As part of its effort to improve and promote higher education, the Center for Excellence in Higher Education (CEHE) has launched a new accredited high school diploma program.

CEHE announced Thursday that it will partner with Smart Horizons Career Online Education and ed2go to test the Career Online High School program at Stevens-Henager College's Ogden, Utah and CollegeAmerica's Denver, Colo. Campuses. The program is designed for students seeking an accredited high school diploma.

Smart Horizons and its Career Online High School Division is a private school district that has been granted District Accreditation from the AdvancED Accreditation Commission. Ed2go is a network of colleges, universities and other organizations that provides the portal for online learning.

"We recognize the enduring need in our community to curb the high school dropout rate," Vicky Dewsnup, president of Stevens-Henager College and regional director for Stevens-Henager campuses in Northern Utah and Idaho, said in a statement. "A high school diploma opens the door to ongoing educational opportunities and we want to see more students graduate from high school, attend college and secure higher paying jobs."

Dewsnup said it was important to provide those students with an opportunity to earn an official high school diploma.

The program offers an accredited 18-credit high school diploma and credentialed career certificate in a single comprehensive online program. It will be made available in special learning labs set up on CEHE campuses. The learning sites will be staffed by facilitators and will enable students enrolled in the Career Online High School program to experience a college campus environment.

"COHS is designed to support students as they return to their high school education. We anticipate meeting students who have been out of high school for a little as a year to as long as 50 years," Dewsnup said.

Established in 2006, CEHE is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to promoting excellence in higher education through philanthropy and offering career-focused educational programs.