Hollister
– In an effort to encourage students to consider college as part
of their post-high school plans, San Benito High School will offer
classes through Gavilan College this fall that will introduce
students to college-level work and help them begin to earn
university-transferable credits at the same t
ime.
Hollister – In an effort to encourage students to consider college as part of their post-high school plans, San Benito High School will offer classes through Gavilan College this fall that will introduce students to college-level work and help them begin to earn university-transferable credits at the same time.
“Gilroy and Morgan Hill have both had programs like this for some time,” said SBHS Superintendent Jean Burns Slater at Wednesday’s Board of Trustees meeting. “So it’s exciting that we’re able to offer these classes now, as well.”
Two semester-long “early college” courses will be available to SBHS juniors and seniors. One of them combines a basic self-improvement psychology course with a study skills class. The other is an introduction to cinema class. In addition to satisfying SBHS elective credits, students can receive up to six units of college credit that can be applied toward Gavilan College and the California State University system, but not necessarily the University of California System.
Though SBHS has offered Advanced Placement courses for years – rigorous, university-level classes culminating in one exam that determines whether or not a student receives college credit – typically AP programs only attract high-achieving students who already have college plans.
These new courses, Schroder said, are designed for students who have the potential to succeed in college but are unsure of their academic ability or don’t consider themselves the “college type.”
“We’re not going for our AP students,” said Karen Schroder, director of Alternative and Special Education, at the meeting. “But we want to show students that they can go to college if they’re willing to do the work.”
For the first semester of the year, students will take a study skills class that teaches proper use of the Internet and a career development class that encourages to students to determine what is really important to them professionally. The second semester is a standard film history class that satisfies a college humanities credit.
“These are really useful classes that will greatly benefit our students,” Schroder said.
Rather than being bussed to Gavilan College every other day, students will take the online versions of the courses in a computers class at SBHS, and a teacher will help deliver the lesson and assist students with their work. Students will only need to go to Gavilan three times – for the class introduction, mid-term and final exams.
“I like that the students actually spend some time at the college,” said Slater. “I’ve always felt a little cheated because the college is more accessible to students in Morgan Hill and Gilroy, while we have to deal with that nasty freeway.”
Students will be responsible for paying for their own tuition at $26 per unit, or around $68 a semester, but SBHS will provide any student textbooks that are necessary and provide financial assistance to students who qualify for the free and reduced lunch program.
The courses will be available starting in the fall, and school officials indicated at the meeting that several students had already expressed interest in them, particularly the film course.
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
