The next class of incoming freshmen at  University High School in the Central Valley School District will be the first cohort to be offered the opportunity to earn an Associate of Arts direct-transfer agreement degree, enabling students to remain on their high school campus while simultaneously pursuing a college-level degree, says CVSD director of communications Marla Nunberg. 

The initiative is possible through a partnership with Eastern Washington University and Community Colleges of Spokane. The program will launch in the fall at University High School and expand to CVSD’s Central Valley High School and Ridgeline High School in the 2025-2026 academic year, Nunberg says.

Spokane Public Schools district intends to implement the program within the next two years, she adds.

An AA-DTA degree guarantees a student will enter a Washington state public university as a junior. 

“I’m thrilled our ideas merged into this new partnership,” says CVSD Superintendent John Parker. “It provides a great option for our CVSD students who want to earn their two-year college degree yet stay at their own high school campus.”

EWU already offers a College in the High School program at three CVSD high schools and at SPS high schools with credentialed instructors. Nunberg says. The courses offered in the College in the High School program will comprise two-thirds of the curriculum in the AA-DTA degree, while the remaining one-third will be taught online by Spokane Community Colleges faculty. Previously, students had to attend courses in person at either Spokane Community College or Spokane Falls Community College. 

CCS Chancellor Kevin Brockbank says the partnership benefits everybody while removing possible transportation hurdles for students. 

“It gives students choices and removes barriers for high school students who may not be able to navigate transportation challenges to easily attend community college classes at our campuses,” Brockbank says. 

The AA-DTA will focus on social science classes and is appropriate for students who want to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, Nunberg says. High school students who want to earn a four-year degree in mathematics, science, allied health, or technology can attend Running Start classes during their at SCC or SFCC during their junior year or wait until graduation, she adds..