Indian Prairie School District 204 is working to expand college credit opportunities as the district implements a new postsecondary planning process to prepare students for what comes after high school.
The district is in early discussions with College of DuPage for the potential expansion of dual-credit opportunities and is using a new software platform, called SchooLinks, to help students track progress toward career or college readiness goals.
Earning state-certified skill endorsements
These postsecondary preparation updates come as high school students across Illinois are now eligible to receive college and career pathway endorsements to help show their skills and set them apart for future positions, said Brian Giovanini, District 204’s director of innovation at the latest IPSD 204 board meeting.
A state law called the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act created the endorsements, which are certified by the Illinois State Board of Education. Students in Indian Prairie are eligible to earn them in fields including digital media, engineering, education, media and communications, and information technology, as well as for roles including emergency medical technician and nursing assistant.
Students earn the certifications by meeting five requirements to help them explore their field of interest, Giovanini said. These include creating an individualized learning plan, completing two career exploration activities, participating in two team-based challenges, earning six hours of college credit while in high school and accruing 60 hours of a work-based learning experience.
“All the things a student is doing along this path are really great experiences and great resume builders,” Giovanini said.
Increasing ways to earn college credit
As the district builds up its offerings for students to earn the state-certified endorsements, administrators are seeking ways to offer more college credit. Advanced Placement and Project Lead the Way engineering courses are a couple of existing ways to earn college credits, but more could be coming.
“We’re working with College of DuPage on six additional credit classes to provide more college credit opportunities and workforce participation,” Giovanini said.
This was met with praise from school board members, especially Susan Demming.
“I’m very excited about the opportunity to see additional dual-credit opportunities for our students with COD because that has been something I’ve been interested in for many, many years,” Demming said. “So many students from other districts in our area have had opportunities for dual credit and college credit, so having that expansion is really, really beneficial for our district.”
Officials did not yet say in which courses or fields of study the new dual-credit opportunities could be added.
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