1. EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS

2. RUNNING START  Opportunity for students to earn high school credits and college credits simultaneously  Students must be junior or senior to participate  Requires responsibility and self-motivation to be successful  Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA  School district pays for tuition cost – up to 15 credits per quarter  Student is responsible for costs of parking, books and additional fees  Transportation is not provided

3. RUNNING START PROS  Students may earn high school and college credit  Students may earn an AA degree in 2 years  Free tuition  Flexibility in schedule allows for part-time work  Students have opportunity to take courses not offered in high school CONS  Transportation is not provided  Not all students are ready for the less-structured setting of college  Universities outside of Washington may not accept college credits earned  Counselor and parents do not have access to student’s grades or attendance  Students may feel “left out” of social activities at high school

4. WANIC PROGRAM  WANIC – Washington Network for Innovative Careers  Program that prepares high school students for post-secondary education and successful entry into high-demand careers  Provides an opportunity for students to get hands-on experience  Students must be juniors or seniors to participate  Transportation is not provided  Tuition is paid by school district, but additional fees, cost of parking and books must be paid by student  Some career programs may require long traveling distances

5. WANIC COURSES  Dental Careers  DigiPen Animation  DigiPen Robotics  DigiPen Video Game Programming  Fire and EMS  Health Science Careers  Culinary Arts  Automotive Technology

6. ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) COURSES  Advanced Placement courses provide students the opportunity to earn college credit during high school  Students take exam in May – scores of 3, 4 or 5 may earn college credit (varies from college to college)  Advanced Placement courses are standardized across the nation – colleges recognize the rigor  Students are encouraged to enroll in AP courses in subjects that they are passionate about  Students are encouraged to talk with their families, current teachers and counselor before committing to AP courses

7. CHOICES, CHOICES, CHOICES…. Good Choice  I enjoy the subject matter  I am academically strong in the subject  I want to learn more about the subject  I feel that the course is beneficial to my future  I am self-motivated and responsible  I have openly talked through my choices with my family, teachers and counselor Not-So-Good Choice  I am taking the course to be with my friends  I feel like I will be a failure if I do not follow the same path as others  I am not passionate about the subject  I have a hard time completing my homework on time and keeping up in my class  I want to drop the course after the 1 st semester

8. HOW DO STUDENTS REGISTER? RUNNING START Attend an informational session at the college Apply to college Make appointment to take COMPASS test Make appointment with school counselor to get courses mapped out WANIC Ask for more information from school counselor or career specialist Apply to program Make appointment with counselor to get schedule set AP COURSES Read course descriptions in from course catalog Discuss with family, current teachers and counselor Register online to take the course for the next school year Register to take AP exam (students are given information during the class)

9. IS RUNNING START THE RIGHT CHOICE? Things to consider….  Does student have reliable transportation?  Is student responsible? (meaning… student turns in assignments on time without the teacher nagging, always comes to class prepared and studies for tests on own)  Is student ready to be away from social circle in high school and be on their own on a college campus?  Does student have long-term career goals in mind that he/she could work toward?  Has student talked this over with family and counselor to be sure that they are considering all factors and making the right choice?

10. IS THE WANIC PROGRAM THE RIGHT CHOICE? Things to consider….  Does student have reliable transportation?  Is student responsible?  Does student have specific career goals in mind that he/she would like to “try out” while in high school?  Is student on track to graduate and in good credit standing?  Has student talked this over with family, the career specialists and school counselor to be sure it is the right decision?

11. ARE ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES THE RIGHT CHOICE? Things to consider…..  Choose AP courses in subjects that are interesting to student  Choose AP courses in subjects that will be beneficial to long-term career goals  Choose AP courses in subjects where student is academically capable  Carefully choose AP courses based on what is right for the individual student and not his/her friends  Discuss decisions with family, current teachers and school counselor

12. THERE ARE MANY ROADS TO TAKE  The bottom line is – there is no right or wrong pathway, just many different avenues to reach the same destination  Each student should choose what is right for him/her, and it will most likely be different from their friends  The goal of having multiple programs available to students is to find a way to foster learning in every student  Carefully consider all options and make the best choice for YOU  Remember to factor in sports, social time, obligations at home, part time jobs, community work, etc.  Think through all pros and cons of choice and then SLEEP ON IT before making a final decision!