Advanced Broadcast Journalism and Digital Music Production 2?
Beginning Guitar and Improv Theater?
All of these are new courses available to Miramonte students this coming fall, and all are designed to help Acalanes Union High School District (AUHSD) students “achieve post-secondary success in college and career,” according to Assistant Superintendent John Walker, who introduced the newly approved course catalogue at the Jan. 14 Governing Board meeting.
“The course catalog addresses a range of issues beyond just describing the course offerings,” he said. “[It provides] pathway information, information about alternative educational programming, graduation requirements, college eligibility requirements and information about a range of post-secondary opportunities.”
In other words, students can see if the courses they are considering will help build toward career goals and college entrance requirements.
Some of the new course offerings, approved by the board in December, build on existing courses.
For example, Communications 3, another new course, gives students more advanced oral rhetorical moves than the first two classes in the communications series and helps students “learn to listen more accurately and critically to spoken messages,” according to the course
description.
“The continued practice of preparing, giving and evaluating speeches that students do in Communications 3 allows them to reach (or grow closer to reaching) mastery of these essential skills that are foundational to core academic areas, as well as their future success beyond high school,” the description says.
Advanced Broadcast Journalism builds on the broadcast journalism course introduced in the 2024-25 school year and gives students exposure to the latest production technology and skills. Throughout the year students get a chance to create news packages and produce live broadcasting of schoolwide events.
Other new classes are designed to jumpstart new interests.
“The good thing about. . . beginning guitar or digital music production, those are courses you can take if you didn’t learn. . . the violin when you’re in fourth grade… or the saxophone or whatever,” said Superintendent John Nickerson. “If you didn’t get into the music program before you got to high school, you can still jump in. All kids love music, so it’s an access point.”
Some courses try to cater to students whose interests don’t always align with their busy schedules.
The Improv Theater course description says, “The course will appeal to students who enjoy acting or wish to try it for the first time, but are deterred from the rehearsing, line memorization, public performances and after school commitment that a traditional drama class requires.”
Nickerson said one goal of new curriculum is to find ways “to sneak feed [students] knowledge that they wouldn’t get in another course.”
He pointed to the addition of a second digital music production class as one example. “That was really driven by [a] music teacher and [a] principal saying, ‘We need to rethink music,’ as enrollment was declining. And then they said, ‘Well, let’s try digital’.”
That proved to be a popular elective.
Not all the courses will be available on all district campuses. While the board approves new courses, it’s up to principals on each campus to choose what they can offer there.
For example, the Advanced Automotive Engineering course, which offers students instruction in “advanced technology and practices, tune-up, emission control, power transmission, brakes, machine operations, diagnostics, computer controls suspension, steering, fuel systems and engine overhaul” and includes both classroom and practical time, won’t be available at Miramonte because the school no longer has an appropriate space to hold it.
But Nickerson said that in some cases students can arrange to take an elective course at another campus (if transportation and timing allow it.)
Even if a new course is made available, it needs at least 20 to 30 enrollees to be viable.
The Course Catalog also introduces the district’s first-ever dual enrollment courses through its partnership with Diablo Valley College.
“Those [are] four semester courses being offered in the business pathway,” he told the board at that January meeting. “Introduction to Business and Business Law, and then two in the culinary pathway: kitchen safety certification and then a basic ‘kitchen one’ course, offering a range of culinary skills. We’re thrilled about this emerging partnership.”
Most California high schools now offer dual enrollment courses, which allow students to earn college credits while pursuing their high school diplomas.
Nickerson said that the overarching goal of designing and offering electives is to help prepare every student for future success.
In line with that, the district held its first trades’ fair on Feb. 10 for students and parents. The array of industries represented included homebuilding and carpentry, law enforcement and fire.
Lawrence Livermore National Lab was one of several local employers that chose to have a major presence at the fair, promoting programs and jobs that do not require a bachelor’s degree.
“We’re looking at the whole kid and the whole kid’s development, and what’s missing in our school,” Nickerson said. “What is an opportunity that we think the kids would thrive on, that would really carry them well for their post-secondary pursuits?”
AUHSD expands course catalog with new electives and college courses
