I can't speak to the Running Start program, but the CC's around here are a joke - I have a friend who teaches English Comp. at one of the local CC's, and she said it's like teaching 8th grade all over again. I also had a friend who (for financial reasons) attended CC for her first two years. She ended up having to take Intro Chem and Intro Physics over again in the 4-year university, since the CC didn't adequately prepare her and she was lost in upper level courses. However, there are some CC's out there with excellent programs, so I would evaluate your CC (and observe some classes) before making a decision along those lines.
The sad thing is this isn't just CC's. I have seen it at 4 year colleges. I was a Professor's teacher assistant while working on my masters and could not believe how the US History freshman class was exactly the same as 11th grade history in high school. I knew this because I was also a student teacher for 11th grade US History. So curriculum is the same but the process in which I was required to grade the tests showed just how low the bar was set. Professors have a quota to keep and too many 'F' is frowned upon. I was appalled at how little the students have to know to pass the class.
Sorry to even post to this b/c I am really taking this thread off topic, but reading the above quote just set me off about how 'dumb down' is becoming the norm in so many ways and it really saddens me.
