policies and regulations regarding student performance and classroom behavior apply. Normally, college student behavior policies will apply to all CHS classroom activities. High school policies apply for activities outside the CHS classroom.

CHS courses must be taught by teachers meeting faculty appointment criteria established by the appropriate college/university department. Their titles will vary according to the institution.

The college/university will provide CHS instructors with training and orientation that includes course curriculum, assessment criteria, course philosophy and CHS administrative requirements.

Faculty will be evaluated according to regular college faculty evaluation procedures, as established at the respective offering college/university, and may include site visits and on-going interactions that may address course content, course delivery, assessment, evaluation and professional development in the field of study.

College/university courses offered through CHS are listed in the college/university’s catalog of courses and approved through the regular course approval process of that college/university. These courses have the same departmental designation, number, title, and credits and adhere to the same course description. Additional designation codes, such as a location code, may be added.

For students seeking college credit, the course must use the same grading and transcript policies that apply to courses being offered in the college/university's regular curriculum.

Student outcomes in CHS courses will be assessed by the same standards used for the course when offered on the college/university campus.

Institutions offering CHS will conduct studies of student outcomes to compare students completing courses at the high school with those completing the same courses in college settings.

K-12 school district is responsible for assuring compliance with federal and state laws concerning reasonable accommodations for CHS students with disabilities and the development of individualized educational programs (IEPs).

Library and other learning support services will meet college/university standards. Local agreements will specify which institution is responsible for providing these services.

The high school and college/university will develop a joint statement within the contract to address student conduct issues and will include an appeal process to ensure due process for students.

The college/university offering the course must be regionally accredited.