General BHS Information

Welcome to Beckman High School!

Hello Beckman community, my name is Donnie Rafter, and after more than a decade here, my commitment to serving as Principal of Beckman High School remains as strong as ever. I know many of you already, but for those of you who are new to our community, I wanted to reintroduce myself and share a bit about my background and aspirations for our school.

I'm a local through and through, having grown up in Tustin and attended schools within the Tustin Unified School District. After graduating from UC Irvine, I spent nine years teaching math and coaching volleyball at Woodbridge High School in Irvine. My experiences living and working within the Tustin and Irvine communities have deeply shaped me, and that local perspective has been a huge asset during my time here at Beckman.

My primary hope for Beckman is to continue building on the outstanding foundation established over the past two decades. Beckman is truly a unique high school where Academics, Arts, Activities, and Athletics all converge to create one of the best high schools in the county. I firmly believe that a well-rounded high school experience is crucial for student success, extending far beyond graduation. My goal is to collaborate with our students, staff, and the broader community to enhance our achievements and foster even greater student involvement and connections to the school. We will uphold our commitment to academic excellence while strongly advocating for student wellness and a positive school culture.

I strongly believe that clear communication and robust collaboration among administrators, parents, teachers, and students are fundamental to our school's continued success. As we move through the school year, please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Donnie Rafter
Principal, Beckman High School
drafter@tustin.k12.ca.us

Mission Statement

      LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.

 

Vision Statement

Beckman High School is a dynamic learning community of dedicated students, educators, staff, parents, and community partners, who are dedicated to achieving excellence in education through a focus on learning, leadership, and service. Our programs that focus on the Four A’s (Academics, Activities, Arts, and Athletics) are dedicated to developing self-motivated, analytical, creative, and engaged members of society. Beckman High School strives for educational excellence and continuous improvement through researched-based instruction, current technology, professional development, and reflection on data. Beckman High School is committed to maintaining high standards and academic excellence for all students.

Learn:

Beckman staff continues to challenge and engage all students and provides the curriculum, instruction, assessment, and support to succeed. The school is staffed by experienced and expertly-prepared teachers who engage in continuous professional development individually and collaborate as a learning community on campus. Beckman High School holds high expectations for all students, and curricula are focused on rigorous content and meaningful application for post-secondary goals. Beckman High School practices widespread and meaningful inclusion of all students at all levels. Parents and the community are actively engaged in student learning and success through supporting high-quality instruction, curriculum, and activities.

Lead:

Beckman High School is focused on developing excellent school leaders among the students. Beckman prioritizes leadership for all students, whether it is through academics, arts, activities, or athletics. Our Four A Philosophy is based on the belief that all students have the ability and responsibility to be leaders on campus and in the local and global community now and into the future. In addition, Beckman parents and the local community are a vital part of our focus on leadership. School staff are consistently supported in their efforts to improve in their profession and leadership through professional development and collaboration. Parents lead through involvement in parent groups, student support groups, and at home. Community businesses are actively involved in supporting student activities and fundraisers, and members of the community come to teach, inform, and inspire students through real-world applications for learning.

Serve:

Beckman students take an active role in the school and greater community as part of our mission to develop engaged local and global citizens. The positive involvement and support of staff, parents, and community challenges students to develop their potential as responsible, engaged, and empathetic members of society and become responsible and respectful citizens. Through current and engaging curricula, school activities and clubs, community partnerships, and future-oriented counseling, students, and staff join in a mindset of service. Kindness, empathy, and application of learning for the betterment of the community at large are at the center of what it means to be a Beckman Patriot.

Alma Mater

Words by Kim Kollias
Music by Jim Kollias and Nancy Stuck

Hail to thee our Alma Mater
Beckman High our home.
Vict'ries won and lessons learned,
our path is now our own.
Our friendships we will treasure
wherever we may go.
Now fight on like Patriot heroes,
their mem'ry we uphold

 

Fight Song

Fight On Patriots!
Music by Kim Kollias
Words by Jim Kollias, Dennis Kim, Jackie Gosselin & Madison Morris

Fight, On, Patriots fight!
Vict'ry for Beckman High!
Marching across the foothills,
Over the Tustin fields,
Fearless we stand together,
Fighting until they yield.
Stand up for Beckman High School,
Forge on red, white, and blue!
Fight, On, Patriots fight!
Vict'ry for Beckman High!

Beckman High School Comprehensive Counseling Program

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.