Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) has been a proud participant in the Beckman@Science Program as a member district since 2001.  This has afforded our elementary school teachers the opportunity to be trained in a universal set of skills and strategies designed to enhance inquiry-based, hands-on scienc. 

As part of our involvement in Beckman, CUSD has developed a comprehensive plan to further develop and sustain our science program by addressing the following:

• CUSD’s SMART (Science Materials and Resources Training) Center, which opened in the fall of 2009, realized increased utilization by CUSD teachers during the 2011-12 school year. With the implementation of a new online ordering system, teachers were able to schedule and receive Beckman@Science kits throughout the year. Volunteers from the local community (middle school, high school students and scouts) assist the replenishment and refurbishment process
• Providing ongoing training to K-5 teachers on incorporating hands-on, inquiry-based learning in science, through the use of Beckman@Science kits at each grade level
• Building leadership capacity within our teacher population with the goal of increasing our pool of Beckman@Science kit trainer experts
• Establishing mentor field trips where high school students teach hands-on kit activities to 5th grade students from Title I schools
• Fostering the development of community links such as the Ocean Institute, The Ecology Center, the PEAK Energy Program, Saddleback College, and local businesses, as a means of sustaining continuing implementation of hands-on, inquiry-based science

Tremendous emphasis is placed on participation in the Beckman program. All of CUSD’s elementary schools use Beckman@Science kits, exposing our students to the quality, inquiry-based science instruction they promote. The results of this commitment are revealed in the District’s state testing results: 79% of Capistrano 5th graders scored “Proficient” or “Advanced” on the 2011 Science CST, a rate exceeding that of the state and other districts in Orange County. This represents a 6% increase over the previous year. Since 2007, scores have improved from 54% to 79%.

CUSD continues to support teachers’ integration of kits with other areas of science instruction so that students receive standards-based, inquiry infused hands on experiences. We feel strongly that tomorrow’s leaders will need to be creative problem solvers, team players, and effective communicators, all of which is developed with inquiry based science activities. Through the generosity of the Beckman@Science program and its focus on the importance of hands on science, CUSD is well on the way to providing students with these important lifelong skills, thus ensuring their future success.