Running Start Program

Running Start is a program offered by the Issaquah School District where 11th- and 12th-grade students can take college classes at a community college to complete high school graduation requirements while earning college credits at the same time. This program is available to any high school juniors or seniors in the District.

Cultural Bridges invited former Liberty High School student, Anna Anderson, and fresh Issaquah High School graduate, Bradyn Eldridge, to share their Running Start experience with students and parents who might consider this program as one of their options.

Anna Anderson: For the Running Start program, you can do either part-time or full-time. If you do full-time, you don’t need to go to your high school at all during the school day. You will go to the community college where you are taking the Running Start classes at and take all your classes there. If you do part-time, you would go to your high school to take some of your high school classes and go to the community college for the other classes. Every quarter you meet with your high school counselor and get a form, which you have to turn in to the community college (this is easy). I liked this program a lot and benefitted a lot from it.

Bradyn Eldridge: It depends on what you want to do with the Running Start program. Some students take it with the intention of earning their associate’s degree (full-time Running Start) and other kids just take a class or two to start earning college credits. Not many of them actually get their associate’s degree in Running Start because it's a full-time commitment. Basically, the last two years I have only taken one class at IHS, Advanced Sports Medicine. I attended college classes at Bellevue College in the morning and then go to IHS for Sports Medicine at the end of the day. Credits towards high school graduation are different in Running Start. For example, one class of English at Bellevue College is equal to one year of high school English credit. I needed at least 3 years of a foreign language in high school for my college applications. I took Chinese I and II in my freshman and sophomore year at IHS and only took one quarter of Chinese III at Bellevue College, which equaled a year of high school foreign language class and made up my 3-year of foreign language requirement in a shorter time period. I really liked this program because I had a goal in mind. I set out to earn my associate’s degree. I admittedly had to learn some time management skills, which I didn't learn in high school. I had a difficult professor one quarter and I learned a big lesson about managing my time wisely the hard way! I would rather learn that lesson now!

Benefits of participating

AA: You basically get two years of free college (still have to pay for books and other fees but tuition is covered). You get college credit early and can potentially graduate from high school with an associate’s degree. This can also mean that you have more time in the day to do something like having a job. Get away from the high school environment if you don’t thrive there, as well as good practice for going to university if that’s what you want to do. Last, you can have more classes and club options.

BE: The state of Washington pays for me to take college classes! In the fall I am attending the University of WisconsinMadison. The cost of attendance is about 60K a year. Since I did the Running Start program in high school and earned my associate’s degree (and some extra college credits on top of that), I will start as a college junior. I am pre-med and that savings alone will be huge with all of the years of learning ahead of me! On top of that, Running Start gives me a literal "running start" for college-level coursework. I think for some students, Running Start gives them a chance to take classes they couldn't take in high school and find areas of interest they never imagined.

Things to consider

AA: Not all colleges accept the college credit (most do, but you have to check with the college you want to go to). Even if you still can participate in high school activities if you want, you get disconnected from the high school and this is a downside. The different break time between high school and community college can cause problems if you do parttime Running Start program. You need to have your own transportation to the community college by either driving or taking public transportation. Keep in mind that these grades will follow you to the university; so if you don’t do well during your time in Running Start, this could cause problems in the future.

BE: If you are really involved in programs at the high school and want a "full" high school experience this may not be the route for you. I was fortunate that the only class I wanted to take at IHS was Advanced Sports Med. Running Start is a commitment but it's also a great "running start" for college-bound students or students who want to earn their associate’s degree and high school diploma at the same time.

Steve L. Kent, a previous Running Start program instructor who taught English Composition at Bellevue College, gave us his perspective and provided some useful advice: “Running Start is a great way for students to finish high school and begin college simultaneously, but it has its pitfalls. When I taught English at Bellevue College, I had lots of Running Start students. Many were absolutely ready for college. They studied hard, attended classes, turned in their assignments, and passed with excellent grades. However, there are also many of my Running Start students who treated college the way they treated high school, skipping classes and slugging homework assignments. I had to flunk a few Running Start students every semester because of that.

Also, ESL students will need to be able to read and speak proficiently. In my experience, a noticeable percentage of Running Start students bring high school habits like trying to bargain for grades instead of earning them to the program. You may beg for grades at Bellevue College and sometimes you even get them, but those tactics backfire at institutions like the University of Washington." For more information, visit: www.issaquah.wednet.edu/ district/departments/high-schooleducation/RS.