Academics

For college-bound students, West Valley School District offers many opportunities to obtain college credits or complete college-level courses while in school. Advanced Placement and College in the High School courses can make students more attractive to college admissions officers while also providing a cost-effective way for students to obtain college credits while attending high school. Be sure to talk to your counselor to ensure the credits are transferable to the school of your choice and that they won’t cause you to exceed credit caps at your chosen college or university.

Students wanting to try a career before or instead of college may want to consider the West Valley FUTURES program. WVSD FUTURES provides a collection of pathways that allow students to pair their time in the classroom time with hands-on experience and in some cases part-time employment to fulfill their high school requirements and earn college credits or an advanced career certificate. Classes are taught at West Valley High School, YV Tech, or the West Valley FUTURES INNOVATION CENTER. Each FUTURES pathway is different and provides different opportunities for students. Talk to a FUTURES Career Information Specialist to determine if FUTURES is right for you.

In 2021, West Valley School District will launch the FUTURES INNOVATION CENTER. This facility is located east of West Valley High School in the former Freshman Campus building and will be an immersive school experience where students starting as early as 7^th grade will begin working toward their FUTURES pathway. The curriculum pairs hands-on experience with classroom instruction. At the INNOVATION CENTER, learning is self-paced so students advance when they master a subject or skill rather than when they complete a certain amount of time in the classroom. Students attend all their classes at the INNOVATION CENTER or, when applicable, in part-time employment. Students can earn while they learn. All areas of study are designed to fulfill graduation requirements and prepare students for college or a career or after graduation. Talk to the FUTURES counselors to determine if FUTURES is right for you.

WVVA is a fully accredited, online K-12 school available to all WVSD students. Students remain West Valley School District students and receive a WVSD school transcript, but they complete their coursework fully online instead of in a brick-and-mortar school. The curriculum was developed by Greenways Academy in Missouri to accommodate the online learning environment and is different from WVSD’s traditional classroom curriculum. Classes are taught by Washington state certified instructors, but not WVSD teaching staff. Classes are self-paced and require students to spend at least 5 hours per week on each course. Students may only enroll or transfer back to the traditional classroom at the beginning of each school year or semester break. Contact the WVVA coordinator or your counselor to learn more.

WVVA Coordinator:

• Ashley Lieberknecht
• (509) 823-2602
• Contact the staff member by navigating to our contact page, using the yellow button at the top of this page.

Class demos are available online at greenwaysacademy.com.

WVSD partners with Yakima Valley College to offer a Running Start program. This program is administered by Yakima Valley College. Students can attend classes at the high school, while also attending classes part of the day on the YVC campus. Running Start allows students to meet their high school graduation requirements while earning college credits at a fraction of the cost. In some cases, students graduate with an associate degree in addition to a diploma. Running Start is best suited to self-directed students who can work closely with their high school and YVC counselors to ensure their classes meet requirements and future scholastic goals.

• Website: yvcc.edu/admissions/running-start-student
• Email: runningstart@yvcc.edu

WVSD also partners with Arizona State University to offer free online classes through their Universal Learner Courses (ULCs). Classes are self-paced and fulfill graduation requirements while offering students an opportunity to obtain college credits fully online. This program is best suited to students able to work independently. These classes include a selection of popular first-year college courses at no cost to students unless they choose to claim their academic credit. Credits are accepted at Arizona State University as well as other universities across the country. This program is administered through ASU Prep. Talk to your counselor to determine if ASU Prep Digital is right for you and to ensure the program meets both your high school and future education requirements.

ASU Prep Digital Coordinator:

• Ashley Lieberknecht
• (509) 823.2602

View available courses at: ea.asu.edu/courses