BEC FAQs

We accept 9th-12th grade students in the state of Oregon as per the application deadlines. If you’ve never been in public school before, that’s absolutely fine. It generally takes three years to complete all high school requirements. We accept transfer credit from accredited high schools and colleges. Students will take placement tests in reading, writing, and math to determine their appropriate college placement. Each college partner has its own minimum required placements.

FREE! We know, it seems too good to be true, but it really is free. We pay for up to 12 college credits per term at one of our approved college partners.

As a public high school, our primary goal is to get you to high school graduation. Because of that, we’ll make sure you’re taking classes that are necessary for completing high school graduation requirements. You will have some latitude in the courses that you select to complete those requirements. You’ll also need a lot of elective courses, and those you get to select on your own (though we are happy to help if you need ideas!).

Our school does not have sports teams of our own, however, you are legally entitled to participate in OSAA sports and activities at your local high school. If you’d like to participate at your local public high school, we can help get you set up to do so.

Your IEP or 504 will transfer with you, and we will work to get as many of your accommodations transferred to the college setting as possible. Because the courses you are taking are college-level, the content itself cannot be modified. Accommodations for equitable access such as extended time or alternate testing locations are permissible. Modifications that alter the integrity of the course in any way (such as a reduction in assignments or assessments) are not. Your counselor and the special education team will work with you to help you understand what your experience would look like to determine if it’s an appropriate fit.

Nope! Most of our students attend in person on college campuses, so a district release isn’t required.

* must include Holocaust content
** must include 2 years of a foreign language
^ beginning with class of 2027 (additional 0.5 elective credits for previous graduation classes)

• Language Arts — Writing, English, Communications
• Math — Math
• Science — Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology/Geoscience, General Science, Environmental Science
• Social Science — History, Psychology, Anthropology, Economics, Geography, Political Science, Sociology
• Physical Ed — Activity Courses
• Health — Health, Physical Education
• Required Elective — Foreign Language, Music, Theater, Business, Engineering, Art, CTE
• Capstone — Career Guidance or a class in a content area aligned with a career interest, chosen in collaboration with your counselor
• Electives — Anything!

Your counselor and our college & career specialists will work with you the whole time you are enrolled to plan your next steps. The college credits you earn with Baker Early College are transferable to any Oregon public university, as well as the vast majority of public schools outside of Oregon and private schools both inside and outside of Oregon.

It depends on the community college. If your local college doesn’t allow students under 16 to enroll, you can start with online courses from another Oregon community college that fits your needs.

Yes! All 9th grade courses are online, giving you the flexibility to learn from anywhere in Oregon while you prepare for college-level work.

We recommend sticking with the courses we’ve carefully chosen for you. Each 9th grade class is designed to build skills, cover prerequisites, or fulfill particular high school diploma requirements. Switching around can slow your progress, create frustration, and even risk losing credit.

The Wednesday morning Zoom meetings are required. Although it is allowable to occasionally miss with prior notice to your advisory teacher, content must be made up at a later date. Each Monday and Tuesday, students have one online assignment due, while the majority of each week’s work is due on Friday or Sunday at 11:59pm.

Not yet. The 9th grade program is all about getting you ready to tackle a full college schedule starting in 10th grade. You’ll have plenty of time to dive into college classes in future years!

Yes! All credit earned at Baker Early College is fully accredited and transfers to most Oregon high schools.

Baker Early College partners with nine community colleges across the state of Oregon. Students often enroll in one of our community college partners nearest to them. Rural students can enroll in one of our partner colleges that offers robust online options.

Students can work closely with their Baker Early College counselor to determine whether taking a higher credit load is the right choice for them. Any additional credits taken at the community college must be paid for by the individual student/family.

Yes. For college courses, you very well may have other high-school-aged students in your classes, but you will definitely have adults as classmates as well. It’s important to note that class content might also be mature at times, since it is being taught in a college setting.

Our school is designed for students who are seeking to challenge themselves and earn dual-credit for the majority of their coursework. With that said, we have a variety of courses available for you, including high school level options that can be taken as needed. We realize that every student is different and we will work with you to figure out the plan that is best for you and your future goals.