Follow-Up on AP Thread
"And...a friend just told me that her daughter, a junior in the fall, has already taken all of the AP classes Franklin has to offer. With many colleges using AP classes as admittance markers, we can't afford to have any student who wants to attend college unable to take AP classes at their school.
People keep talking about running start...but, it is not free, nor am I ready to have my 16-17-yr-old sitting in a class with college-age young men. And, I'd like her to get to experience the social aspects of high school: dances, student clubs, etc."
My son did Running Start (in the evenings rather than during the day) and it was a great experience. However, it is a challenge to work it in and I'd bet it's harder for kids who try to make classes during the day. (High schools lose money when these students leave campus so I think there are mixed feelings there. Additionally, it adds in time to move from school to school with the problems of mixing in at high school. My experience is the many kids in Running Start are not really interested in high school activities anyway but I'm sure that isn't always true.)
One other option is UW in the High School program which I hadn't heard of before. From the UW webpage:
"Through the UW in the High School program, high school students can complete University of Washington courses - and earn UW credit - in their own classrooms with their own teachers. Students and teachers use the UW curriculum, activities, texts, tests and grading scales. Students earn a final grade over time; a grade does not depend on one exam. And students receive recognition for their UW work at most public institutions and many private ones.
The program gives those students who are unsure about their readiness for higher education the chance to experience university-level work in a familiar environment. The program also can help strengthen upper-division high school offerings, and establishes a collaborative relationship between the UW and high schools.
Courses currently available include writing in comparative literature, English composition; French, German, Spanish and Japanese; mathematics; astronomy; and earth science. UWHS will add history and information technology for the 2006-2007 school year."
This sounds like a swell idea; problem is it's only offered thru Roosevelt and Ballard. However, other students can access the program through UW Online Learning.
Comments
That does sound like an incredible program, but it's a shame it is not offered at more/all of the high schools. At the very least it would be nice if it were offered at least at one school in each quadrant.
South Seattle Community College is offering one year of free classes to seniors at Cleveland High School -- part of an effort to make college more affordable for low-income families.
They're calling the free tuition the "13th Year Scholarship,". About 40 students -- almost half of Cleveland's graduating class -- have taken South Seattle up on the offer, according to a release from the college.
The scholarships will be paid for by the South Seattle Community College Foundation.
Here are some other services offered to south end schools, that I have not seen in the north end. Some are support services and some are college prep type programs, like Rainier Scholars.
Here are a few that you can check out:
Gear Up, AVID, Urban League Scholars, CAN, Read 180, Team lead, project lead the way, Hero program, Upward bound, Rainier Scholars, Steps Ahead, and Mesa (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement).
Tech Prep
A dual-credit national educational program, Tech Prep awards community college workforce educational credit by recognizing comparable learning in the high school. Tech Prep Seattle is a partnership between the Seattle Community Colleges and Seattle Public Schools. It is designed for high school students who plan a career that will require an Associate of Applied Science degree from a community college. Students should contact an advisor to see if their high school learning can qualify them for Tech Prep college credit. For more information, call Seattle Community Colleges Tech Prep at (206) 903-3222. < LESS
Educational Talent Search
This program serves 600 students from middle and high school in south and west Seattle. Students explore their options for colleges, universities, training programs and future careers. The program provides academic support, test preparation assistance, personal counseling, academic advising, and cultural activities. ETS provides students with opportunities to visit colleges and offers assistance in applying for college, financial aid and scholarships. < LESS
Upward Bound
Upward Bound, a program funded by the Department of Education, provides high school students with services that support higher academic performance during high school. The goal is to maximize students’ potential for college enrollment. The program includes spending six weeks on campus at either North or South during the summer for intensive academic and college preparatory activities. North Seattle Community College hosts 50 high school students from four area high schools: Franklin, Roosevelt, Summit K-12, and Indian Heritage Middle College. South Seattle Community College hosts 50 high school students with disadvantaged backgrounds from Evergreen High School and Tyee High School.
And here are some more:
Making the Connections, IGNITE (Inspiring Girls Now in Technology Evolution), ACE mentor program (Architecture, Construction and Engineering), Leaders in Process (LIP), Black Achiever, and START (Skills, Training, Art, Recreation and Technology).
We live in the NE cluster. Exactly 2.8 miles away from Roosevelt, and don't have a shot at getting into the school. So, even having this program located in a school right down the road, it doesn't help us at all. Nor will it help many other families in the NE cluster.
Melissa...do you know how Ballard and Roosevelt came to have the UW program? How is it funded? It must cost something since it involves a teacher and classroom. Was it initiated by the school staff or did the District place it there?
baseballfan...I know that at least some of the programs you listed as available only in the southend are also ONLY for students of color and/or low income. Students from middle-income and/or caucasian families have less options. It would be great to see the options and requirements listed on the various schools' websites to help parents make informed decisions when choosing a high school.
Why do parents have to be detectives and go through every schools website or attend every open house just to find out bits and pieces of info?
1. Creates dissatisfaction among schools with less equity in their offerings.
2. With public knowledge, the community can actually mobilize and demand change because school (public) resources are to be distributed equitably under the purview as an entrusted public entity.
3. No one in this town will stand-up and say this is not acceptable and we will not let this happen.... and actually does something about the raging inequities!
It's easier to passive-aggressively complain in a blog from the comfort zone of your sofa... and continue to not ask for change. How comfortable are you knowing that we are all responsible for this inequity?