Lucerne Valley Middle High Puts Students On Dual Pathway

Instead of pursuing a livelihood that is either a career dependent on obtaining a college degree or one based solely on vocational training, Lucerne Valley Middle High School is encouraging its students to pursue not just one of those options, but both.

 

“Formerly ROP classes were geared for kids that weren’t going to go to college and instead going straight into the workforce,” Assistant Principal Jessica Haecker said during a presentation at the August 8th meeting of the Lucerne Valley Unified School District’s Board of Trustees.  “CTE (Career Technical Education) now includes both. It’s not college or career, it’s why not both of them?”

 

Furthermore, she added, “We’re doing a lot of work not only to prepare kids to enter the workforce but also to give them experiences so that they have a clearer picture of where they want to head when they go into college.”

 

 

 

Currently Lucerne Valley High School offers a number of CTE courses under four “sectors” and a number of “pathways.” Under the Agriculture and Natural Resources sector the pathways include Agriscience, Ag Mechanics, Agriculture Business and Animal Science. Other sectors include Transportation; Hospitality, Tourism & Recreation; and Manufacturing and Product Development.

 

Students on the Systems Diagnostics, Service & Repair pathway start with Automotive Fundamentals & Systems in Year 1 followed by Automotive Maintenance in Year 2. Food Service & Hospitality students will take Culinary Arts I in their first year followed by Culinary Arts II with middle school students being able to take a Culinary Arts elective. Middle-schoolers can take a graphic occupations class and to start their Graphic Production & Technology pathway and then take high school level Graphic Arts class in high school followed by Graphic Production. High-schoolers entering their Product Innovation & Design pathway will take Product Design & Engineering I class their first year and then take the Product Design & Engineering II their second year.

 

The Agriculture and Natural Resources is associated with the school’s perennially popular FFA program. The Agriscience pathway starts with AG Earth Science in the first year followed by AG Biology in the next. The Middle School offers an Intro to Ag class. Ag Mechanics has Ag Mechanics in Year 1 followed by Ag Design/Fabrication in Year 2. Currently the Agriculture Business pathway only has one class, Ag Government/Economics, as does the Animal Science pathway with a Veterinary Science Class.

 

 

In 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lucerne Valley High School seniors scored 38.9% on the College/Career Indicator (CCI), which is an element on the California School Dashboard. A number of measures are used as indicators including A-G completion, work-based experiences, leadership training, Advance Placement exams, Career Technical Education Pathway completion and more. The first year back after the pandemic the CCI percentage had dropped to 17%. LVHS seniors are on track to hit 40% or higher in 2024.

“So we’ve already gone higher than the COVID numbers.”

 

 

 

A-G classes are high school classes that are required by colleges.  A-G courses include specified classes under seven categories: A) History, B) English, C) Mathematics, D) Science, E) Language other than English, F) Visual and performing arts, and G) College-preparatory elective.

 

“We want to make sure that all of our CTE classes are A-G approved.” 

 

 

 

The number of CTE program “completers” who completed their course offerings in their chosen pathway rose dramatically this past year. In 2022, 54 students in grades 10-12 completed their CTE coursework. The number dropped to 45 in 2023, but skyrocketed to 91 in 2024.

 

CTE students are acknowledged as “completers” when they complete a full two-year sequence in a specific pathway.

 

“We want every student to complete at lease one sequence. Once they complete one completer they can bounce around and explore other pathways. We want them to get at least one full sequence and get inside a deeper understanding of that area and decide if it’s for them or not.”

 

Students are also considered completers when they have earned a semester of college credits and another sector they are college and career prepared. If they earn two semesters in their same pathways they are college and career prepared, Ms. Haecker said.

 

The number of high school senior CTE completers went from 27% of seniors in 2022, to 47% in 2023 to 70% in 2024. “There’s enormous growth there now.”

 

 

 

Articulation credits represent the number of courses with Victor Valley College agreements. Currently Lucerne Valley 68 percent of the CTE courses have that agreement, which means that students can receive college credit when taking the CTE course. “Our goal is to hit 100 percent.”

 

Students must earn an A or B grade on their final course exam to qualify for the college credit.

 

 

 

In 2021-22, there was only one certification and one pathway. Today there are six certifications offered in five pathways. “We want our students to leave us with a certification that’s industry’s going to recognize and give them a leg up when they get to the workforce.”

 

Lucerne Valley is looking to increase the number of certificate options. “We want to make sure every class has a certification tied to it.”

 

Industry certifications are going up. Last year the school’s CTE program awarded 99 certifications. “We do have a rule that each student leave here with at least one certification.”

 

 

Work-based learning hours connect that workplace to the classroom to prepare students for real-world careers. Examples are the student-led Culinary Arts’ on-campus Corral Restaurant, the Graphic Production student-led Enterprise Imagine Ink and the junior livestock auction in the FFA program. Although each program has a teacher, the students set the prices and “they decide everything.”

 

 

 

Although the school’s CTE automotive program has been doing outside work, it hasn’t been an actual student enterprise. To elevate the program to actual work-based, the students will be learning to write up service tickets and then perform the work, just like a real business.

 

Mitsubishi Cement will be offering internships in Mechatronics in the future, and the Culinary Arts program is looking into starting a mobile coffee cart. The CTE program is looking to expand industry certifications for all pathways and ensure every graduating senior leaves LVHS with a certification.  Ms. Haecker wants to increase the number of students receiving college credits and make sure that all courses have A-G approval and articulation agreement.

Also, the school’s Culinary Arts room is undergoing a renovation to make it an actual professional work environment. Next, the school will expand its fabrication shop.

 

“That’s where we’re at,” Ms. Haecker said. “It’s awesome, great work. It’s exciting. To see those numbers jump in such a short time is phenomenal.”

 

 

“You’ve done an amazing job with this program,” said school board member Jim Harvey.

 

“I’m only as good as my team,” Ms. Haecker replied, crediting the teachers and counselors. “Those teachers are phenomenal, and they work so positively together and make sure the entire program is quality.”

 

Lucerne Valley’s CTE program not only impresses locals but other schools have inquired and asked to visit the campus.

 

“We’re becoming a model for other small schools. That’s exciting too,” she said.