Section 3
Running Start Program: Questions & Answers

Other (O)

OQ-1: Under Running Start, is it the college or the high school/school district that determines if a college course is vocational and can a vocational education course be reimbursed to K-12 under Running Start?

Ans: There is no clear answer to the first half of the question, but state budget language does authorize the Superintendent of Public Instruction to approve secondary vocational offerings for purposes of receiving vocational education funding. The answer to the second half of the question is yes; the vocational education enhancement is funded under Running Start.

OQ-2: If a student has completed graduation requirements, but has not yet graduated, and drops out of any courses being taken through Running Start, is the student considered truant? (See also Eligibility Q-9)

Ans: Technically, meeting graduation requirements with or without a diploma satisfies the compulsory attendance requirement.

OQ-3: Can a student withdraw from a class taken through Running Start without the permission of the high school or school district?

Ans: Technically, yes, but there needs to be coordination, and perhaps enrollment in high school to avoid being truant.

OQ-4: Can a high school or school district impose a sequence requirement on Running Start students?

Ans: A rational course sequence requirement could be imposed as long as it applied to all high school students.

OQ-5: Can a high school that operates a seven-period schedule convert one period to allow the offering of college courses under Running Start and still claim a full FTE amount of funding under the basic education funding formula, and can the participating college claim a full or partial FTE for students enrolled in a course through Running Start under this scenario?

Ans: The course cannot, for funding purposes, be both a basic education offering and a college course for Running Start. It is conceivable that both regular high school courses, and Running Start courses, could be offered at different times on a high school campus, and separately generate basic education allocation (BEA) and Running Start funding. However, the conduct of the courses by the high school and by a college or university should be demonstrably separate and distinct.

OQ-6: Who is responsible for covering the costs associated with ADA / section 504 accommodations for Running Start students?

Ans: The college.

OQ-7: Who is responsible for covering the costs associated with special education services that are outlined in a student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP)?

Ans: Generally, high schools are responsible for providing or paying for the services outlined in an IEP. Colleges and high schools should work together to ensure that students’ needs are being met.

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