U-46 proposes AP options, new resources for Spanish, French and German and classroom cultural funds

School District U-46 curriculum leaders on March 24 asked the Board of Education to approve new instructional materials and a fourth-year pathway plan for high-school world languages, including recommending AP French and AP German as fourth-year options and expanding existing Spanish pathways.

Assistant Superintendent Brian Tennison and Jacob Van de Mortel, coordinator of K–12 social studies and world languages, presented a materials-and-implementation package that builds on the district’s existing proficiency-based program. The recommendation would extend Wayside Publishing resources across German, French and Spanish high-school sequences, fund classroom libraries and provide cultural-experience funds for teachers. The presentation described a one-time classroom-library allocation of about $500 per classroom and a cultural-funds amount the district characterized as roughly $1,200 per teacher (detailed per-section formulas in the slide deck).

Tennison said the district plans to move French and German fourth-year offerings to Advanced Placement courses (AP French Language & Culture and AP German Language & Culture) beginning in the 2026–27 school year and to add an AP Spanish Language & Culture option while maintaining a separate honors-level fourth-year Spanish option for students who prefer a different pathway. “Anytime you have the opportunity to terminate a program in an externally validated place that gives students the opportunities for college credit and/or the seal of biliteracy, that’s something we want to do,” Tennison said.

Curriculum leaders said the move responds to multiple student pathways into fourth-year language classes—heritage speakers, dual-language graduates, move-ins and students who take middle-school language—and to teacher feedback that AP options and consistent materials could improve retention and give students access to college-credit opportunities and the Illinois Seal of Biliteracy.

The six-year estimated cost presented was $929,737.41 (total for textbooks, licenses, classroom-library purchases, cultural funds and professional learning), which the district converted to a per-pupil per-year figure in the slide deck. Staff said materials would be ordered in 2024–25 for availability next year, with the new fourth-year options appearing on course-selection sheets for school-year 2026–27.

Board members asked about small-enrollment languages and combining classes. Staff said level 3 is set as the common proficiency placement and that some schools do combine level 3 and 4 when enrollments require it; AP offerings would depend on local enrollment and teacher availability.

The board did not vote on March 24; the item was presented for information and the district said it will return with further course and scheduling details before implementing fourth-year options.