Enhancing College and Career Readiness in District 300
Submitted by Community Unit School District 300
Community Unit School District 300 has long been a leader in college and career readiness initiatives, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to preparing students for life beyond high school.
Even before the passage of Illinois HB 3296 in 2022 — which expanded upon the 2016 Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act — District 300 had laid a strong foundation for such efforts with the launch of its Pathways program in 2014.
“District 300 has long been dedicated to offering our students opportunities that introduce them to a variety of professions and career fields — both those that require college education and those that do not,” said Joe Sieczkowski, director of CTE, Pathways, and College and Career Readiness for District 300. “As we continue to enhance our programs, we remain dedicated to equipping every student with the skills and knowledge they need to excel on their chosen path.”
A Vision for Student Success
District 300, located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, serves approximately 21,000 students across 28 schools, making it the sixth-largest school district in Illinois.
The district’s mission is to ensure all students achieve their highest academic potential and have a clear plan for their postsecondary lives. This includes setting career goals; aligning postsecondary education objectives; and gaining the core academic, technical, and workplace skills needed for success.
The district’s Strategic Plan underscores this vision: “Expand and enhance our current Pathway programs to [Illinois State Board of Education] College & Career Pathway Endorsements and improve student participation in career, college, and advanced credit coursework for all student groups.”
Evolution of Pathway Programs
Originally, District 300’s Pathway programs were hosted only at specific high schools, with the district allowing students to transfer to those schools during their first two years to access specialized opportunities.
While this model addressed space, financial, and staffing constraints, the district has since worked to expand equitable access to Pathway programs across all three of its high schools: Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville, Hampshire High School in Hampshire, and Jacobs High School in Algonquin.
“Our district has made a concerted effort to bring each Pathway program into each high school,” Sieczkowski said. “While we still have progress to make in this space, our students today have more options at their base school than ever before, which supports equitable access to our programs and provides lower-risk opportunities for students to explore various careers of interest.”
Meanwhile, District 300 also continues to expand its Career and Technical Education (CTE) course offerings, providing students with additional learning options that emphasize real-world skills within a selected career focus.
In the last two years, the district added 10 dual credit CTE courses through a partnership with nearby Elgin Community College, allowing students to earn college credit while also gaining real-world skills.
College & Career Pathway Endorsements
Currently, District 300 is working to align its career-focused programs with ISBE requirements for College & Career Pathway Endorsements, ensuring a rigorous and standardized approach.
During the 2023-24 school year, District 300 secured approval for five College & Career Pathway Endorsement plans in the three following areas:
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Financial and Business Services – Entrepreneurship
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Human and Public Services – Early Childhood Education and Elementary & Secondary Education
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Manufacturing, Engineering, Technology, and Trades – Welding and Advanced Manufacturing
These endorsement opportunities are now available to all high school students in the district, though Advanced Manufacturing and Welding are currently only offered at Hampshire High School.
It is worth noting that Hampshire is one of only two high schools in Illinois designated as an American Welding Society Accredited Testing Facility, while the Advanced Manufacturing program based there offers computer numerical control mill and lathe operator certifications through the National Institute of Metalworking Skills.
With an eye toward the future, District 300 this year applied for three additional College & Career Pathway Endorsements — STEM Engineering and Robotics, Marketing, and Automotive Technology — as it has met all of the requirements to be approved.
Additional Opportunities
Of course, the extensive CTE and Pathway courses currently offered by District 300 extend beyond its newer College & Career Pathway Endorsements programs.
Students can enter programs in computer programming, culinary arts, fashion apparel design and construction, woodworking, electrical technology (residential electricity), accounting, and digital multimedia, which provide students with practical skills and industry-recognized certifications where applicable, ensuring they are well-prepared for future careers.
“The variety of experiences I have had these past four years in the culinary arts program has completely opened my eyes to the world of food,” commented Jordan Maly, a senior District 300 student enrolled in culinary arts. “Culinary has made me move faster, learn how to be organized, and to be a part of a team.”
District 300 is continuously exploring new opportunities as well.
Currently, it is working to achieve accreditation from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence for all three high schools, opening doors to partnerships with automotive manufacturers and expanding educational outcomes.
Dundee-Crown High School students, for example, currently earn dozens of ASE certifications annually, becoming an accredited training facility with ASE would only help increase certification testing success, Sieczkowski said.
Career Exploration Tools and Early Preparation
Recognizing that career readiness begins early, District 300 provides comprehensive support for students from kindergarten through high school.
The district’s Skills for Success program, implemented in grades K-5, started two years ago and focuses on executive functioning, goal setting, problem-solving, financial literacy, and collaboration. By fourth and fifth grade, students begin exploring postsecondary education and career opportunities.
At the middle school level, students participate in an exploratory rotation that introduces them to project-based learning, innovative technology, college and career readiness, and arts education. This rotation helps students develop skills and interests that will inform their high school and postsecondary plans.
For students in grades 6-12, District 300 uses SchooLinks, a career and postsecondary exploration tool. SchooLinks integrates self-assessment, goal setting, college and career exploration, scholarship searches, and financial planning into one platform. It also allows the district to track students’ progress on College & Career Readiness Indicators as part of Illinois’ federally approved Every Student Succeeds Act accountability plan.
Overall, the objective is to help students identify their passions, strengths, and options for future professions or vocations.
“I chose the education Pathway because during my sophomore year, I realized that there was nothing else I could see myself doing than becoming a special ed teacher,” explained Elizabeth Jarrett, a senior student in District 300. “Lucky for me, one of my closest friends was already in the program and was telling all about her stories with the students she worked with and the fun projects she had been doing. She even showed me what some of the class assignments looked like, and I [became] fully excited to join this Pathway.”
Looking Ahead
District 300 remains committed to expanding and enhancing its career readiness programs and early college credit opportunities.
At Jacobs High School, for instance, STEM engineering and robotics, entrepreneurship, early childhood education, and elementary and secondary education programs are newly available in the building. Meanwhile, the graphic design and computer programming courses that had only been offered at Jacobs are becoming available at the other two high schools.
The district is exploring additional programs to address projected industry needs and student interests, such as those in sports medicine, biomedical science, mechatronics and automation, and television and video production. Final decisions will be guided by a number of factors, including community input, student demand, and the district’s Master Facility Plan. These considerations include a technology or career center, which would provide the needed space to enhance current programs and allow for new ones.
By fostering student engagement, purpose, and connection, District 300’s college and career readiness initiatives are equipping students with the tools they need to thrive in their futures, setting a benchmark for educational excellence in Illinois.
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