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Indian Prairie CUSD 204 presents high‑school course updates and recommends new textbooks totaling about $383,000
Summary
District curriculum staff presented proposed course additions and textbook/resource recommendations for 2025–26, including four AP titles and several new electives; administration plans to return on April 7 for approval of resources and materials.
District staff told the Indian Prairie Community Unit School District 204 Board of Education on March 24 that they will seek board approval on April 7 for a set of high‑school course updates and textbook/resource purchases for the 2025–26 school year.
Dr. Mike Purcell, district director for high‑school curriculum, presented changes that include new or updated courses (French II, AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, AP U.S. History) and electives (Criminal Law and History of the World through Media). "All of the course I was sharing tonight are being proposed for the 25–26 school year," Purcell said, and he told trustees the curriculum work is aligned with board policy 640 (curriculum development) and the district strategic plan.
Why it matters: The recommended resources are intended to align courses to College Board course and exam descriptions, standardize instruction across high schools, and support culturally responsive instruction. Several of the recommended packages pair a physical textbook with a six‑year digital license. Purcell said administration will bring the course approvals and resource purchases to the board for a vote on April 7 to allow summer professional learning.
Key proposals and resource estimates (as presented): - French II: proposed second‑in‑series textbook and a six‑year digital license; projected cost about $86,000 for districtwide licensing and materials. - AP Biology: recommended AP textbook (author cited as Morris; publisher BFW) and six‑year digital license; projected cost about $85,000. - AP Environmental Science: recommended Environmental Science for the AP course (author cited as Friedland; publisher BFW); projected cost about $104,000 due to larger class enrollments. - AP U.S. History: recommended a text described in the presentation as Fabric of a Nation (author listed verbally as Stacy Nellington); projected cost about $108,000. - Criminal Law: one‑semester elective for grades 10–12; proposed textbook Introduction to Criminal Justice (Cole, Smith, DeJong; publisher Cengage) and digital materials for classroom use. - History of the World through Media: one‑semester elective focusing on media literacy, historical accuracy and source analysis; presented as a bridge course to U.S. History and a potential high‑interest elective.
Board discussion: Trustees asked about alignment with College Board standards, accessibility and reading level, and how culturally responsive instruction is embedded. Purcell said the teams selected resources that follow College Board course and exam descriptions, highlighted primary sources and embedded assessment tools, and sought materials that would support a range of learners. Board member Mark Rising asked whether the selected AP materials are "college board recommended"; Purcell replied that the vendors chosen specialize in AP curricula and that the materials are written to the AP course framework.
Next steps: Purcell said the administration will make physical review copies available and bring formal approval requests for the courses and purchases to the April 7 meeting. No resource purchases were approved at the March 24 meeting.
