Dual Credit

Dual credit provides students with the potential to earn high school and college credit at the same time. Taking dual credit courses is connected to higher high school graduation rates, college enrollment, and degree completion.

Franklin Pierce schools provide four dual credit options as listed below.

Advanced Placement (AP)

Students earn regular high school credit upon successful completion of the course and may gain college credit if they earn a qualifying score on the corresponding AP exam. University credit is generally granted for test scores of 3 and above on a five-point scale, however, each university has their own standards for accepting credit for AP exams. For more information on the AP program, go to www.collegeboard.com/ap.

Students enrolling in three or more concurrent AP classes must have prior approval from their counselor. Students who enroll in year-long AP courses are expected to remain in those courses for the entire year.

AP course offerings are noted in the Course Catalog.

College in High School (CHS)

In association with Washington universities, high school students may earn college credit for completing these classes on the high school campus where trained and approved Franklin Pierce Schools teachers serve as adjunct faculty for our partner universities. Students successfully completing a CHS course may earn both high school and college credit.

Credit is determined through students' work throughout the class and not a single test score. In some CHS courses, each semester is equivalent to a college course, while in others students have the extended opportunity of the entire school year to complete one college course. Courses typically run five credits. College credit earned may count as elective or academic credit depending on the receiving college's transfer credit policies.

Students should note that pursuing the college credit automatically starts an official college transcript with the institution offering the course that will include the student's grade.

Course offerings, university affiliations, and credit options are noted in the Course Catalog.

Running Start

Running Start offers qualified juniors and seniors the opportunity to earn high school graduation and college credits by taking approved courses at Tacoma Community College, Pierce College, or Clover Park Technical College without paying tuition. (Books, supplies, other fees, and transportation are the responsibility of the student.)

To be eligible for this program, students must 1) have earned the credits necessary for junior or senior status; 2) demonstrate readiness for college-level study through their performance on a college placement exam; 3) meet course prerequisites. It is not usually advisable for students to try to transfer to the Running Start Program during the middle of the school year. The community/technical colleges are on a three-quarter system that does not match starting times with our semesters. Students planning to take Running Start courses during fall quarter must have the application process completed by early spring of the prior year.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) Dual Credit

Dual credit courses offer students an opportunity to earn Community/Technical College credit while attending high school classes. CTE Dual Credit classes are taught at the high school or Puget Sound Skills Center and integrate academics with technical skills to help prepare students for advanced education and careers related to professional-technical occupations. High school students who complete selected high school courses with a grade of ‘C’ (2.0) or better can earn Community/Technical College credit. After June 30th of the summer after completing required high school courses, students may contact the PC3 office at 253-583-8803 for transcription of CTE Dual credits. More information about CTE Dual Credit can be found online at Pierce County Careers Connection at www.pc3connect.com or Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges at www.sbctc.edu/colleges-staff/programs-services/cte-dual-credit.