The Innovations team spent the past year designing a new registration guide that includes College/Career Pathways and Programs of Study. This new design helps students make informed decisions about their education. They work to help students feel confident about what they choose to do after high school and see the connection between the work they do in high school to what the path they chose to take once they graduate. 

Junior Sophie Cronk participates on the Innovations Team. She works with many teachers and staff. 

“It’s a really unique experience. And it’s really fun because I get to know other teachers that I would not usually know. And I think that it gives both of us better insight because I get to see how teachers think. And they get to see how students think and it’s fun to build connections with them,” Cronk explained. 

The Innovations Team works to better meet the needs of all students by changing how courses are organized to help them better understand what courses they might want to take and the pathways through programs. By changing the way students look at courses, it may help them experiment with different college/career paths. There are four Pathways offered for students: Arts, Business, Industry and Technology and Health Sciences and Human Services.

“We’re building staff support and really learning what staff already does that matches what we’re trying to do, and incorporating that into a more school wide effort and intentional effort to help kids feel good about what their interests are,” Bob Manning global studies teacher said. 

In addition to the four Pathways, there are 12 Programs of Studies to explore. The main change students see is the format. By doing this students will have an easier time deciding what to take. 

“This year, we’re really looking at what we currently are offering and then asking, how could we repackage or slightly change that? I think what you’ll see at registration time is a different layout of how our courses are offered. The courses themselves probably haven’t changed massively in any real foreseeable way. But it’s that first step towards some bigger changes on the horizon for the following year and the following year. We’re effectively trying to move slow to move fast and do it very purposefully. We want to get everybody on board and understand what might some of those far reaching changes actually mean,” Assistant Principal Aaron Drevlow said. 

The Innovations team is working to help connect students to the community and staff. They do this by connecting professionals of various fields to talk with students during flex time. They want students to have connections and feel supported. Career explorations will be a big feature or including Pathways programs in the school.

The Innovations Team is trying, “to implement some things, build staff support, And build connections to the community,” Manning said.

“We’re working to make it so it’s easier for people to know what classes they’re going to take and how that’s actually going to help them in the real world,” Cronk added.

Students will learn about Pathways following MEA break in their 5th hour classes. The new 2020-21 registration guide will reflect the Career/College Pathways and Programs of Study.