About the Program

College Connection is a one-year alternative education program conducted in partnership with Shasta College and participating high schools. It allows selected high school seniors to attend Shasta College daily to concurrently earn high school and college credit.

Attend college as a high school senior and earn both high school and college credit.

The program provides accelerated, challenging courses for the academic college-bound students and highly motivated vocational students. Students have the opportunity to develop skills as they work towards their A.A. or A.S. degree or certificate. This provides a high quality alternative educational opportunity  for high school seniors who are ready to bridge the gap between high school and higher education.

Frequently Asked Questions

American Government 

This one semester course is an introduction to United States and California government and politics, including their constitutions, political institutions and processes, and political actors. During the semester, students will examine political behavior, political issues, and public policy. This course may be offered in a distance education format.  Students earning an A or B in the course may apply for 3 units of articulated credit in POLS 2 with Shasta College. 

Economics 

This one semester course is an introduction the basics institutions and principles of microeconomics and concentrates on the parts of the economic system: the markets, the consumers, and the structures of basic industries, resources, and income distribution. The course also studies the basics of the economic systems: money and banking, determinants of national income, employment, output and the roles played by government in using monetary and fiscal policy.  This course may be offered in a distant learning format.  

CSU Expository Reading and Writing  

ERWC (Expository Reading and Writing Course) is a college preparatory, rhetoric-based English language arts course for grade 12 designed to develop academic literacy (advanced proficiency in rhetorical and analytical reading, writing, and thinking). ERWC focuses on the integration of interactive reading and writing processes and offers a rhetorical approach to foster critical thinking with a "relentless focus" on the text.  Particular attention is paid to research methodologies and writing. In this year-long course, students earning an A or B in the course may apply for 4 units of articulated credit in ENGL 1A with Shasta College. 

Study Lab 

This year-long course is a supervised daily hour in the learning center on campus. Students develop critical study skills and habits for academic success.  They may use their time to read, research, study, get tutorial help or use one of the tutorial centers from the different college centers.  Students learn to seek assistance at the Writing Lab, Math Lab, Science Learning Center, and Library Resource Center (LRC).

Yes and no. According to CIF rules, students who earn at least 20 high school credits, with a C average are able to participate in high school sports. Because the student has not graduated from high school he/she is not eligible for inter-collegiate sports.

Students who enrolled in the program are expected to commit to a full year program. However, if it is in the best interest of the student, they may return to the high school at the semester.

The primary goals are to provide accelerated, challenging courses to the strong, academic, college-bound student and to provide highly motivated vocational students an opportunity to develop their special talents more intensely and to begin work on an AA degree or certificate.

Students attend daily all classes on the Shasta College campus. All students have College Connection high-school classes between 8:00 and 10:50 am. Students will take a variety of college classes during the remainder of their class schedule. Students may enroll in college classes based upon high school graduation requirements and academic interests and abilities.

A full-time high school staff member will be assigned as a teacher/ advisor. In addition to teaching the required high school coursework the teacher/ advisor will have the responsibility to meet with students for registration, transfer requirements, college admissions, graduation requirements, and assist them as they progress through the program.

College Connection gives students a head start into their college studies and careers. Other benefits include a flexible environment, interaction with community college instructors, rich course selection, and an opportunity to develop successful academic habits for college. Students may earn between 15 and 37 college units.

A word of caution should be given to students. The opportunity to accelerate and excel carries with it the risk of failure. If freedom is misused or study habits neglected, a student could jeopardize their graduation or be placed on academic probation for college level work. 

College Connection has allowed me to take classes I am interested in and get a head start in college.