CCSD21 middle schools to see exploratory, music scheduling changes for 2023-24 school year

As students return to Cooper, Holmes or London Middle Schools in the fall - including those involved in the choral, band or orchestra programs - they are likely to see some structural changes to the exploratory program schedule.

Students in sixth grade orchestra or seventh or eighth grade band/orchestra will now be pulled from their physical education class twice a week to have large group rehearsal time. This varies from the 2022-23 school year, when students were pulled from a variety of exploratories, including Project Lead the Way.

"We had a number of concerns from our parents, students and exploratory staff about missing these classes twice a week to join one of the music programs, especially as students could find it harder to catch up if they're only attending three of five classes each week," said Dr. Beatrice Childress, assistant superintendent for equity and learning. "By missing their P.E. classes twice a week now, students won't fall as far behind and we still meet the Illinois School Code of requiring students to engage in a course for a minimum of three days per five-day week."

Sixth grade band will also become an exploratory course that meets daily for 40 minutes. This would replace early-morning rehearsals, giving students a slight increase in the number of minutes for this class. This would also afford an opportunity for students who are potentially unable to participate due to the early-morning rehearsals.

"We're really looking to give students the chance to take advantage of the opportunities they may otherwise miss," Childress said. "This structure would also help kids who maybe didn't join band in elementary school. It gives them a 'beginner's band' layer that would allow them to come in at sixth grade."

Additionally, chorus will now be offered as an exploratory in seventh grade at Holmes and London and eighth grade at Cooper. Childress sees no change to sixth grade chorus, as it will meet during homebase as it did during the 2022-23 school year.

One overarching change that all middle school students should see is the substitution of the Global Awareness exploratory with an Academic Lab. While district staff will work throughout the summer to develop a framework, scope and sequence for this new exploratory, the aim of Academic Lab is to give students a homework period that blends with executive functioning and goal setting. Global Awareness, meanwhile, will be pushed back into the social studies curriculum.