A significant reason why Central Lakes College’sCollege in the Schools (CIS)program has developed into one of the premier concurrent enrollment programs in the state is the constructive collaboration that exists between secondary and post-secondary educators. Through shared resources, professional development events, on campus experiences, site visits and shared curriculum,CISInstructors are provided many opportunities to increase their content and college-readiness understanding. Furthermore, our entireCISstaff is available to answer any questions instructors may have regarding student enrollment, registration and grade reporting. For more information, please see ourCISHigh School Instructors Guide, which provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of a CIS Instructor.
New CIS Instructors
High school Instructors interested in teaching for theCISProgram should complete theand attach a resume and college transcripts. Additional documentation—such as course descriptions or syllabuses–may be required. Once all requested materials are received, 91Թ reviews and decides to approve, provisionally approve or deny an application, according to Higher Learning Commission policy.
To befullyܲھto teach CIS courses, an instructor must have either:
A Master’s Degree in their content area: English, Math, Chemistry, History, etc., OR
A Master’s Degree in any field + 18 graduate credits in the subject area that they will teach: For example, a CIS Math Instructor might have a Master’s in Education + 18 graduate credits in Math
A new CIS Instructor may beDZDzԲapproved to teach CIS courses provided they submit aProfessional Development Plan (pdf)that demonstrates a schedule of appropriate graduate program or course completion by September 1, 2025.
Career & Technical Instructors require a mix of formal academic preparation and discipline-specific work experience in the technical field. If you have any questions about appropriate graduate courses and/or programs to meet requirements, please contactPaul Preimesberger.
Course Syllabi
Instructors are required to maintain approved course syllabi at the beginning of each semester or year (depending on the duration of the course) that is in alignment with the equivalent 91Թ course syllabus.
Before the first day of school,CISInstructors should submit the course syllabus to their assignedCISCollaborator for their review and approval. A syllabus is submitted for each course, each year. The Collaborator will review the syllabus and if approved notify the CIS Instructor of the approval and then submits the syllabus to the 91Թ Academic Affairs office. If the syllabus is not approved, the Collaborator works with theCISInstructor to make the necessary changes before submitting it to the 91Թ Academic Affairs office. Please review theCIS Syllabus Example (pdf)as a template for constructing your own syllabus.
CIS Course Descriptions
A list of courses from the 91Թ Academic catalog that are available toCISpartner schools are listed here:91Թ CIS Courses. Additional course information, including a topical outline, learning outcomes, and pre-requisites may be obtained on 91Թ’s.
Student Learning Assessment
At 91Թ, high-quality teaching and learning are extremely important. To foster high-quality teaching and learning, 91Թ has developed a Student Learning Assessment Program. The Student Learning Assessment Program supports high-quality teaching and learning both inside and outside the classroom. The Student Learning Assessment Program provides the tools, methods, and supports to faculty and staff to assess what students can do with what they know. After completing the assessment process, faculty and staff can make changes based upon the assessment results to further improve student mastery of specific learning outcomes.
CIS instructors are expected to conduct course Level assessments in a manner that determines grades for student assignments and projects, as well as for the course itself. All 91Թ and CIS courses have common course outlines identifying course-specific and college-wide outcomes that students will be expected to achieve upon completion of the course. When teaching a course, CIS instructors must ensure the course content and specific course level assessment measures meets the course objectives. Course Level Assessment activities should occur regularly within the classroom.
Course Instruction and Grading Tools
CISinstructors utilize(for class list and grade entry)for online instruction.
Professional Development
CISinstructors are expected to attend the annualCISIn service to stay informed of college expectations as they relate to current course content and rigor. Failure to attend may result in a finding of “non-compliance” and loss of eligibility to teach CIS courses.
Role of the Collaborator
91Թ faculty serve asCISCollaborators to provide on-going support to the high school instructors. The role of theCISCollaborator is to assist withCISInstructor credential reviews and professional development plans, provide ongoing support toCISInstructors by leading discipline-specific professional development opportunities, making classroom observations, provide teaching resources, and communicating in multiple ways, ensure that theCIScourse demonstrates the same content, learning, environment, assessment, and pedagogy as 91Թ college courses, maintain contact with CIS Instructors throughout the year, by phone, e-mail, or personal visits, as needed, to support their teaching of Central Lake College’sCIScourse, and visitCISInstructors in their classrooms a minimum of once during the term for a repeated course and a minimum of twice if it is a newCIScourse and/or instructor. TheCISClassroom Observation Materials (pdf) is the form utilized for classroom evaluation.
Site Visits
91Թ Collaborators regularly visit CIS classroom and provide feedback to theCISInstructor. Visits are planned after the High School instructor completes theCIS Classroom pre-observation form (pdf)
NACEP Accreditation
The 91Թ College in the Schools (CIS) program has been accredited by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) since 2012. Our current accreditation is valid through 2026. Accreditation serves as a guarantee to students, policy-makers, and other postsecondary institutions that the accredited partnership meets rigorous.
Updated 01/25/2023