1602 Second Avenue

Zillah, Washington 98953-9682

Phone 509-829-5565

Running Start Program

ZHS and YVCC in partnership to provide college credit options for our juniors and seniors.

The Running Start Program is a partnership between local Community College and Washington State public high schools. The program offers eligible high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to enroll in regular college classes and to receive both high school and college credit for those classes. Students may choose to enroll simultaneously in high school and college classes, or solely in college classes. Though the high school district office pays for college tuition costs, all other costs must be paid by the student--including transportation, lab fees and necessary books and supplies. Our local community college is YVCC. You may go to the YVCC Running Start Page at www.yvcc.edu/RunningStart/ for further information.

Running Start Forms are at www.yvcc.edu/FutureStudents/AcademicOptions/HSS/RunningStart/Pages/Forms.aspx

Parent's Guide to Running start www.yvcc.edu/FutureStudents/AcademicOptions/HSS/RunningStart/Documents/Parent%20Booklet.pdf

Program Strengths and Opportunities

Students can

Earn up to two years of tuition-free college credit, getting a head start on college.
Take courses that may not be offered at their high school.
Select from a more diverse offering of elective classes than are available in high school.
Experience post-secondary education while in high school, easing the transition to college life.
Experience college clubs and activities (except for intercollegiate athletics).
Try a different educational setting, an advantage for those who find that the traditional high school does not fit their needs.

Program Concerns

Students should be aware that:

College level classes demand that students work more independently and at a quicker pace than high school classes.
Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from campus.
Students are responsible for purchase of their own books.
While tuition is waived for this program other fees are the responsibility of the student.
Scheduled college classes could conflict with high school classes and high school extracurricular activities.
Students are expected to attend classes at the college even when their high school is not in session (holidays and vacation breaks differ).
Students must meet all of their PEARLS requirements on time.
Students are responsible for monitoring the daily bulletin, weekly newsletter and monthly calendar for events at ZHS.
YVCC sends an official transcript for each student to ZHS. All YVCC grades earned as part of Running Start must also be entered on the ZHS transcript.

High School vs. College
A comparison for Running Start students

Personal Freedom in High School		Personal Freedom in College
Your time is usually structured by others.		You manage your own time.
You can count on parents and teachers for guidance and to remind you of your responsibilities.		You will be faced with new moral and ethical decisions. You must balance responsibilities and set priorities.
Guiding Principle: You will usually be told what your responsibilities are and corrected if your behavior is out of line.		Guiding Principle: You're old enough to take responsibility for your decisions and their consequences.

High School Classes		College Classes
The school year is 36 weeks long; some classes extend over both semesters and some do not.		The academic year is divided into three separate 10 or 11 week quarters, plus 3 days at the end of the quarter for final exams.
Teachers carefully monitor class attendance.		Some instructors factor attendance into final grades; some do not take attendance at all.
You are provided with textbooks at little or no cost.		You must budget $200 or more for textbooks each quarter.

Studying in High School		Studying in College
Study time outside of class can be as little as 2 hours per week, and this may be for last-minute test preparation.		You should plan to study 2 to 3 hours outside of class for each in-class hour throughout the quarter to achieve mastery. You will need to review class notes and assignments regularly.
Class participation is often all that is necessary to learn what is needed.		Substantial reading and writing assignments may not be directly reviewed in class.
Guiding Principle: You are usually told in class what you need to learn from assigned readings.		Guiding Principle: It's up to you to read and understand the reading assignments. Lectures and other assignments presume you have already done so.

High School Teachers		College Teachers
Teachers approach you if they believe you need assistance.		Most instructors expect you to initiate contact if you need assistance.
Teachers provide you with information you missed when you were absent.		Instructors expect you to get notes from classmates for information you missed.
Teachers often write information on the board to be copied into your notes.		Good note-taking skills are a must; instructors expect you to identify the important points.
Teachers often take time to remind you of assignments and due dates.		Instructors expect you to consult the course syllabus for all important class information.

Tests in High School		Tests in College
Frequent tests covering small amount of material.		2 or 3 tests per quarter, may be cumulative, covering large amounts of material.
Teachers may rearrange test dates to avoid conflict with school events.		Instructors in different courses usually schedule tests without regard to the demands of other courses or outside activities.

Grades in High School		Grades in College
Consistently good homework or "extra credit" may raise your overall grade when test scores are low.		Grades on tests and major papers usually comprise most of the course grade. review class notes and assignments regularly.
Initial low test grades may not have an adverse affect on your final grade.		Generally, all tests contribute substantially to your final grade. A low initial test is a "wake-up call".
Guiding Principle: Effort counts. Teachers reward a good-faith effort.		Guiding Principle: Results count. Instructors expect quality work.

Thanks to Doug Morgan at Spokane Falls Community College for use of this table.

YVCC-ZHS Running Start Enrollment Procedures

Step 1 Information: Gather information from the counselor, Guidance Center, website and/or attend an information meeting held at home high school or YVCC for 10th & 11th grade students and their parents. (January-February)

Step 2 Apply: Student & parent complete a Running Start Application form available in the Guidance Center, the ZHS Website or YVCC www.yvcc.edu/FUTURESTUDENTS/ACADEMICOPTIONS/HSS/RUNNINGSTART/Pages/Forms.aspx

Step 3 Test: Students take the COMPASS test to check for academic readiness for college work. Students must call 574-4738 to reserve a seat for testing on available dates. Students must bring the signed application form, a photo ID and $15.75 for the test fee payment. COMPASS testing will take 2.5 hours. Arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled testing. Students are encouraged to complete COMPASS testing prior to April 10.

Step 4 Notification: Student receives notification of eligibility to enter the Running Start Program, usually within one week of testing.

Step 5 HS Guidance: Eligible students make appointments with high school counselors to identify graduation requirements, review YVCC equivalent courses, and develop an enrollment plan. Counselor will give students a YVCC Running Start course equivalency enrollment form to complete.

Step 6 Course Selection: Student and parents will select desired courses and alternates for the equivalency form. The Student returns the course equivalency form to the counselor. The counselor will complete the ZHS equivalency information, sign the form, and return to the student to take to YVCC for registration. Also required is the Enrollment Verification Form for FTE counts

Step 7 Orientation and Registration: Students attend their scheduled YVCC orientation, advising and registration meeting. The completed and signed equivalency form is required. This is usually done in mid-May.

Notes to ZHS Families:

YVCC Fall quarter usually begins around September 20 each year. This date is considerably later than the ZHS starting date. Registered student who decide to drop a YVCC class are responsible to complete the necessary paperwork at the college to withdraw. Dropping YVCC courses after the first week of the ZHS semester can cause a student to be less than full time enrolled without options to add courses at ZHS until the next semester.

Each semester YVCC sends an official transcript for each student to ZHS. All YVCC grades earned, as part of Running Start must also be entered on the ZHS transcript.

Seniors must complete all YVCC courses that will be required for graduation by the end of the senior winter semester (March 15). YVCC spring quarter usually ends June 15 and is after ZHS graduation, hence that credit cannot be counted for required credits/classes.)

ZHS-YVCC Running Start

Graduation Requirements and Class Equivalency

This information sheet is designed to help ZHS students in the YVCC Running Start program match YVCC courses with ZHS graduation requirements. If students have specific questions, please contact Mr. Griffin @ ZHS.

A Reminder: All ZHS graduation requirements fulfilled through YVCC-RS need to be completed by the end of the YVCC winter quarter of the Senior year in order to participate in the May/June commencement. This is because YVCC courses in spring quarter classes will not be completed until after the ZHS graduation.

Credit Equivalency

YVCC College Credits	Equal to ZHS High School Credits
1 credit course	.2 credit (approximately a quarter credit)
2 credit course	.4 credit (less than 1 semester)
3 credit course	.6 credit (approximately 1 semester)
4 credit course	.8 credit (approximately 3 quarter credit)
5 credit course	1.0 credit (full year equivalency)

Enrollment Planning

Based on state funding for 1.0 FTE (Full Time Equivalency) per student the following chart shows enrollment options that students can choose each semester at ZHS.

ZHS	YVCC	Total Semester Credits
5 courses (2.5 credits)	0 courses (0 YVCC credits)	2.5 credits
3 courses (1.5 credits)	1 course (5 YVCC credits)	2.5 credits
1 course (.5 credit)	2 courses (10 YVCC credits)	2.5 credits
0 courses (0 credit)	3 courses (15 YVCC credits)	3.0 credits

Students are cautioned to not academically overload themselves. Remember that for each hour in college, plan on 1-2 hours of outside study each night.

COURSE SELECTION: Many students wish to earn not only a High School Diploma, but also an Associate Degree when participating in Running Start. First students must enroll and complete all courses needed for the high school diploma BEFORE the spring semester of the SENIOR year. Most of the courses students select to meet ZHS graduation requirements can also be used for an Associate Degree requirements. Next students may work with the YVCC advisor on picking other courses that will allow them to complete an Associate Degree. Please review a current YVCC catalog for complete course titles and descriptions

YVCC Class Equivalency for Specific ZHS Graduation Requirements (Download a copy here)

High School-Running Start Student Admissions Policies

Information provided by the colleges to the Washington Council for High School/College Relation and can be found at the YVCC Running Start Website www.yvcc.edu/FutureStudents/AcademicOptions/HSS/RunningStart/Pages/University%20Transfer%20Guide.aspx

All public and private colleges in Washington accept college-level academic Running Start credits in a manner consistent with standard transfer equivalency policies. In most cases, credits will transfer.

Generally, students who complete college credit while in high school will apply to four-year colleges and universities as freshmen, and they will receive transfer credit after being admitted to the college. Students must complete the freshmen application requirements including taking the SAT or ACT test, and completing the core high school requirements.

A student who completes an Associate of Arts degree at a community college in Washington will have satisfied, in most cases, all of the general university requirements for the first two years at the public universities in Washington. This is also true for most of the private colleges in the state. Please see an advisor or talk with the transfer school to confirm you have met other requirements. Transfer students with an A.A. degree can usually begin work in their major when they transfer.

Students should find out about specific requirements for admission into individual major departments (School of Engineering, School of Business, etc.) and other specialized departmental requirements. In some majors, e.g. Engineering, it is not possible to meet all the departmental requirements and earn an A.A. degree in two years. In cases like these, it may be more advantageous to meet the departmental requirements rather than the A.A. degree requirements.

Even though YVCC has transfer agreements, it is always advisable to work closely with the four-year colleges and universities for a successful transfer.

A few private colleges do not allow students to receive transfer credit for college classes that were used toward high school graduation requirements. Always check transfer policies carefully and ask a Running Start advisor for help if you have questions.

Memorandum No. 068-09m Secondary Education from Randy I. Dorn, State Superintendent of Public Instruction: This memo is sent to inform students and parents of Dual Credit Program Information for Parents and Students and New Choice Option—College High School Diploma.

During the 2009 Legislative Session, SHB 1758 was adopted requiring that the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the Higher Education Coordinating (HEC) Board develop a set of guidelines for students and parents regarding the possible impact of dual credit program availability.

We want to encourage you to provide each of your high school students and their parents/family members with the information on all dual credit programs including Running Start and college online programs so that they can make informed choices.

Information contained in the booklet entitled “Learning by Choice” covers the three areas of choice, listed below, available to students in question and answer format:

· Family Choice—transferring from the resident school district to another district

· Running Start and college high school diploma program

· Seventh and eighth grade choice

The booklet is posted on the OSPI Web site at www.k12.wa.us/SecondaryEducation/default.aspx

The booklet is provided to answer the most commonly asked questions about the law, as well as about options under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (“Other Enrollment Options and Programs”). Related chapters of the law are included in the back section of the booklet.

New Choice Option—Online Registration Option for College High School Diploma Program for Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Grade Students.

School districts shall provide general information about the college high school diploma program option to all pupils in grades ten, eleven, and twelve and the parents and guardians of those pupils. The notice must include information about the opportunity to enroll in the programs through courses available at community and technical colleges and other state institutions of higher education under RCW 28B.50.535 (SHB 1758).

Important Information to Share with Running Start Parents Any student who is still associated with his or her high school while in Running Start is not eligible for federal or state financial aid, with one exception. Public colleges and universities are permitted, but not required, to offer institutional financial assistance to needy Running Start students.

Basic financial aid eligibility of former Running Start students for federal and state need-based aid is dependent on the student and family’s financial strength, not participation in Running Start. Having earned credits as a Running Start student will, however, affect the length of time a student can continue to receive aid, and the annual maximum award amounts for federal student loan programs.

Tip: Students with questions about the effect of Running Start on their student aid or scholarship packages should always check directly with the college/university’s admissions, financial aid, and scholarship offices.

If you have questions concerning these requirements, contact Dan Newell, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education, by phone at (360) 725-4954 or by e-mail at dan.newell@k12.wa.us. The agency TTY number is (360) 664-3631. This bulletin is also available on the OSPI Web site at www.k12.wa.us/BulletinsMemos/memoranda2009.aspx.