District 214 might offer new courses focusing on law, equity

Northwest Suburban High School District 214 officials are recommending adding new classes to the curriculum next year, including a few for students who are interested in pursuing careers in law and criminal justice.

The additions come as the district is increasingly focused on college and career readiness, as well as aligning student interests with career pathways, said Lazaro Lopez, associate superintendent.

The classes - Criminal & Civil Law and Constitutional Law - will be the first courses in a sequence that officials hope will encourage students to pursue a broad range of careers in the legal profession. The semester-long elective classes will begin at Elk Grove and Hersey high schools, but likely be offered at other schools in later years, Lopez said.

Lopez said the new career pathway - which will focus on law and equity - is an effort to encourage students who are underrepresented in certain careers such as policing or law, to explore and pursue them.

He said the district will work with partners such as the Northwest Suburban Bar Association's mock trial program to give students real-world experiences and internships. The district already offers a number of dual-credit courses with Harper College focusing on forensics and criminal justice.

Lopez said there are 563 students in District 214 who have identified law as their career cluster of interest.

Other new courses include a class on Middle Eastern politics, a science class called Investigatory Design, a class called Geospatial Technology to focus on GIS mapping, and a micro-internship course to allow students to earn credit for experiences outside of school. The new courses would be part of the curriculum starting during the 2017-2018 school year.

"All of these opportunities are focused on delivering our commitment to college and career-ready students," Lopez said. "We know students that do college-level work in high school are ready for college and students who have courses in their career cluster can get a head start toward a better career path."

The District 214 school board will approve the new courses at its next meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15.