The Yakima School District (YSD), Central Washington University (CWU) and Yakima Valley College (YVC) have entered into a historic partnership with a goal of developing a system that offers integrated, seamless and guaranteed pathways for high school students to earn postsecondary credentials.

Leaders from the three organizations gathered at the YSD main office Thursday to sign a Memorandum of Understanding that outlines a series of collaborative conversations designed to create various pathways for YSD students to earn credit toward the completion of a postsecondary degree in Washington state. The MOU will be in effect through at least September 2026, and it can be extended if all three parties agree.

“This partnership opens new doors for our students, offering clear pathways to higher education through collaboration with Central Washington University and Yakima Valley College,” said YSD Superintendent Dr. Trevor Greene, who was joined by CWU President Dr. Jim Wohlpart and YVC Interim President Dr. Teresa Rich at Thursday’s event. “The ability to earn an associate degree while still in high school through our local colleges is particularly exciting, as it strengthens community ties and supports our students’ futures right here in Yakima.”

The upcoming conversations between YSD, CWU and YVC will revolve around:

  • Defining coursework completed through Running Start and College in the High School that will be publicly shared with YSD students;
  • Developing a plan that ensures students who complete the General Education program at YVC or CWU will not need to complete the program at the other institution;
  • Creating clear pathways for students interested in specific degrees at YVC so they can complete coursework in either Running Start or College in the High School.

The vision for the partnership began with a community-wide forum on CWU’s Ellensburg campus earlier this year. The convening brought together stakeholders from across Central Washington to develop the framework for a system that would enable short-term and stackable credentials through a highly coordinated and intentional structure.

One of the priorities that resulted from the CWU forum was a shared desire to create a system centered around the student experience while minimizing bureaucratic hurdles.

As President Wohlpart explained, the ultimate goal of the partnership between YSD, CWU and YVC is to expand equitable opportunities for postsecondary degree completion and help high school students pursue the next steps in their educational journey.

“This initiative will weave together our three systems into one integrated ecosystem, eliminating barriers, filling in cracks, and allowing high school students to flow seamlessly into college while they are still in high school so that they can attain a meaningful postsecondary credential — and then go out into the world in meaningful jobs and as engaged citizens,” he said.  

Each of the partners has expressed a commitment to improving access higher education for students from underrepresented backgrounds. Washington currently ranks 48th in the nation for immediate college-going rate of high school graduates, and the news agreement is expected to make progress toward reversing that trend.

“We must ensure that any dual-enrolled class that a student takes, whether it is a Running Start course or a College in the High School course, leads directly to an associate degree at Yakima Valley College and to a bachelor’s degree at CWU,” Wohlpart said.

The U.S. Department of Education has identified a variety of factors that inhibit postsecondary access and completion, including delayed college enrollment, lack of a high school diploma, financial independence, caring for dependents, and full-time work while attending college. Low-income and first-generation statuses are often embedded in each of these non-completion factors, and statistics show a disproportionate amount of students in the Yakima Valley are affected by these inequities.

Applying to postsecondary educational institutions, and state and federal aid systems, creates an additional barrier, inhibiting access, retention, and completion, particularly among individuals with limited social capital and support systems.

The MOU between the Yakima School District, Central Washington University and Yakima Valley College hopes to ease these systemic burdens so more young people across the region can tap into the resources they need to improve their earning potential and socioeconomic status.

“We owe it to every young person in the Yakima Valley to provide clear and equitable pathways to earn a postsecondary credential that will open up opportunities to achieve their dreams,” YVC Interim President Rich said. “We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Yakima School District and Central Washington University to expand access to an excellent education and create a better future for students and our entire community.”

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