College in Schools

Earn College Credits in High School

  • There are a variety of ways to earn college credits while still in high school. Students can leave Jordan High School and attend a local college through Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO), take a College in the Schools (CIS)/Concurrent Enrollment (CE) course, take an Advanced Placement (AP) course or gain a certificate through an articulation agreement. Middle School and High School school counseling staff will meet with all students to review Individual Learning Plans and make students aware of all enrollment options. 

    AP (Advanced Placement):
    AP classes offered at Jordan High School with our high school teachers. Students take the course and then take an end of course exam. Depending on their score they may earn high school credit. AP courses are:

    • AP Chemistry

    Articulation Agreement:
    AA's are typically found in the Career and Technical Education department. Teachers in those departments work with particular technical schools to align their curriculum with courses offered at the technical school so that students can waive those credits. To see what particular school a class articulates with please see the information in the Course Registration Guide. Classes include:

    • Accounting IA
    • General Business
    • Sports and Entertaining Marketing
    • Computer Programming
    • Computer Graphics
    • Computer Animation
    • Website Design
    • Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Applications
    • Foods II
    • Child Development II

    CIS (College in the Schools) and CE (Concurrent Enrollment):
    Jordan High School offers a variety of courses through the University of Minnesota (CIS), Mankato State University (CE) and Normandale Community College (CE). Students take the course at Jordan High School with one of our teachers. If students earn a C or better in the course they will earn college credit. CIS/CE classes are:

    • CE United States History
    • CE World History
    • CE Spanish IV
    • CE Spanish V
    • CE Introduction to Education
    • CE Introduction to Composition
    • CE Public Speaking
    • CE Multicultural Education
    • CE Healthcare and Medicine 
    • CE Musicology
    • CE Introduction to Literature and Foundations
    • CE Writing and Rhetoric

    PSEO (Post Secondary Enrollment Options):

    Jordan High School requires a parent and student meeting for those students that plan to participate in PSEO. To schedule please contact Robin Whiteside at rwhiteside@isd717.org

    Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) is a program that allows 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students to earn both high school and college credit while still in high school, through enrollment in and successful completion of college nonsectarian courses at any eligible postsecondary institution in Minnesota. Most PSEO courses are offered on the campus of the postsecondary institution; some courses are offered online. Students must meet the PSEO residency and eligibility requirements and abide by participation limits specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09. To assist the district in planning, a student must inform the district/charter school by May 30 (for fall term enrollment) or October 30 (for spring term enrollment) of their intent to enroll in postsecondary courses. The district/charter school must provide counseling services to students and their parents or guardian before the student enrolls in courses to ensure that the students and their parents or guardian are fully aware of the risks and possible consequences of enrolling in postsecondary courses.

    Student Eligibility

    Eleventh and 12th-grade students may take PSEO courses on a full- or part-time basis. Each participating college or university sets its own admissions requirements for enrollment into the PSEO courses.

    Tenth-grade students are eligible to enroll in one Career and Technical Education (CTE) course if they receive a reading proficiency score of “meets” or “exceeds” on the 8th grade MCA. If a 10th-grade student did not take the MCA in 8th grade, another reading assessment accepted by the enrolling postsecondary institution can be substituted. For students with disabilities, there is an alternative option to demonstrate reading proficiency. A 10th-grade student who enrolls in one CTE course and earns at least a grade C in the first term of enrollment, may take additional postsecondary courses in the subsequent term, not limited to CTE. Access the list of postsecondary institutions offering approved CTE courses to 10th grade students.

    If the district/charter school determines a student is academically not on track to graduate, the student may continue to participate in PSEO on a term-by-term basis beyond their cohort graduation date.

    Tuition and Fees

    There is no charge to PSEO students for tuition, books or fees for items that are required to participate in a course; however, students may incur fees for equipment that becomes their property when the course or program is completed, textbooks that are not returned to the postsecondary institution according to their policies, or for tuition costs if they do not notify the district by May 30 or October 30 and the district does not waive the date requirement.

    Funding is available to help pay transportation expenses for qualifying students to participate in PSEO courses on college campuses. For more information on these funds, access the PSEO Mileage Reimbursement Program Instructions.

    Other Helpful Information for Public School Students

    Enrolling in a PSEO course does not prohibit a student from participating in activities sponsored by the high school.

    High schools are required to provide access to space and technology during the core school day -- if needed -- for a student to participate in PSEO, but may not require students to attend the high school during online PSEO courses or remain in the high school for a specific amount of time. Students are expected to follow safety guidelines and school policy for leaving and entering the school building.

    PSEO students must provide the school with a copy of their grades in each PSEO course.

    Districts must transcript high school credits earned through PSEO by a ratio prescribed in statute. Districts have the authority to decide which subject area and standards the PSEO course meets. If there is a dispute between the district and the student regarding the number of credits granted for a particular course, the student may appeal the board's decision to the commissioner. The commissioner's decision regarding the number of credits will be final. Grade weighting policies for PSEO courses vary by district/charter school.

    Postsecondary institutions are required to allow PSEO students to enroll in online courses consistent with the institution’s policy regarding postsecondary student enrollment in online courses.

    For current information about the PSEO program, visit the Minnesota Department of Education’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) webpage.

     

    Student Notification of Intent to Enroll by May 30 and October 30
    Public school students are required to inform their district/charter school by May 30 (for fall enrollment) and October 30 (for spring enrollment) of their intent to enroll in PSEO courses during the following school year. Districts/charter schools have the authority to waive this deadline. If a public school student does not notify the enrolling district by May 30 or October 30, and the enrolling district does not waive the deadline, the family may be responsible for the postsecondary tuition expense.
     
    PSEO Notice of Student Registration (NOSR) Forms
    The PSEO Notice of Student Registration must be completed for each semester by an eligible student and signed by the student’s parent or guardian (if the student is under the age of 18) in section one. The district/charter school or nonpublic/home school completes and signs section two. Students then forward the form for the appropriate academic year to the postsecondary institution they plan to attend; the postsecondary institution completes section three and submits a copy to the Minnesota Department of Education.
     
    If public school students do not notify the enrolling district of their intent to enroll in PSEO by May 30 or October 30, and the enrolling district does not waive the deadline in section two of the form, the family may be responsible for the postsecondary tuition expense.