Students at Beckman High School are counseled on the most rigorous course of study with the goal of finding current and future interests for as many students as possible. Our counseling department consists of 6 counselors, a College and Career center counselor, a secretary, a data technician, a counseling technician and an office assistant. One of the underlying goals that we have in our counseling department is to find the best “fit” for all of our students. We look at course levels, student interests, and overall student well-being to produce a set of classes that the student can truly thrive in. Over the last several years, we have seen gains in our a-g rate, CTE program enrollment, Dual Enrollment opportunities, and Advanced Placement courses. These increases are due in large part to the combined efforts of our counseling department and their continued efforts to place students in a rigorous course of study that meets student interests and prepares them for post-secondary success.
A-G Rate
Providing an engaging and rigorous course of study for all students is a fundamental goal at Beckman. In 2018, 75.53% of graduating seniors met UC/CSU a-g course requirements, amounting to 503 out of 666 students. Beckman is committed to ensuring that as many students as possible complete the a-g requirements as a way to continue focus on ensuring post-secondary success and options for all students, including EL and the “middle students.”
CTE Programs
Substantial changes have been made to course offerings in an effort to provide support and interest options for all students here at Beckman. Pathways in STEAM now include Graphic Design, Media Arts, Film, Drama, Robotics, Applied Medical and Engineering courses. Our newest pathway includes the courses Intro to Engineering, Principles of Engineering, and Principles of Computer Science AP. All CTE courses are taught by CTE credentialed teachers with industry experience who work to generate real world experiences for their students with the goal of preparing them for the workplace within their chosen area of interest.
Dual Enrollment
Over the last four years, Beckman has added three new opportunities for students to participate in a Dual Enrollment program: Sports Medicine, Business/Entrepreneurship and Dance.
In response to student interest in Sports Medicine and Athletic training, Beckman partnered with Irvine Valley College (IVC) to provide two Sports Medicine classes that meet dual enrollment criteria. Students can take Kinesiology 85 and Kinesiology 215, which are Sports Medicine classes that are part of IVC’s own Sports Medicine pathway. KNES 85 takes place within a classroom with hands on activities and a more traditional structure while KNES 215 is a true internship opportunity where students are on the field with trainers responding to and preventing athletic injuries. Students receive credit for both high school and college by completing the two courses. The demand and growth of this program has been substantial enough for us to create a full three course CTE pathway which we have titled “Applied Medical.” The Applied Medical Pathway begins with Human Body Systems (a PLTW course), ROP Sports Medicine, and IVC KNES classes.
Additionally, recent senior surveys indicate that just under 20% of Beckman seniors plan to pursue business or economics once they graduate from high school. Every Beckman student receives a semester of instruction in economics as part of the TUSD graduation requirements; however, the need for exposure to business classes prompted an expansion of the partnership with IVC to include business/entrepreneurship classes. Beginning in the 2016 school year, students have the ability to enroll in 4 college level business classes that take place on Beckman’s campus and within the school bell schedule. While doing so, they earn both high school and college credit and earn a certificate in entrepreneurship from IVC.
One of our newest dual enrollment opportunities comes in the form of an online History of Dance class (IVC Dance 77). The course meets the needs of several student types: impacted class schedule, work restricted, and health restricted. Students participate in online discussions, complete assessments, and work through various online activities all within the structure and framework of a college learning management system. As with all of our dual enrollment opportunities, students receive both high school and college credit upon completion of the class.
As of this year, Beckman is also pursuing an opportunity for students to participate in a Dual Enrollment opportunity in the field of Communications. Students will have the opportunity to take Communications Fundamentals (COMM1) and Argument and Debate (COMM3). These classes are both UC/CSU transferable and meet CSU graduation requirements for Oral Communication and Critical Thinking. Plans for the classes will be finalized within the coming weeks with an initial offering of the courses in the fall of 2019.
AP Course Offerings and Participation Rate
Beckman currently offers 24 different Advanced Placement (AP) courses. We have spent a great deal of time selecting diverse course offerings and identifying possible students for participation with a goal of increasing both the pass rate and access rate of our students. We have added a Computer Science Principles class, a Human Geography class, and opened up our science offerings to varying grade levels. Data from our 5 year score summary shows that we have been successful in increasing the number of students who are accessing AP courses AND increasing the percentage of students who receive a passing score on an AP test.
Academic Supports
There are many ways Beckman has been working to address the needs of the student community within the classroom and beyond. Class sizes have been reduced significantly, and “seven-period days” have been limited for students in order to provide an atmosphere that prioritizes balance and focus in the academic schedule over cramming as many courses into the school day as possible.
Many interventions have been developed and expanded over the last several years. Peer tutoring has been broadened, which has improved school atmosphere and a sense of empowerment for both the tutors and tutees. After school options have also been added. Beckman has partnered with Titan Tutors (CSUF) to provide a tutoring center for math and science and has also created an after school writing center for one-on-one writing support. School ELAC meetings were previously held at Beckman High School, which was an inconvenient location for many parents of EL students who live in a community 5.5 miles away. The meetings were moved to a district elementary school in their community, which has been more convenient and increased attendance from an average of 5-10 parents to 20-30 at meetings in 2018-2019. This change also sent the message to the community that their students and our contact with the community is a priority.
Significant focus has been placed on addressing the diverse needs of all students working towards academic success. Counselors have developed online resources on a Haiku Page that show online videos, planning templates, and various other counseling-related information to help students and parents navigate high school and college/career planning.
Social/Emotional Supports
In the 2015-2016 school year, Beckman brought on a new freshman counselor to aid students in the transition from middle school to high school and help them with course selection, interventions, and any necessary social or academic support in this crucial first year. Shortly after in 2017, Beckman added another counselor whose task is specifically to assist students who need additional support. Students who are English Language Learners and students who are at-risk for various reasons are a primary focus.
Summary
Over the last several years, we have been extremely fortunate to see some tremendous gains here at Beckman. Our counseling program and the changes that have been initiated by student interactions are a major contributing factor. Research on student achievement overwhelmingly points to a positive correlation between a student’s academic engagement and their attendance, their grades, and their discipline. At Beckman, we believe that our counseling program can and does directly impact ALL aspects of student achievement while in high school and careful planning and thoughtful course selection places students on a path to success.