OCEANSIDE - Some of Oceanside High School's staff members received an "academy award" and an Oscar-like trophy, earlier this month, for their work supporting the school's students.

The honor came from the California Department of Education and the Los Angeles County Office of Education, which recognized Oceanside High for the work of the school's student support team, which includes a school-based resource officer, a nurse, two psychologists, five guidance counselors and other staff members.

Two other North County schools, San Dieguito Academy, and San Marcos High School, were among the 120 winning schools in California.

"A lot of what we're looking for is the ability to express what the (support system) does for students, for parents and the community at large," said Bob Tyra, counseling consultant for the County Office of Education. "Are kids getting more scholarships? Is there less fighting on campus?"

Tyra said the award went to schools that demonstrated annual progress towards such goals as reducing dropout rates and increasing the number of high school seniors that attend college. Tyra said a school's guidance counselors are "the backbone" of student support teams.

"I'm thrilled to win," Gayle Hamilton, the school's head counselor said recently. "I've been working on it for years."

Hamilton boasts of the strides Oceanside High students have made in recent years. She said 78 percent of the school's seniors went to a college or technical school in 2005-06, up from about 37 percent two years earlier. Expulsions dropped from 16 in the fall of 2005 to three in the fall of 2006.

Hamilton said she believes counselors were key to increasing the percentage of the school's college-bound students.

This year, counselors visited every classroom to talk about preparing for college. The school also increased the size of its counseling department from four to five counselors - three are bilingual - before the start of the school year.

Hamilton said counselors are planning to expand their services further by launching a ninth-grade orientation day for incoming freshman Aug. 22, which will help students learn about the school, meet teachers and student-mentors.

Tyra said the award was designed to highlight the work counseling departments are doing statewide. The Los Angeles County Office of Education is preparing to send Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger "report cards" detailing each winning high school's counseling and support team services.

Tyra said schools benefit from preparing the detailed award application because it enables schools to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their counseling programs.

- Contact staff writer Keith Rushing at (760) 901-4151 or krushing@nctimes.com.