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How Running Start
Works
The “Learning by Choice” legislation
clearly puts students and parents in the driver’s seat when it
comes todeciding if a student will participate in Running Start. There
is no state-mandated performance requirement in high school that prevents
a junior or senior from participating. Families who decide that Running
Start is a good option for their students can go directly to their local
community or technical college to see if they
qualify for participation. Each college determines if a student has
the skills and knowledge needed to take college-level classes. Colleges
use the regular admissions procedures that are used for all students.
Typically, this means that colleges use a commercially developed, nationally
normed placement test to determine if a student is prepared for college-level
course work.
Running Start does not fund any pre-college
course work. If students are not ready for college-level work, they
are encouraged to return to their high school for further preparation.
Once it has been determined that students
are prepared for college-level course work, students enroll for college
courses that they attend in a class with other adult learners. Some
Running Start students choose to take just one class at the college
and do the rest of their work at the high school. Others elect to attend
college full-time. Most students do some combination of these two options.
While in college, Running Start students
earn both college and high school credits. The entire college catalog
of courses is available to Running Start students, including electives,
vocational, online and advanced course work.
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