The Hillsboro School District Early College program allows students to begin earning college credits as a full-time student at Portland Community College while still in high school. College credits earned apply to both the high school diploma and college studies. Students will have the opportunity to take 12 credits per term (fall, winter, spring) during the school year in which they are enrolled in HSD Early College. Students who enroll at the start of their 11th grade year will have the opportunity to participate in up to 6 terms of HSD Early College, while students entering at the start of 12th grade may participate in up to 3 terms. Students accepted to HSD Early College will not be able to enroll in courses at their home high school, however they may be able to participate in OSAA activities and athletics.
Selection Criteria:
Hillsboro School District seeks to enroll a diverse and representative group of students into the Early College program. Criteria for selection includes:
- Incoming high school 11th & 12th graders who are, or are mostly, on track for timely graduation
- Students who are ready to attend PCC full time for the remainder of high school measured by college readiness survey and student interview.
- Students whose attendance, academic performance, or other circumstances indicate lack of engagement or interest in their home high school as measured by school records.
- Students who may be considering alternative graduation options but are academically capable of college coursework as measured by PCC placement exams and high school coursework.
- Students whose individual circumstances may create barriers to college matriculation after high school as reported in application essay and interview process.
- Students who are motivated toward a specific career pathway and would benefit from attending PCC courses in this career area as reported in application essay and interview process.
***HSD Early College Seeks to admit a student cohort that is representative of the demographics of the Hillsboro School District. Every effort will be made to ensure a diverse and representative application pool and HSD Early College may conduct additional outreach if the applicant pool does not meet this goal.
HSD Early College Admission Qualifications:
- Applicant resides in the Hillsboro School District catchment area
- Acceptable high school grade/credit attainment to date: 14 high school credits by the end of 10th grade 18 credits by the end of 11th grade
- Completion of PCC College Placement Testing, with scores placing the Early College candidate into Writing 115 or above, Reading 115 or above, and Math 60 or above.
Selection Process:
- Completes online PCC Application
- Complete PCC Math Placement Test
- Complete Online HSD Early College Application
- Selection process will follow
- If necessary, the District level team may choose to conduct additional outreach and selection in order to ensure a representative and diverse student cohort
**Students who elect to take dual credit should consider how the course will align with their post-secondary goals. Students and parents/guardians should talk to their high school counselor about the benefits and potential costs of enrolling in college level courses.
(Please see course catalogue section on Dual Credit for more information and considerations)