Elmbrook board reviews proposed secondary curriculum updates in art, health, digital citizenship and personal finance

District staff presented refined secondary-school curricular documents for art and digital media, contemporary health careers, digital citizenship and personal finance and the board asked clarifying questions ahead of an action vote next month. Lisa (staff member) summarized four major refinements: stronger alignment of “durable” or success skills to career clusters, explicit academic vocabulary across units to boost literacy, emphasis on authentic, career-connected assessment, and added instruction on ethical and effective use of artificial-intelligence tools. Why it matters: the changes are intended to make coursework more transferable to post‑secondary careers and better prepare students for technology and workplace expectations. The proposed contemporary health careers course explicitly links units to health‑science and human‑services career pathways and lists possible credentials and college-credit opportunities. The personal‑finance curriculum includes a culminating life budget plan and a unit on insurance. Digital citizenship materials will be coordinated with library and media specialists, the presenter said. Board members and committee members offered mostly supportive feedback and targeted questions. Mary (Board member) praised the digital citizenship alignment with library media staff and asked why digital imaging appears under different departments at the two high schools; Lisa said the curricular expectations are the same but that staffing and department placements differ by building. Sam (Board member) and other trustees said the personal‑finance curriculum now includes fraud‑prevention content the committee requested. Several trustees and committee members emphasized adding continuing review of AI-related content because the technology is changing rapidly; Sam noted the curriculum team committed to annual reviews. Jean (Board member) asked about industry-recognized credentials linked to the health-care curriculum; Lisa said one credential will be updated prior to the action vote. The materials were reviewed in the district’s Teaching and Learning Committee, which voted unanimously to forward the refinements for board consideration; Lisa provided committee-agenda links in the board packet. Trustees were told the curriculum will return as an action item next month, with one minor credential update still pending. The board did not vote during the July meeting.