The Running Start program was enacted by the Washington State Legislature in 1990 to allow eleventh or twelfth grade students to enroll in courses at local community or technical colleges. The cost for the Running Start program, including tuition costs for participating students, is deducted from high school funding by the State and forwarded to local community colleges and technical schools. Students are responsible for books, supplies, lab and parking fees, and transportation.

To qualify for the Running Start program a student must demonstrate skills that allow him/her to be successful in college level classes. Students interested in taking classes at the Community College through Running Start must take the Compass Test and score at college level in Reading, Writing and/or Math.

Once a student qualifies for Running Start s/he makes a decision about how many classes will be taken at the college and how many will be taken at high school. Courses taken at the community or technical college are counted toward high school graduation requirements. Students may construct a schedule that meets their individual needs. A release form must be completed by the high school counselor and turned in at the community college before the student registers for college classes.

Deadlines for the Running Start program are strictly enforced. Check with your high school counselor or the college you attend for specific dates.

Community college credits earned are transferable to public colleges and universities in the state. Policies of state independent universities vary, from Seattle University’s policy that essentially reflects the policy of the public universities, to University of Puget Sound’s policy that will not assign college credit to any course which may have been available to students at their high school. For example, if a student takes Math 102 (Pre-Calculus) through Running Start, UPS will not award college credit because other students from the same high school may have taken Pre-Calculus at the high school. Out-of-state universities’ policies also vary.

Running Start students are responsible for having a college transcript forwarded to their high school at the end of each college quarter. A five-credit college course equals 1.0 high school credit with a three-credit course equaling 0.6 high school credit. Each one credit at the college level equals 0.2 credit at the high school level.

Running Start grades are posted to the high school transcript using the Bethel School District grading scale. A five credit college course will have the same effect on a student’s cumulative grade point average as a 1.0 credit high school course.

Students who wish to drop a Running Start class will need to notify their high school counselor and the Running Start coordinator.

Is Running Start Right For Me?

• Benefits of Running Start Students may take courses at the college that are not offered at the high school.
• Students may take courses that exceed the academic level at the high school.
• Students who are not comfortable in a high school setting but who are responsible, capable students may benefit from the college setting.
• Students earn tuition-free college credit therefore, getting a head start on their college degree.
• Vocational programs available at community and technical colleges are accessible to Running Start students, providing some opportunities not available in the school district.

Limitations of Running Start

• Parents do not have access to information about student progress from community college instructors. The community college instructor does not know which student in class is a Running Start student and since college students are almost always over age 18, communication remains strictly between the student and instructor. The high school does not have the ability to monitor progress of students until grades are turned in at the end of each quarter.
• Students often underestimate the amount of work involved in a college course. A textbook which will be covered at the high school over the course of two semesters will be covered in a college course during a ten-week period. While some courses will not require daily homework assignments, the reading for a college course far outweighs the lack of “homework”.
• The community college “quarter” does not coincide perfectly with the high school “semester”. Graduation for seniors takes place before the end of the community college spring quarter. This situation can create many complications for Running Start students who need a spring quarter class to graduate from high school. Furthermore specific high school subjects required for graduation may not be available at the college forcing students to take part of their schedule at the high school. Running Start students frequently find they must drive to two schools each day in order to meet graduation requirements and access the benefits of Running Start.
• The expense of participation in Running start can be considerable even though the cost of tuition is covered by the program. (Text books alone can cost hundreds of dollars a quarter and costs related to transportation are usually much higher than would be the case for the average high school student.)
• Academically talented students should not consider dropping an Advanced Placement (AP) course to take a similar course at the community college. AP classes are made up of groups of all academically talented students with a teacher focused on providing coursework at their level.
• Community college classes are made up of a variety of students from various backgrounds, some right out of high school, some returning to school after a number of years, some simply taking courses for advancement in a career. The community college instructor must teach a course that meets a variety of needs. Most students report that the more challenging program is the AP program.
• Running Start students must be mature and have a strong work ethic. Attendance and achievement are not monitored during the quarter but a student must demonstrate successful accomplishment in Running Start courses to remain in the program.
• Sometimes high school students miss the social aspect of high school when they enter Running Start. High School provides many social experiences that are not as accessible at the community college.