District 214 Drops Information Processing as Graduation Requirement

Part of the 2013-2014 academic handbook and curriculum changes, School District 214 students will no longer be required to take information processing to graduate. According to the Daily Herald, the school board voted last week to drop the technical computing class from the district’s list of graduation requirements, a decision several teachers and union leaders were against.

Associate Superintendent for Educational Services Rosemary Gonzalez-Pinnick presented the changes, noting District 214’s curriculum evolves each year to stay current. 

As children become more tech-savvy at a younger age, Pinnick pointed out the elimination of information processing as a graduation requirement will give students more flexibility when selecting electives and building class schedules.

Opposing the board’s proposal, teachers argued students are not as technologically advanced as many people think. While kids are the experts of social media sites and smartphones, the Daily Herald reports one teacher said students lack import computing skills, skills taught in information processing.

Despite concerns voiced by teachers and parents, the school board approved the proposal to drop information processing as a graduation requirement at the Oct. 18 meeting. According to the newspaper, information processing will be offered as an elective course at District 214 schools.