- Albert Lea Area Schools
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Counseling, College, and Career Center
Course Registration
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Course Description Guides
College in the Schools
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Information
If you are a high school junior or senior who wants to get a jump-start on college, consider the College in the Schools (CIS) program. Students get firsthand experience with a faster pace of study, increased academic rigor, and are able to make a smoother transition from high school to college.
For several years ALHS has joined efforts with Riverland Community College to offer college credit classes at ALHS taught by ALHS faculty. The CIS program allows students to stay as ALHS and earn credits toward college at no cost to their families.
Students who enroll will generate a Riverland transcript.
To be eligible for the program you must:
- Be ranked in the top 1/3 of your class as a sophomore.
- Be ranked in the top 1/2 of your class as a junior.
- Take MCA tests given at students' grade level to earn qualifying scores for college level classes.
Nationally Accredited Program | College in the Schools is accredited by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships. Accreditation guarantees that:
- Courses offered through CIS are Riverland Community College courses and CIS students earn college credit.
- High school students taking Riverland courses through CIS are held to the same academic standards as students on campus.
Benefits for high school students:
- Obtain college credit that is recognized by colleges & universities coast to coast
- Experience increased academic rigor and develop skills for college success
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Links
- CIS Registration, Fall 2020
- Riverland Community College
- College in the Schools Letter
- College in the Schools Course Description
- College in the Schools Transcripts
- All students who have taken a College in the Schools (CIS) course(s) at ALHS need to request that his/her Riverland Community College transcript to be sent to the school/college/military that he/she plans to attend after high school. Your ALHS transcript is a record of your high school courses for your high school diploma. Post-secondary institutions cannot use the ALHS transcript for college credit transfer.
- It is each student's responsibility to complete the Riverland Transcript Request Form, include the $5.00 fee, and submit it to Riverland.
- Transcript Requests can also be completed electronically. You will need your Riverland student ID number and a credit card. www.riverland.edu
Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO)
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Information
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 eligible participating postsecondary institutions. Most PSEO courses are offered on the campus of the postsecondary institution; some courses are offered online. Each participating college or university sets its own admissions requirements for enrollment into the PSEO courses. Eleventh and 12th-grade students may take PSEO courses on a full- or part-time basis; 10th graders are eligible to enroll in PSEO on a more limited basis (see note below). Students must meet the PSEO residency and eligibility requirements and abide by participation limits specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09. If a school district determines a pupil is not on track to graduate, she/he may continue to participate in PSEO on a term by term basis.
By March 1 of each year, or three weeks prior to the date a student registers for courses for the following school year, schools must provide PSEO information to all students in grades 8-11 and their families. To assist the district in planning, a student must inform the district by May 30 of each year of their intent to enroll in postsecondary courses during the following school year.
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 and the district does not waive this date requirement.
Funds are 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.
Enrolling in a PSEO course does not prohibit a student from participating in activities sponsored by the high school.
School districts must allow a PSEO student reasonable access to the high school building, computers and/or other technology resources during regular school hours to participate in PSEO courses, whether on-line or on campus.
Each year, districts must publish their grade-weighting policy on their website, including a list of courses for which students can earn weighted grades.
All courses taken through the PSEO program must meet graduation requirements. Districts must transcript credits earned in 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.
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.
Tenth-grade students may initially enroll in one Career and Technical Education (CTE) PSEO course if they receive a reading proficiency score of “meets” or “exceeds” on the 8th grade MCA. If 10th graders taking a CTE PSEO course earn at least a grade C in that class, they may take additional CTE PSEO courses. If the 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.
For current information about the PSEO program, visit the Minnesota Department of Education’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) webpage.
