Township High School District 214 Considers Adding New Classes

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Township High School District 214 is considering adding new classes to their curriculum next year, The Daily Herald reports.

As the district continues to zone in on college and career readiness, district officials recommend adding new classes due to many students identifying their interests in pursuing careers in criminal justice and law.

Lazaro Lopez, the associate superintendent, said there were 563 students in District 214 who identified law as their career cluster of interest.

The new classes would include Criminal & Civil Law, Constitutional Law, 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 enable students to earn credit for experiences outside of school.

These classes would start as semester-long electives at Elk Grove and Hersey high schools starting during the 2017-2018 school year, the associate superintendent Lazaro Lopez told The Daily Herald. They would likely be offered at other schools in later years.

"Students who have courses in their career cluster can get a head start toward a better career path," Lopez said in The Daily Herald.

The district will work with partners like the Northwest Suburban Bar Association's mock trial program so students can gain real-world experiences and internships. The district currently offers various dual-credit forensics and criminal justice courses with Harper College.

The school board will approve the new courses at its next meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

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