Running Start is an amazing program in Washington State. If you haven’t heard of it, it allows kids in their final two years of high school to attend college tuition-free, getting a jump start on their college and career goals while finishing high school at the same time.
Kids that participate in the program can actually finish high school with their Associate’s Degree in hand – how cool is that?!?
And while this program is widely available to any youth who qualifies, it’s important to understand that enrollment isn’t a guarantee. Many parents plan for their child to take advantage of this program once they enter their junior year of high school, only to discover aren’t adequately prepared and don’t get accepted.
This post is sponsored by Renton Prep Christian School.
If you want your child to participate in Running Start, preparation starts well in advance of their high school years. Here’s how to make sure they’re ready.
Encourage advanced Math and English classes. To qualify for Running Start classes, students must test into college-level English and Math. This means your child should be performing at the academic level of a high school graduate when they finish their sophomore year of high school. This doesn’t happen overnight – the best way for them to be ready for Running Start is to consistently encourage academic excellence from the time they’re young. Have them take advanced classes when possible to effectively prepare them for the college placement exam.
Help them develop good study habits. College is different than high school. Students are expected to manage their time differently, prepare for large projects without continual prompting from their instructor, and study independently. Help your student understand their personal habits and how they learn best. Teach them to use a personal planner, block time, set boundaries with friends, make a private study space, or access computer labs. These habits should be well-established prior to beginning Running Start to help them be successful.
Teach self-advocacy. In addition to independent learning is the responsibility for individual advocacy. Teach your student how to ask their teacher when they need additional instruction, respectfully advocate for themselves if they believe an error has been made, and to recognize the difference between their own poor planning vs. legitimate reasons if they find themselves needing to ask for a deadline extension. Though they are still high-school age, your student should be operating completely independently of you in their college classes. You should not be contacting their teacher or advisor on their behalf (in fact, it is illegal for them to share any information with you). Work with them as early as elementary school to learn how to self-advocate and not rely on your assistance in difficult situations.
Help them solidify long-term career goals. Your student will only be motivated to successfully do the extra work expected in college if they see how it fits within the larger context of their life goals. Otherwise, it won’t make sense to them. Nothing is more difficult than helping your child find their direction, but have conversations early and often about their intended career, encourage them to do research around advancement trajectories and salary expectations, and give them opportunities to expand their horizons. Their ultimate goal may change during their college years (and that’s okay and also expected), but sending them off to college without a long-term plan is setting them up for failure. Education for education’s sake doesn’t magically morph into a career trajectory. Research, curiosity, and hard work does.
Help them develop stress management skills. College is stressful. The work is more rigorous, the content moves faster, and the expectations are higher. Youth need to have sold coping mechanisms to deal with the increased workload and stress. Help them develop these skills over time by allowing them to feel the weight of challenges in their life. Don’t try to shield them from stressful situations or to take pain away when they experience it. Instead, teach them how to work through it and develop self-awareness and stress management solutions that work for them.
Teach them independence. Kids in Running Start are responsible for getting themselves to and from their classes every day. They will no longer have the luxury of a school bus (unless they have an IEP that explicitly provides for this), and parents shouldn’t be expected to be their full-time chauffeurs. Raise your child with the expectation that they need to learn how to be independent, take public transportation if they’re not going to be driving, and how to problem-solve when issues arise.
Plan for expenses. Free college is an amazing opportunity. However, there are some additional expenses associated with college like lab fees, textbooks, and technology access costs that you can expect to pay for. Comparatively, these costs are minimal in light of the tuition costs that are waived as part of the Running Start program. However, just be aware that there will be some out-of-pocket expenses and plan accordingly.
Running Start is a fantastic way to accelerate your child’s future, but it takes a fair amount of preparation to make sure your child is ready to take advantage of it when they reach their junior year of high school.
At Renton Prep Christian School, we believe that high expectations encourage high achievement. That’s why our entire high school program was specifically designed to accelerate your child’s academic performance and prepare them to launch into early college entry through Running Start.
Contact us today to see how we can partner with you to prepare your child for their best possible future!
