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May 27, 2009 Earn Your High School Diploma by Completing an Associate’s Degree HB 1758 passed the legislature this year and has been signed by the Governor. This new program authorizes community and technical colleges to issue high school diplomas to individuals enrolled in Running Start who enroll in the college and complete an Associate's Degree, and to students over 21 who enroll in the college for who earn an Associate’s Degree. In other words, if go straight to a community college without completing high school and earn your Associate’s Degree, the community college can award you your high school diploma, as well. Running Start High school students have the opportunity to study on a college campus while acquiring credits that count toward both high school and college graduation. If the student passes the college course, he or she receives the same amount of credit as any other college student taking the course. A Running Start student is not charged tuition but can be charged some fees. In other words, you earn up to two years of college credit before you even graduate from high school. See answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Running Start from the State’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction at: http://www.k12.wa.us/RunningStart/pubdocs/RunningStartFAQ2005.pdf For more information, contact Brian Jeffries in the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction at (360) 725-6508 or by e-mail at runningstart@k12.wa.us. College in the High School This program permits students to complete college level work while staying on their high school campuses. High school teachers typically form a relationship with a college or university and receive adjunct, extension, or lecturer status. They work with a professor to align a particular high school course with a college level course published in the college catalog. The college course is then taught to high school students by the high school teacher during the regular school day. Students usually pay a fee for this program that varies based on the area of study. Other funding, fees, and eligibility requirements are negotiated by participating schools through a local contract. Find more information and resources about College in the High School from the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges at: http://www.sbctc.ctc.edu/college/_e-wkforcecollegeinhighschool.aspx Technology Preparation Tech Prep is a cooperative effort between K-12 schools, community and technical colleges, and the business community to develop applied integrated, academic and technical programs. These professional technical courses are taught on high school campuses by high school instructors. The instructors work with local colleges to assure the courses are taught at the college-level and articulate to the college program. Each of the state's 22 Tech Prep consortia have developed competency-based articulation agreements between high schools and colleges that help students transition from high school into post-secondary professional technical programs. Through Tech Prep articulation agreements, colleges award credit to students who successfully complete college-equivalent courses and programs with a "B" or better while still in high school. Find more information and resources about Tech Prep from the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges at: http://www.sbctc.ctc.edu/college/_e-wkforcetechprep.aspx Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate AP and IB allow students to take college-level courses while staying on their high school campuses. For both of these programs, students complete courses taught by high school teachers and take standardized examinations at the end. Whether college credit is awarded depends upon a student's score on the exam. Minimum scores to qualify for college credit vary by college and by subject area. Students pay the exam fees. More information is available through the Superintendent of Public Instruction: http://www.k12.wa.us/AdvancedPlacement/default.aspx Statewide Program Supervisors: Barbara Dittrich (barbara.dittrich@k12.wa.us) and Kristina Johnstone (kristina.johnstone@k12.wa.us) Running Start for the Trades began in 2006 with the purpose of expanding apprenticeship opportunities for high-school students. High schools work closely with local apprenticeship programs to prepare students to enter apprenticeships immediately after graduation. Depending upon the program, students may earn direct entry into an apprenticeship program or enhance their chances of entry into a program. Read more about Running Start for the Trades at: http://www.k12.wa.us/CareerTechEd/pubdocs/RSTT2008ReporttotheLegislature-FinalDraft.pdf Contact the Clark County Skills Center at (360) 604-1050 or visit online at: http://www.ccskillscenter.com/ |