Running Start Program

Steilacoom High School’s Running Start Program expands the educational opportunities of high school students who are juniors and seniors. Students may take college-level courses while still in high school and earn high school and college credit. The student enrolls simultaneously in high school and college classes (or solely in college classes) for the purpose of earning credit to be awarded by the high school toward graduation and college credit. Courses can be taken during fall, winter, and spring quarters only. Summer quarter is not eligible. Students from Steilacoom HS typically enroll at Pierce Community College, but they may also take classes at Tacoma Community College, Clover Park Technical College and South Puget Sound Community College

Running Start Information

Running Start Guidance

Traditionally, the decision to attend Running Start is made in the spring prior to the start of Junior or Senior year. Students must complete all the steps (including meeting with their high school counselor for the Fall Enrollment Verification Form) before the end of the school year of the year prior. Please note that counselors are not contracted to work over the summer; therefore, they are not available to give EVFs over the summer.

SHS Running Start Enrollment Process Presentation 2023

Steps to Enroll in Running Start (NEW RS STUDENTS)

Apply to the college: https://www.pierce.ctc.edu/get-started
Follow the steps found in your welcome email from Pierce College.
- Activate your CTC Link Account.
- Complete The New Student Guide.
  - Students complete their Guided Self Placement (GSP) within The New Student Guide.
Student and families are to review Pierce College Running Start 2023 Presentation.
Student and parent/guardian will need to thoroughly read and sign Running Start Contract.
Make an appointment with your SHS counselor for your Enrollment Verification Form (EVF).
- Bring a copy or email a copy of your signed Running Start contract and your GSP results to your counselor.
- Come to the appointment knowing what classes (if any) you will be taking at SHS in the fall.
Once you receive your EVF...
- You must email the EVF to: EVF@pierce.ctc.edu
- The initial registration for new Pierce College students is at the end of May. It’s recommended that students complete everything well in advance.
  - You will need to pay tuition if this step is skipped!!!
Follow the steps from Pierce College to make an appointment with your Pierce Advisor to register for classes. Refer to the email from Pierce College on how to make an appointment with your Pierce Advisor. This is sent after you complete your New Student Guide/Intake.

Information to Consider

Running Start is a year-long commitment. Transferring back to high school mid-year is challenging and may impact the student’s ability to graduate on time.
Colleges are on quarter systems, which means the schedule does not align with SHS semester system. Holidays and vacation periods differ. Students will be expected to attend class at the college even though their high school is not in session and vice versa. Be careful planning must occur in order to avoid conflicts.
Colleges do not provide progress reports, grades on-line or attendance notification. Students are expected to monitor and manage their own progress and performance and initiate accurate communication with their guardians. It is recommended families ask their students weekly about their college grades. SHS counselors also do not receive student progress information from the colleges until after the final grades are posted.
Students are responsible for paying for college fees, books, computer fees, campus parking, gas, supplies, and other related costs.
Students must provide their own transportation to the community college.
College courses’ pace is typically much faster and more rigorous than high school courses. They typically require approximately two hours of homework for each hour of class and there is usually no classroom time provided for homework or homework correction. Each quarter at the community college is equal to one full school year at the high school per course. For example, English 101 is 5 college credits (at Pierce). English 101 (5 credits) = Junior English 1.0 High School Credit
If students are taking classes at SHS and the community college, students must schedule their college courses around their high school courses.
Courses taken through Running Start at the community college are transcribed both on their high school transcript and college transcript. Grades posted become a permanent record and will transfer to future colleges.
If students are working towards their associate’s degree, they are responsible for navigating both high school graduation requirements and associate’s degree requirements. SHS counselors are available to support students with high school requirements, while the community college advisors are the students' support for associate’s degree requirements.

Community College Information

Students eligible for Running Start include any registered at a public high school in Washington State, including a person who is otherwise attending a private school or receiving home-based instruction, who meets each of the following conditions:

The person is under the age of twenty-one at the beginning of the school year (September 1 through August 31st).
The person is eligible by reason of his or her residence or admission under the law to enroll in the school district through which the person seeks to obtain high school credit towards graduation.
The person is determined to be in the 11th or 12th grade. This includes completion of all 9th and 10th grade graduation requirements, 12 credits and has met the college Guided Self Placement requirements to enroll in a college-level course.

Students and their families are well-advised to give careful consideration to the appropriateness of the program before enrolling. Those students interested in enrolling must follow the enrollment guidelines:

A student must be registered at a high school to take part in any Running Start courses. A student must be a junior or senior.
A student must have prior approval and a credit check from the high school counselor before beginning classes at a community or technical college if they are planning to use those classes for high school credit.
A student enrolled in a Running Start program may also continue to enroll in a high school program.
The intent of the Running Start program is for students to meet the high school graduation requirements by or before their regularly scheduled date for graduation, not just to collect college credit.
Graduation requirements for completing a high school diploma are established by the school district, and students must consult with their high school counselor to identify how college courses will apply toward graduation. This is reviewed each quarter when the Enrollment Verification form is completed.
Effective as of June 2011, the amount of college credit that a student can take each quarter is dependent upon the number of classes a student is taking at their home high school. Any credits taken beyond the parameters are paid for by the student.
All Running Start courses must be college level courses (100 level or above). High school completion courses (below 100 level) are not eligible for Running Start funding.
All Running Start students must meet with their high school counselor prior to registering for courses each quarter to complete a quarterly Enrollment Verification Form (EVF) which reports enrollment data and guides students toward the college course equivalencies needed to fulfill graduation requirements at the high school. This form is then reviewed by the college advisor to assure that course options are selected that also meet the student’s college requirements.

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