Janna Bialek, Co-editor, Banter
More than 100 parents—half of them new to B-CC—attended the annual presentation by Principal Sean Bulson on “The State of B-CC.” Attendees gained an overview of the successes and challenges our school faces, as well as had an opportunity to ask questions directly in areas of concern. Bulson sees this, in his words, “not just as an opportunity to brag about some of the things that are going well, but to also paint a realistic picture of B-CC, and present some of our challenges.”
He opened with the school’s vision statement: All students at B-CC High School will graduate ready to continue their education to become productive citizens of the world. This statement reflects the school’s goal of producing lifelong learners, capable of meeting the challenges posed by our complex society.
Bulson then shared some statistics about the school: there are 115 professional staff, with 92 teachers; the average class size is 27. Our enrollment was originally projected to drop from 1690 to 1653, but we currently have 1724 students enrolled; grades 11 and 9 were particularly impacted. Our diverse student body includes 393 students who are not originally from the United States—they hail from 69 different countries and speak a total of 28 languages other than English. He applauded the efforts of the PTSA’s International Connections Committee and the Welcoming Committee in welcoming these families, and expressed the desire to continue to find ways to make all new students feel welcomed at B-CC.
Course enrollment statistics showed that 81% of our seniors are enrolled in at least one IB or AP course; 91% of our students are currently enrolled in at least one honors course. While this may sound like a surprising statistic, Bulson noted that our students have, throughout their career, worked at a level way above the national norm, and that in the universe of honors classes, our students are well prepared. However, one disappointing note was that SAT and IB exam numbers were down last year, although the number of enrollees for this year’s IB exam is up to 100, the highest ever. He noted that there are national trends that may have affected the SAT numbers, including the possibility that more students may be instead taking the ACT, but said he will continue to puzzle through the scores to interpret their meaning.
Last year marked a high number of students taking AP classes—1093, with a little more than half of that number taking the culminating test. Among those who did take the test, the scores averaged their highest ever, a 3.58. High numbers of students passed their High School Assessment tests (HSAs) relative to the county average, but, since all students in their Junior year and below are required to pass the HSA for graduation, the school has a plan to work with the students who still need to pass the tests.
One of the themes for his presentation was that this would be a “Year of Reflection.” Bulson noted that reaccreditation planning, self-study for the IB diploma program, and IB Middle Years reauthorization will be driving the school to find ways to improve. The School Improvement Plan has a goal of decreasing by 10% the number of academically ineligible students in the 07/08 School Year (academic ineligibility refers to students who don’t maintain a 2.0 GPA, or have failed more than one class.) Approximately 300 students, or 20% of the total, per quarter don’t meet this requirement.
This grim statistic has forced the school to look at what happens when a student fails, with the hope that this introspection will ultimately benefit all students, not just those at-risk. Teacher training in accessing student data continues, as does the effort to monitor students through communication (especially increasing the use of Edline to 100% participation), to promote interventions for at-risk students, and to increase parent and community involvement. He noted that a program to include “equitable practices,” namely, in-class protocols to ensure that all students are equally treated and given a message of equal expectations, has made teachers aware of classroom dynamics and other strategies for better teaching of all students.
Bulson mentioned the IB program as an exemplar learning model, as its underlying philosophy is to look at an area of inquiry from more than one perspective, as well as to have students take ownership of their learning. Although he pointed out that the MYP personal project receives criticism, he noted that it embodies the important elements that form the cornerstone of this program--relationships, relevance, and rigor, by establishing connection with a mentor, by being student-selected learning in an area that’s relevant to them, and rigorous application to make it interesting, challenging, and rewarding. He notes additionally that, since students don’t receive a grade for the project, it sends a message that they are learning for the sake of learning, not for a grade.
The ATMS program, a “home-grown” track of challenging technology, science and math courses, was developed to fit in with the AP and IB offerings that the school already had in place, and is another example of rigorous learning at B-CC. As it continues to evolve, the ATMS takes advantage of resources in our area that allow our students opportunities for internships and special projects.
Commending parents and the B-CC Educational Foundation, Bulson mentioned a number of supports in place to help students achieve. In addition to TAP, there is the Summer Academy for incoming 9th graders, its offshoot, the BRAG team, which mentors students, the National Honor Society tutoring program, the Open Lab at the Cyber Café, and the AP/IB Seminar, which supports students in those classes who need study strategies and additional encouragement.
Bulson closed by reminding parents of the importance of supporting the work of instrumental booster clubs, the PTSA, the online store, the Educational Foundation, and other groups, which are instrumental in the school's ongoing efforts to help all students achieve. Further, he noted that it was “easier than ever” to donate to these groups, since the online store is poised for contributions. “It’s impossible to sum up the incredible place that is B-CC in just an hour,” Bulson closed, and yet it was, once again, a very informative taste of what goes on behind the scenes at our school.