Advanced Classes That Stand Out

November 2003
If you're heading to college, experts say it's best to take the most advanced classes you can handle. But there are many different types, and they aren't all regarded equally by area college-admissions directors.

At the top of the list are the International Baccalaureate program and the College Board's Advanced Placement classes.

Next come honors or advanced classes offered by each school.

Lower still: The state's Running Start program, which allows high-school students to take community-college classes.

Here's a closer look at the programs:

International Baccalaureate program: IB is still uncommon in this state, although its popularity is growing. Thirteen schools in Washington offer the rigorous college-prep program, all but four of them in the greater Puget-Sound area. Here are the schools, followed by the school district in parentheses: Edmonds-Woodway (Edmonds); Henry Foss (Tacoma); Inglemoor (Northshore); Ingraham (Seattle); Interlake (Bellevue); Kent-Meridian (Kent); Mount Rainier (Highline); Skyline (Issaquah); Thomas Jefferson (Federal Way).

Three middle schools are offering IB's Middle-Years Programme, or studying the possibility: Harbour Pointe Middle School (Mukilteo); Highland Middle School (Bellevue); and Kenmore Junior High (Northshore).

The high-school program allows students to earn college credit and a diploma recognized by colleges and universities around the world. Schools must undergo a rigorous self-study, counseling and inspection to gain approval by the International Baccalaureate Organisation in Switzerland. Worldwide, there are 1,464 schools offering IB programs in 115 countries.

The program is a comprehensive, two-year curriculum for juniors and seniors emphasizing humanities and sciences and requiring students to be involved in theater, sports or community service. Students must take a variety of courses and study certain subjects in greater depth. They also study a second language and take a Theory of Knowledge course to reflect on and analyze what they are learning.

IB examiners and classroom teachers work together on grading. Students are tested using a variety of methods. To receive a diploma, students must meet certain standards, complete a 4,000-word essay and score well on IB exams given in May.

In addition to helping students get into college, the IB diploma can translate into college credit or advanced standing. And even students who take individual IB classes without participating in the full program can receive college credit.

For more information: http://www.ibo.org/.

Advanced Placement classes: AP classes are taught at 83 of the region's high schools, including 65 of the 68 public high schools and 18 of the 31 private high schools.

The AP program is administered by the College Board, a nonprofit company that also administers the SAT, in a cooperative effort with high schools and colleges. Yearlong AP courses are available in 24 subjects, though most high schools offer a half-dozen subjects or less.

Teachers follow an AP-produced booklet outlining the content and approximate percentage of time devoted to each topic. Many also attend workshops to learn more about how to teach an AP class. In May, both AP and non-AP students may take exams, which usually include multiple-choice questions, problem-solving and short- and long-answer essay questions. The tests are graded by high-school teachers and college professors around the country.

Exams are graded on a 1-to-5 scale; 5 means a student is extremely well qualified. Most colleges and universities give students credit if they score at least a 3, which is considered qualified. Some more selective schools require a 4 or 5. Students with qualifying scores can get college credit even if they did not take an AP class.

The fee for each exam was $80 in 2003. Some school districts offer subsidies, and the College Board will reduce the fee for students in financial need.

For more information: http://www.collegeboard.com/

A significant number of private high schools do not offer AP classes, and there are no IB programs in private schools in this state. Many of these schools say their classes are sufficiently rigorous to prepare their students for college.

Apex Learning, a Bellevue company founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, offers AP classes and exam reviews over the Internet. It is aimed at students who are home-schooled, studying for AP exams independently or whose schools don't offer AP courses. The cost is $950 for a yearlong course in 2003-04. On the Web: http://www.apexlearning.com/.

Honors/advanced courses: Many schools label their toughest courses as honors or advanced courses. College-admissions directors give applicants extra credit for taking these more rigorous classes. But because the quality varies from one school to the next, an honors class many carry more weight from some schools and less from others.

Running Start: All public and many private four-year colleges and universities in Washington give students credit for Running Start classes, and it is highly popular €” in 2001-02, more than 2,850 Puget Sound-area students from 65 different high schools took Running Start classes. It allows those who qualify to take college-level courses at state community and technical colleges during their junior and senior years of high school and earn both high-school and college credit at the state's expense.

But its quality is considered to be uneven, some admissions officials say. Running Start is controversial among colleges and universities because the credits don't necessarily mean the student is ready for high-level work, they say.

But they add that Running Start may be a good choice for students who plan to attend a community college anyway, or those in rural schools who want more than their school offers for advanced work.

Any student enrolled in a public high school may participate. However, most community colleges require students to have basic English and math skills, gauged by a placement test. Students pay for books and transportation, while their school district pays for the classes they take. Note that many out-of-state schools do not accept Running Start credits.

For more information: www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/RunningStart/default.aspx

College in the High School: About 40 area high schools offer this relatively new program, and more than 3,570 local students are enrolled. It gives students the chance to take a college-level class in their high school, taught by teachers holding an adjunct or regular faculty appointment at the offering college or university.

The course uses the same grading, transcript system and tuition-payment policies that apply to courses in the college or university's regular program. Admissions directors see it as a kind of hybrid of the Running Start program that is taught within the high-school building.

Matteo Ricci program: This is a Seattle University program that integrates high-school and university-level studies, allowing students to complete their combined high school and university education in six or seven years, rather than the traditional eight. The program is available only through certain Catholic high schools in the Seattle area.