Increasing amounts of U.S. high school students are taking college courses in high school, according to the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships. Western Washington University hopes to be a part of this continued trend by becoming more active in the College in the High School program.
The College in the High School program allows students to take high school classes while earning college credit. High school teachers collaborate with university professors to effectively teach college courses. Universities must comply with National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships standards to be part of the program to ensure these courses maintain the same university-level rigor and quality.
The advantage for universities offering the program is reimbursement from the state government due to Senate Bill 5048, which enables the College in the High School program to be offered at no cost to students involved.
According to a PowerPoint given at the WWU senate meeting, Western is currently planning to offer eight courses with 16 sections in the 2024 -2025 school year to six different high schools in Whatcom County and the greater areas in the state. The hope is in the upcoming years to offer double these programs to the high school students in Washington, according to updates from the Western faculty senate. The expectation is this program will increase higher education enrollment and allow high school students to build confidence in taking courses of university-level quality.
The outcome of a program like this can be highly beneficial for all students, especially in the preparation for long-term success in higher education, said Jason Taylor, associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Utah.
“The research is pretty overwhelming that Dual Enrollment programs help increase college access and success,” Taylor said. “Students who take college courses in high school are more likely to go to college, and they're more likely to complete college once they're in college.”
Nicole Haberl, a second-year biochemistry major at Western, has been a part of the program at her high school.
“It makes college seem a little bit more within reach. I know a lot of people can feel college is different than high school, and it bridged that gap,” Haberl said.
Running Start requires students to travel to the college, and Advanced Placement courses require students pass the AP tests. College in the High School avoids these issues.
“I like it. I like it better than Dual Enrollment or Running Start. Didn't have a car, so I couldn't have that option and get college credit still,” said Jan Chan, a third-year energy, science, and technology major at Western. “Being physically in high school is nice.”
College in the High School can be an option for students who struggle with the major problems encountered with other credit-earning programs, said Rathi Sudhakara, an associate director for strategies and partnerships of the Washington Student Achievement Council.
“There are definitely some barriers, especially for our rural and small schools, to offer some of these programs, so that can be an equity issue,” Sudhakara said. “We at the state level are continuously working to make these accessible across all schools in the state.”
Jaimee Wacker (she/her) is a campus life reporter for The Front. She is a visual journalism major. Outside of The Front, she can be found making videos and interacting with the many ethnic student clubs here at Western. You can reach her at jaimee.thefront@gmail.com.
