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Board reviews CTE course changes, approves partnership with Collinsville Area Vocational Center
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Summary
District staff proposed several CTE and academic course changes and the board voted to join the Collinsville Area Vocational Center, giving juniors and seniors access to vocational programs at Collinsville High School.
District administrators presented proposed curriculum changes and a new intergovernmental agreement to join the Collinsville Area Vocational Center (CAVC). The board approved the intergovernmental agreement to allow O'Fallon students to apply to CAVC programs; other course additions and name changes were presented and described for future board action.
Mr. Graham presented the education report and described several changes in career and technical education (CTE) and traditional academic offerings. He said the CTE department is renaming "Advanced Apps Excel Access" to "Advanced Apps Excel" because the partner college is dropping Access; the change aligns the high-school dual-credit title with the college. He described a change to Advanced Video Production so that the course appears on transcripts with distinct level identifiers (Advanced Video Production 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) to better reflect progressively more complex work when students repeat the class up to five times.
New course proposals included a renamed multimedia/communications production survey course intended to broaden the curriculum to include social-media production and modern media communication, and a new semester-long Introduction to Artificial Intelligence that will be part of the computer-networking pathway; the presenter said the AI class would teach use, application and programming of AI and that only a few regional high schools currently offer the state-level course. In social studies the district proposed adding AP European History and opening it to qualified sophomore students. In mathematics the district proposed moving AP Calculus AB to replace a current regular calculus course and adding AP Calculus BC to let some students advance further in the AP sequence.
On the vocational partnership, Mr. Graham summarized CAVC's program model: Collinsville High School operates the CAVC as a separate cooperative center serving multiple high schools; the center is expanding with a building addition and opening four additional programs that allow more seats. O'Fallon would become the 11th sending district (12th in the near term), giving juniors and seniors the opportunity for half-day enrollment at CAVC and half-day at O'Fallon. Students accepted to CAVC attend either the AM or PM session; prerequisites in home courses are required and counselors will begin outreach as early as eighth grade to plan pathways. Tuition charged by CAVC is $27.50 per student per year; O'Fallon officials indicated the district will cover that tuition. Transportation can be provided by the district if students cannot drive themselves; seats are not guaranteed and are awarded via CAVC's application process, which the presenter said tends to favor applicants with high attendance and strong applications.
The board moved and approved the intergovernmental agreement to join CAVC; during the vote the motion was declared passed. Other curriculum changes were presented for board consideration and further action in accordance with board policy and regular curriculum approval procedures.
Ending: The board approved formal participation in the Collinsville Area Vocational Center via intergovernmental agreement and heard multiple curriculum proposals that will be scheduled for administrative follow-up and future board consideration.
