| The Huntington Beach City School District serves approximately 5,105 students with over 164 credentialed teachers in the K-6th grades. HBCSD has a long history of successful instructional programs. The Arnold & Mabel Beckman Foundation has helped HBCSD build on its strong foundation of academic success and provide additional opportunities for students to engage in hands-on, inquiry-based science instruction. Our goal is to have all students actively engaged in the “doing” and learning of science.
The 2009-2010 school year marks the eleventh year of HBCSD’s participation as a Beckman@Science District. Prior to the Beckman@Science grant, teachers used textbooks and were left on their own to gather materials to deliver science instruction. Participation in the grant has enabled HBCSD to implement high-quality science curriculum and on-going professional development to our teachers. Kindergarten through sixth grade teachers are trained on three science modules in earth, life, and physical sciences. In the 1999-2000 school year, only 29% of the students received instruction. Currently, 91% of the students receive instruction in two or more modules.
HBCSD has teamed with Fountain Valley and Westminster School Districts to establish the ScienceWorks Consortium. The consortium shares a science coordinator, professional development, refurbishing warehouse, and refurbishing staff. All kits are sent out on a regimented schedule three times per year.
As we look to the future, we will continue to provide meaningful science professional development to all our K-6 teachers. In combined effort with the ScienceWorks Consortium, we will enrich the science modules to meet all the California Science Standards. HBCSD will maintain our strong commitment to ensure that all of our students have the opportunity to experience exciting hands-on inquiry-based lessons.
Our greatest challenge is to meet the constant growing financial demands of this innovative and dynamic science program. Parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders and business partners have formed the ScienceWorks Advocacy Committee. They are currently developing a campaign to grow community awareness and establish science advocates in all sectors of our community. With this wonderful collaboration of the business, school, and family communities we hope to sustain this successful program. In alliance with the Beckman@Science’s goals, we are preparing HBCSD's children for tomorrow's world by making science a core subject throughout their entire elementary school education.
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