Running Start

What is Running Start? An opportunity to earn College Credit and High School credit at the same time. Requirements: Must be a high school junior or senior to participate Must be enrolled in a public high school Must pass an Accuplacer test ($26.00) or qualify based on GPA, grades, test scores etc. Must meet all program deadlines Cost: Local school district pays the tuition up to 15 credits (based on credits approved on verification form) Students pay for books, class & student fees, and parking

How does it work? Students may attend RS full time or part time. Students indicate an interest in Running Start in the spring. Students attend the information session at BC and complete all of the registration steps. Students schedule a meeting with the counselor to plan schedule in May. One 5-credit college course is equal to one year of the high school level course. Student must take district required classes (more on this later).

Is Running start right for you? Are you excited about academic challenges? Do you consider yourself more mature than most high school students? Are you comfortable with diverse situations? Can you be assertive and ask for help on a large college campus? Have you done well in previous academic work? Are high school activities important to you?

BENEFITS of Running Start Free college tuition! Advanced course work and academic challenge Variety in course selection (foreign languages, sciences, astronomy with a real planetarium, etc) Flexible schedule (can take up to 15 credits in each of 3 quarters) Develop independence Make connections with college faculty A new social environment

Challenges of Running Start Scheduling challenges Must meet high school graduation requirements- specific classes required at BC as well. Parents have limited control Transfer credit issues- can be a problem at private schools and universities in other states Books, fees and transportation costs- can be a few hundred dollars per quarter Fast paced (10 week classes= 1 full credit) and time demands of college studies

More Challenges State testing – Smarter Balanced ELA, Math and BIO at Newport A new social environment and age diversity Harm to your college and high school transcript by doing poorly More and more classes are online Conflicting vacations- different spring breaks, no Feb break Sports

BC Running Start Academic Policy BC requires all students to maintain a 2.00 GPA (“C” average) If your GPA for one quarter is below a 2.00, you will be placed on academic probation. Running Start students who achieve below a 2.00 GPA for ANY TWO QUARTERS will become ineligible to participate in the program. 15 credit limit per quarter or ( 1.2 FTE) between NHS and BC.

Newport HS classes HS FTE BC Min./Max credits = 0.0 15-15 1 0.18 13-15 2 0.36 10-12 3 0.54 7-9 4 0.72 5-6 5 0.90 3-4 6 1.0 0-3 7 8

BSD Running Start Policy Students must enroll during the BC enrollment period during the spring prior to the first fall quarter After Newport starts, NO NHS classes will be dropped to accommodate RS. After BC starts, NO NHS classes will be ADDED for credit. Students must turn in signed BSD Running Start contract to counselor prior to enrollment. Students must make an appointment with his/her NHS counselor before each quarter’s registration date (we may not be able to meet with you if you just show up).

Next Steps….for NHS students Attend a BC info session Complete on-line running start application for BC by May 13 Receive a BC id number & take the Accuplacer placement assessment or other options. Complete pre-orientation Canvas class Complete Enrollment Verification form and BSD Running Start Contract to NHS counselor & turn in to BC by May 31st for your fall quarter schedule. Attend future mandatory BC registration meeting. (May 19-June 17)

Placement Options Accuplacer High school cumulative GPA of 3.0 Smarter Balance ELA score of 3 or 4 ELA and Math grades from Newport, see below (see your counselor for chart) ie.- American Lit, grade of B = English 101 Ie.- AP Lang – score of 3 or grade of B= Eng. 101, score of 4 or 5 = Eng. 201

Questions? Contact your NHS counselor BC website: http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/runningstart