On Nov. 13, D303 introduced a new college and career preparatory guide intended to help students and parents make informed decisions about academic and career pathways from middle school and beyond. Called the Academic Program Guide (APG), this 60-page-long document replaced the Course Offering Book (COB), which has previously been the primary course selection tool used by students. However, the APG features more information than just descriptions of the courses offered at North. It features course recommendations for specific career pathways, information on graduation requirements, grading and more.
Melinda Roberts, assistant principal for Instructional Programs, worked on the creation of the APG, a project that has been in motion for over a year. A big part of the planning process was looking for inspiration, using Township High School District 214’s program guide as a guideline for the APG.
“We took a look at some other districts that have some pretty comprehensive programming guides, and District 214 had one that we really liked,” said Roberts. “Our district office got in touch with District 214 and got some information, and then we were off. We took what we already had through our course offering book, and we broke it down.”
The APG includes lots of information, with a particular focus on suggested courses for specific career fields, such as journalism or pre-med. However, the district is keen to emphasize that the APG’s recommendations for courses should not be used as a complete year-by-year plan for the rest of high school.
“It’s really supposed to be like a guiding light, not necessarily like you’re [students] stuck in this and you can’t get out. Because we know that that’s not realistic for life,” said Katharine Gomez, assistant principal of College and Career Readiness, who also played a role in the development of the APG. “We know that’s not realistic, so we want to make sure that we’re being transparent and clear with how to get there, but also being pragmatic and understanding that you might change your mind and that’s okay.”
Ultimately, the district and North’s CCR office are excited about the new resource, with the hope that it will provide students and parents with the tools and information needed to make educated decisions about their plans for high school, college and beyond.
“[The APG] is just so much more clearly organized and transparent to help you get from point A to point B, whatever your goal is going to be. So I think it’s going to be really, really transformative for our district. It’s going to really help guide strong conversations during course selection,” said Gomez. “I think it’s gonna be really great.”
