How ORCA Can Jumpstart Higher Education Success
Oregon Charter Academy's (ORCA) mission is to prepare students for success, whether they go straight into the workforce after graduating or continue with their education in a college setting. Our inclusive hands-on academic environment includes a robust slate of classes that enable students to earn high school and college credits simultaneously through dual-credit, honors and advanced placement (AP) courses. While these options are more academically challenging than traditional high school classes, they offer motivated students a head start and, possibly, significant cost-savings in higher education.
ORCA’s College Now Program
Students in our College Now program take classes that offer both high school and college credit through the following partner institutions: Willamette Promise, Linn-Benton Community College and Chemeketa Community College. While meeting curriculum standards set by our partner institutions, these dual-credit courses are led by ORCA teachers who’ve been approved for community college instruction and hold subject-specific master's degrees.
To qualify for our College Now program, students must complete each institution's application process, offering a glimpse into the college application process. When students complete a College Now course, they receive a transcript from one of our partner institutions that will transfer to any of Oregon's state schools and many out-of-state institutions as well.
College Now also opens the door for students to receive college credit through our honors and advanced placement (AP) courses.
Honors Courses
High-achieving junior and senior-level ORCA students can boost their college applications and receive college credit by completing honors courses in a number of subjects. Honors courses are more challenging than traditional classes and place higher expectations on students. However, the returns are significantly higher.
Honors courses give students a grade point average (GPA) bump, making them more competitive when applying to college. A grade in an honors course is weighted .5 higher, while a grade in an AP course is weighted 1.0 higher. As a result, students who earn As in multiple honors-level classes can leave high school with a GPA higher than 4.0.
Another benefit of honors courses is that students may simultaneously earn college credit if they’re also enrolled in our College Now program. For example, students who complete Honors English 11 and Honors English 12 could earn 12 total college credits through our partners at Linn-Benton and Chemeketa Community Colleges. Similar processes in other honors courses can provide additional college credits.
Advanced Placement Courses
AP courses are another route ORCA students can take to earn college credits in high school. A national organization called the College Board administers the AP program and sets its own curriculum standards that high schools follow. At the conclusion of an AP class, all students across the country take a standardized AP exam. Graded on a curve, students earn between one and five points based on their exam performance.
Many of our AP classes also align with equivalent courses in our College Now program. That means students can earn credit from a local community college and take the AP exam to maximize their options after graduation.
Benefits of Earning College Credits in High School
ORCA's College Now and honors classes are free to students. And while the AP program does come with a few associated costs, they're significantly lower than college tuition. So, students who complete advanced classes across multiple subjects could graduate high school having already completed a significant amount of their foundational college coursework — potentially saving thousands of dollars in tuition costs.
Beyond costs-savings, College Now, honors and AP courses also help students make a more successful transition into their post-secondary education by giving them a glimpse into college coursework requirements. Perhaps most importantly, our advanced programs are flexible enough to serve the goals of a broad range of prospective college students.
Charting Future Goals
It's helpful for students to understand their college goals before enrolling in a College Now, honors or AP class. If students are confident they'll attend an in-state public institution, our College Now courses will serve them well. On the other hand, if students want to target more competitive schools, they might be better served by boosting their GPA with honors courses or focusing on acing their AP exams. Our school counselors and instructors can help guide students on the path that best supports their long-term educational goals.
Three Tips for High-Achieving Students
Before undertaking advanced coursework, students should know what's in store. These classes have clear and rigid expectations, including hard assignment deadlines and college-level responsibilities. ORCA students who are interested should keep the following three tips in mind:
Adopt Successful Behaviors Early: It's critical that students practice timeliness and put in their best effort at all times.
Pick and Choose Opportunities: Just because ORCA offers many college credit options doesn't mean students must take advantage of them all. Simply taking one or two advanced classes can make a difference.
Practice Good Communication: If students need flexibility, they can practice advocating for themselves ahead of time with their teachers and/or counselor.
Talk With a Counselor to Learn More
Our College Now, honors and AP programs are fantastic ways for ORCA students to enrich their academic pursuits and jumpstart their college journeys. Current students can speak with their counselors to learn about these opportunities and understand how these options best fit their needs.
Those who are interested in learning more about ORCA's approach can join one of our virtual information sessions to connect with ORCA staff and preview our learning platform. We hope to see you there!