Dual Credit Programs

Issaquah School District offers course-based and exam-based options for earning high school and college credit at the same time. At Liberty, course-based options include Running Start, College in the High School, CTE (College and Technical Education) Dual Credit, and WANIC (Washington Network for Innovative Careers). Advanced Placement Classes are an exam-based option available to students.

Advanced Placement

The Advanced Placement (AP) Program, run by CollegeBoard, is an exam-based Dual Credit option that offers the ability to earn college credit and placement through AP Exams. Liberty High School offers a variety of AP classes, viewable on the AP webpage of the LHS Online Course Guide. Not every class is offered every year; Consult with your counselor to inquire about specific courses for specific years.

Will colleges accept my AP scores for credit?

There is no universal answer to this question, it is different for each college. AP scores are recognized by many colleges and could earn you college credit and/or advanced placement (meaning you can skip certain courses in college). Use the AP Credit Policy Search tool to find what credit specific colleges offer for AP scores.

How many AP classes should I take?

The number of AP classes you choose to take depends on several factors, including: The rigor required by the colleges you're applying to, your ability to perform well in AP classes, and the balance you need to create between school and other life activities. There is not a magic number of AP classes that guarantee doors will open at every school. Read this US News and World Article, How many AP classes should I take? to explore this topic further.

Is it better to take AP or Running Start?

This is a very popular question and the answer can differ depending on the college you're looking at. Also, this can depend on WHY you are pursuing dual credit. To help aid you in your discovery, visit these online articles to learn more about these dual credit options, their similarities and differences, popular opinions, and pros and cons:

AP vs. Dual Enrollment: The Pros & Cons of Each Program Research.com fact-based article with a lot of good things to consider
Running Start vs. AP: Making the right decision for you Blog article by a Running Start Student on ReadyWA website
Does AP or Dual Enrollment Look Good on College Applications? College Reality Check Article
College Classes in High School: Is AP or Community College Better? PrepScholar Article

Career and Technical Education (CTE) Dual Credit

Career & Technical Education (CTE) Dual Credit

Career & Technical Education (CTE) Dual Credit is a course-based Dual Credit option where college credit is earned by taking LHS CTE classes or classes through WANIC. Students can earn high school & college credit at the same time.

College credit is not awarded automatically. To get these credits on a college transcript, there is a process you need to follow. The process depends on which college you want your college credits transcribed to and instructions are below.

Available CTE Dual Credit classes

The Issaquah School District CTE website maintains a detailed table of every ISD CTE Dual Credit course and its college articulations. Liberty students should choose from the Dual Credit courses offered at Liberty High School that are part of our yearly class schedule (not every class is offered every year).

Which college should I transcribe my credits to?

The CTE Dual Credit courses at Liberty have articulations with one or more of the following colleges: Bellevue College, Shoreline CC, Edmonds CC, Lake WA Institute of Technology, and Renton Technical College.

WANIC courses have articulations with the following colleges: Bellevue College, Edmonds CC, Everett CC and Lake WA Institute of Technology.

If you plan on attending one of the community colleges above, it makes sense to transcribe your courses to that college. Otherwise, we recommend you minimize the number of college transcripts you'll have, ideally transcribing all of your CTE credits to a single college.

For most Liberty students, Bellevue College will be the right choice. Bellevue College has the most articulations with our CTE classes. It is also the college you'll earn credit at for any College in the High School (CHS) classes you take.

Earn college credit with Pacific NW College

Use this process if you'd like your college credits with Bellevue College, Shoreline CC, Edmonds CC, Lake WA Institute of Technology

Pacific NW College is the largest CTE dual credit consortium in Washington State. They partner with four local colleges (Bellevue College, Shoreline CC, Edmonds CC, Lake WA Institute of Technology) to offer Liberty students college credit for CTE dual credit classes.

Pacific NW College also provides course articulation tables. View the articulation tables for Liberty CTE dual credit classes or WANIC classes here.

To earn college credit with Pacific NW College:

1. Register your high school class(es) in the SERS system and make payment.

Register during the school year you took the class to avoid penalty fees.
Registration & payment system is open yearly, December 1 - June 15

2. Follow the transcription process for the college(s) you've chosen.

Can happen anytime after your class is finished and registration is complete.

Earn college credit with RTC or Everett CC

Very occasionally, Liberty students want to transcribe CTE dual credits to a college transcript outside of the Pacific NW College consortium. Liberty has articulations with two colleges outside of the consortium: Renton Technical College (RTC) and Everett Community College. Use information from a college's CTE Dual Credit webpage to contact them directly for instructions.

Renton Community College: https://rtc.edu/dual-credit

Everett Community College: https://www.everettcc.edu/enrollment/hs-programs/cte-dual-credit

Will colleges accept my CTE classes for credit?

There is no universal answer to this question, it is different for each college and typically handled on a course-by-course basis. To find out if credit is accepted, visit the website of your college of interest and look for their transfer credit policies or equivalency guide. Some colleges even have their own proprietary credit transfer research tools to facilitate the process of credit approval. In some cases, you'll need to contact the college for this information.

Example: Liberty's sophomore CTE Dual Credit Health class earns credit for HLTH 145 at Bellevue College. If I'm interested in University of Washington, I'd find the Bellevue College Equivalency Guide on their website and see how HLTH 145 transfers. In this case, HLTH 145 is not listed in the course equivalency guide, which means it will not earn credit at UW.

College in the High School (CHS)

College in the High School (CHS) is a course-based Dual Credit option providing students with the option to take college-level courses taught by high school teachers in the high school. CHS Colleges partner with high schools to approve teachers and ensure rigor is comparable to that taught on the college campus. Students have the option of earning college credit while completing these courses

Liberty's CHS classes are offered through Bellevue College. College credit is not awarded automatically. To get these credits on a college transcript, students must meet established criteria as explained by the classroom teacher. Visit the Bellevue College College in the High School webpage for more detailed information about admission and enrollment.

Available CHS Classes

Visit the CHS webpage of the LHS Online Course Guide to browse the CHS classes Liberty offers students. Please note: Not every class is offered every year. Consult with your counselor to inquire about specific courses for specific years.

Will colleges accept my CHS classes for credit?

There is no universal answer to this question, it is different for each college and typically handled on a course-by-course basis. To find out if credit is accepted, visit the website of the college of interest and look for their transfer credit policies or equivalency guide. Some colleges even have their own proprietary credit transfer research tools to facilitate the process of credit approval. In some cases, you'll need to contact the college for this information.

Example: Liberty's Spanish 3 CHS class earns credit for Spanish 123 at Bellevue College. If I'm interested in University of Washington, I'd find the Bellevue College Equivalency Guide on their website and see how Spanish 123 transfers. In this case, Spanish 123 will award 5 credits for UW's Spanish 103 class.

Running Start

Running Start is a course-based Dual Credit option providing students with the potential to earn high school and college credit at the same time through enrollment in classes at a local college. The Washington State legislature allows qualified students to take courses at a local community/technical college during their junior and/or senior year of high school through the Running Start Program.

The Running Start program for Liberty High School is managed by our Counseling Department. Visit their Running Start webpage for more information about the program and learn how to apply.

Is it better to take AP or Running Start?

AP vs. Dual Enrollment: The Pros & Cons of Each Program Research.com fact-based article with a lot of good things to consider
Running Start vs. AP: Making the right decision for you Blog article by a Running Start Student on ReadyWA website
Does AP or Dual Enrollment Look Good on College Applications? College Reality Check Article
College Classes in High School: Is AP or Community College Better? PrepScholar Article

Will colleges accept my Running Start classes for credit?

There is no universal answer to this question, it is different for each college and typically handled on a course-by-course basis.

Generally speaking, Running Start classes usually transfer easily to our public, Washington state colleges and universities. Also, the Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) associate degree is designed to transfer to most Bachelor of Arts degrees at all four-year colleges and universities in Washington state. The DTA is sometimes called an Associate in Arts or an Associate in Arts and Sciences. The Intercollege Relations Commission (ICRC) — a unit of The Washington Council — oversees the guidelines for DTAs.

To find out if credit is accepted, visit the website of the college of interest and look for their transfer credit policies or equivalency guide. Some colleges even have their own proprietary credit transfer research tools to facilitate the process of credit approval In some cases, you'll need to contact the college for this information.

Recommended Resources

ISD Running Start Presentation for Students and Parents: Informative slide deck used during Running Start Zoom session during the 2022-2023 school year.
Washington 45: Courses offered by WA state community and technical colleges that satisfy up to one year’s worth (45 credits) of general education requirements at public four-year institutions.

WANIC

Washington Network for Innovative Careers (WANIC)

WANIC Skill Center is a course-based Dual Credit option. WANIC offers year-long, CTE-based, tuition-free technical and professional training for Juniors and Seniors. Additionally, WANIC Summer programs are offered to all high school students (rising Freshmen to rising Seniors).

WANIC programs are designed in three-period blocks allowing extended time to not only learn the theory of a subject but to also get authentic hands-on lab experience. Students who take WANIC classes will also spend a portion of their day taking classes at Liberty High School. All classes earn Occupational/Career & Technical Education high school credits and may offer other course equivalencies towards high school graduation requirements.

The majority of classes operate on a space-available basis, with enrollment given first-come, first-served. The most popular classes will hold a lottery for students who have applied before the April 15 lottery deadline.

Visit the WANIC website for more information.

WANIC and Sending Schools Requirements

Many WANIC classes have prerequisites; visit the WANIC Course Catalog webpage to view a list of the year-long courses that have prerequisites.
Your course schedule must be arranged and approved with your high school counselor. Class and travel time should be considered.
Students interested in taking classes at Digipen must attend a Digipen Info Session before their WANIC application will be approved.
Students must provide their own transportation. Parking options vary by the location offering the program and it is the responsibility of the student to learn if parking permits are required and available.
Attendance matters - the majority of learning is done in-school with very little homework given. Because of this, missed days of school are extremely hard to make up.