Appoquinimink updates high- and middle-school course catalogs, highlights ‘profile of a graduate’ and strategic-plan progress

Appoquinimink School District officials on Feb. 20 told the school board they have revised the high-school course catalog, launched a middle-school course catalog and embedded a districtwide Profile of a Graduate into curriculum and communications to strengthen a single K–12 through line.

Nick Hoover, the district's director of secondary curriculum, instruction and assessment, told the board that the high-school catalog is aimed primarily at current eighth graders preparing to enter high school. "I do think that this is something that, as a district, we are extremely proud of," Hoover said, noting the catalog now lists 22 pathways (down from 24 in a prior edition), 32 Advanced Placement course offerings and 42 AP exam opportunities.

The district also released a new middle-school course catalog intended to help fifth graders prepare for the transition to sixth grade, Hoover said. He said not all courses listed in the middle-school catalog will be offered at every middle school and that the district has used grant funding to support development of the middle-school catalog. "In order for us to do a course catalog, I think I can find a grant and find some money to be able to do this," Hoover said, crediting Mr. Trego with securing grant funds that have funded the effort.

Why it matters: district leaders said they designed the three documents together so families and students can see a coherent progression from elementary through high school and into postsecondary and workforce options. Mike Trego, who presented the Profile of a Graduate material, said the profile is now included in the high-school catalog and is distributed districtwide via school and district websites, the superintendent's newsletter and principal communications. The profile was developed starting in 2018 and revised through 2024, Trego said, with community steering-committee input and surveys of parents, students and staff.

Trego described the Profile of a Graduate as describing durable skills and readiness attributes the district expects: adaptability, problem solving, and both academic and technical skills that align with school and workforce partners. "It defines really what student success is in our district and ensures that our graduates have a well rounded skill set," he said.

Workforce readiness tie-in: district staff also previewed the Workforce Readiness Fair linked to the catalogs and profile. Trego said the fair brings business partners into the K–12 continuum to teach interviewing, networking and basic workplace skills and to provide senior-level immersion opportunities. He told the board the fair will be held March 12 from about 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Delaware Tech Terry Campus and that roughly 1,000 juniors will attend; the event will include a concurrent college tour and is open to more business volunteers.

Board reaction and implementation: board members praised the materials as useful for families and teachers. Several board members said they used the catalogs to guide students and appreciated the emphasis on transitions (fifth-to-sixth grade and eighth-to-ninth grade). One board member said the district —used to hear complaints that families had too few options; now the problem is class availability to take all desired courses.

How the catalogs will be used: Hoover and Trego said the Profile of a Graduate is intended to inform curriculum development and course design so new pathways and courses include the skills the district values. The middle-school catalog will be distributed to fifth-grade families so students and parents understand course availability and how to request preferences; the district cautioned that not every course listed will be offered at every middle school.

Follow-ups and next steps: district staff said the middle-school catalog was enabled by grant funding and that they will continue to publicize the profile and catalogs via district communications and business partnerships. Hoover also noted summer course offerings intended to expand student access to courses that primary-year scheduling does not allow.

Ending: staff asked board members to share the workforce-fair sign-up link with potential business partners and said they will return with continued curriculum and implementation updates tied to the strategic plan.