District 88 curriculum council proposes new graduation requirement: postsecondary commitment and career experience starting 2026

District 88 curriculum leaders on May 5 presented a recommendation to add a graduation requirement beginning with the class of 2026'27. The proposed requirement would require each graduate to document a postsecondary commitment and complete at least one career-related experience during high school.

Why it matters: The change is intended to ensure every student leaves District 88 with a concrete next step after graduation (college, military, apprenticeship, vocational program or workforce) and at least one authentic career exposure, aligning with the district's stated goal to make high-school planning a five-year process (four years in high school plus a defined transition year).

Key elements of the proposal presented to the board: - Requirement timing: Proposed to begin in August 2026 for students graduating after that date. - Postsecondary commitment: Each senior would record a postsecondary commitment in an individual learning plan (ILP); the district plans to use Schoolinks to record and track ILPs. - Career experience: Students must complete at least one career-related experience such as a paid internship, apprenticeship, virtual or in-person job shadowing, authentic project with an employer, participation in industry panels, or an active role in a career fair. The district intends to expand existing work-based learning options and create mentoring opportunities with industry partners. - Industry partner role: Staff asked business partners to join career-pathway advisory committees, host job shadows, offer paid or unpaid internships/apprenticeships, and provide real-world projects and mentoring for students. - Support for special-education transition plans: The proposed requirement explicitly includes transition supports for students with special needs.

Implementation steps described by staff: - Program build-out during the coming school year with more programming for students and for employer partners. - Use of Schoolinks for documentation and tracking of commitments and completed experiences. - Phasing and expansion of opportunities (job shadowing, internships, apprenticeships, projects, panel participation) beginning with targeted departments and pathways.

Next steps: staff said they will bring a formal recommendation to the board at a future meeting (the presentation at this meeting served as a pre-decisional overview). Further planning will address logistics, employer partnerships, ILP rollout and equity of access across student populations.

Source: curriculum council presentation to the board; district staff presenters outlined the 5-year planning concept and recommended graduation requirement timing and implementation approach.