In the last few school years, there have been changes to Kaneland High School’s graduation requirements, mostly resulting in broadening specific class requirements to more general subject requirements. While it’s important to let students pick classes that will be specific to their plans for life outside of high school, some classes within these groups should be left as their own requirement.
The former graduation requirement of Application of Technology, now titled Introduction to Business Computing, has now been added to a collection of classes called Orientation Level Career Tech Education (CTE) courses. Students can earn half credits from any classes in this group, such as Intro to Agriculture, Child Development, Foods and Nutrition 1, Introduction to Business, Computer Science 1, Graphic Communications 1, Engineering 1, CAD 1, Construction 1 and Intro to Mechanics in order to fulfill that graduation requirement. KHS principal Melinda Cattell said this allows students more variety to pick a class that will specifically prepare them for what they want to pursue in the future.
“It’s to make sure we’re providing students with more orientation [and to] see whether you like it or don’t,” Cattell said.
However, this means that students may not gain experience with Microsoft programs, a topic taught in Introduction to Business Computing, which could create problems for them in the future.
Besides the expectation of knowing how to use Microsoft programs in various careers, it is also quite useful in personal life. From charting things like taxes, schedules and habits on Excel to creating a resume or flexing creative skills in Word, the skills gained in Introduction to Business Computing will be helpful in a student’s life. Some students may view this class as boring, potentially making them hesitant to take it to fill their Orientation Level CTE credit. However, because of the value of having those skills, it should stay as a requirement.
“If you look at any job ads, most of them say they want some type of Excel or advanced Excel [training],” former Introduction to Business Computing teacher Renee Grisch said.
Another subject area that has been recently changed involves the science requirements. When the current seniors began high school, they were required to take at least half a credit of each of the following sciences: environmental science, biology, chemistry and physics. However, the Course Selection Description document found on the Kaneland High School website shows that students are now required to take a full credit of Physical Sciences and a full credit of Life Sciences. This change was made to give some subjects, such as biology, more opportunity for instruction.
“[Biology] used to be year-long a while ago, and then they switched it to semester,” Cattell said. “Teachers have found it beneficial for the students to have it be a year-long class.”
Because they are no longer required to take all four classes, some students may never take an environmental science, physics or chemistry course. Despite some students’ general reluctance to take all of those science courses, it is important for them to be exposed to many different learning opportunities. While having more in-depth science classes is certainly beneficial, students should still be required to take a class in all four subjects.
High school is a place where students gain a plethora of beginner level knowledge to help guide them towards what fits best. Students come into the high school environment to make mistakes, pursue many paths, try new things and follow passions, some of which they may not even know they have.
Students may surprise themselves by discovering a topic they want to further explore in the future simply by being required to take certain classes. About 80% of students who go on to college end up changing their major at least once, according to the Student Research Group.
“You don’t know what the next page of your life looks like,” Grisch said.
