Middle College Frequently Asked Questions
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Q: What does it mean to come to a Middle College?
A: Middle College is the structure that builds academic knowledge, habit, and skills leading to the successful completion of college courses while in high school and prepares students for higher education and/or technical training after high school. All students who enroll at Jefferson are Middle College students and are expected to complete the requirements of the Middle College diploma.
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Q: Does my student need to attend Jefferson High School in order to access the Middle College?
A: Yes. Other schools have connections with colleges and universities, but students need to be enrolled at Jefferson in order to take part in Middle College.
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Q: What kind of supports are in place to make sure that students are fully prepared to take advantage of the Middle College?
A: We have a freshman academy focused on 9th grade success, tutoring after school, and a committed staff. SEI (Self-Enhancement, Inc) is housed at Jefferson and SEI Coordinators are also able to provide multiple supports.
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Q: I have heard something about dual credit. What is dual credit and what courses are currently available on the Jefferson campus as dual credit courses?
A: Dual Credit is the term used to describe courses at Jefferson that are taught by Jefferson teachers, meet all of the college course criteria, and are approved by a college or university to earn college credit. We work with the PCC dual credit office to offer Reading 115, Writing 115/121, Dance Performance, Advanced Art, Math 95, and Math 105 courses on the Jefferson Campus.
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Q: Will my student attend classes at PCC along with a group of his/her Jefferson classmates?
A: Students enrolled in dual credit classes take those classes on the high school campus with peers. Each term, we work with PCC to offer a Jefferson-only class at PCC to help students get started in college classes. However when Jefferson students take classes across the street, they enroll in and take classes on the PCC campus with all other PCC students.
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Q: How soon can my student access college-level classes at PCC?
A: We are only registering 11th and 12th graders for PCC classes for Fall term 2020, and will be working with sophomores this year to prepare them to take PCC classes in the future. We will be reviewing the budget as the year progresses to determine whether we will be able to offer early access to PCC this school year. If registration for sophomores does open up for Winter or Spring terms, we will notify students and families of that opportunity with time to meet the registration deadline.
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Q: How much do I need to pay for my child to attend Middle College?
A: There is no cost to families. The program covers the cost of students’ tuition, fees and books. As seen in the example chart, a student earning 12 college credits will have the total estimated cost, special course fees, and books covered as by being in the Middle College.
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Q: What is the Middle College Diploma?
A: All Jefferson students are expected to earn at least 12 college credits include one onsite PPC course. Students completing all state graduation requirements and earning 12+ college credits including one onsite PCC course are awarded a Jefferson Middle College Diploma that acknowledges this accomplishment. Students who go beyond these expectations can also earn honor cords that are worn at the graduation ceremony.
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Q: Which universities are currently committed to providing scholarships or Gap funding for eligible Middle College students?
A: Oregon State University, University of Oregon, Portland State University, Willamette University, Pacific University and Warner Pacific University. Please see the scholarship information in the Parent/Student Middle College Packet.
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Q: Who can I contact if I have further questions?
Margaret Calvert, Principal and Middle College Director; Meghan Wasiak, 11th Grade Counselor; Sharitha McKenzie,12th Grade Counselor; or Nicole Dalton, College and Career Coordinator.
