If you are a Niles North junior currently in the process of registering for your 2018-19 school year classes, you have some newfound choices to make as to how you will satisfy your senior year English credit.

After a change in the structuring of the College Prep senior year English class option, seniors now have a greater degree of choice and personal control in the humanities education they will receive in their last year as Niles North students.

College Prep is currently the senior English class with the most students enrolled when taking into account both the honors and regular sections of the class. In the current College Prep curriculum, students read and analyze at least two works of fiction while also working on their senior research paper, a large essay with a topic chosen by the student.

However, College Prep in its current form will cease to exist after the conclusion of the 2017-18 school year, and major changes are scheduled to take effect at the start of next year.

The revamping of the College Prep system at Niles North sees the more general College Prep class expanded into seven variants of the traditional class, with each variant being more focused and specialized on different areas of the humanities that were previously taught in the formerly all-encompassing College Prep curriculum.

The seven new College Prep options are the following: Classical and Contemporary Literature, Women and Gender Studies in Literature, Social Justice and Equity, Literature of Peace and Nonviolence, Literature of Moral Conflict, Literature of Sports and American Culture,  and World Literature.

All of these seven options will be offered in both a regular and honors grade weight and will be one semester in length. The Humanities Department has also said that the running of each class is subject to change based on student interest and enrollment figures for each option, so it is possible that not all of the seven potential classes will be offered.

This change marks a victory for the teachers of the Humanities Department here at Niles North, many of whom have continually advocated for the reworking of the College Prep curriculum.

Teachers hope that this increased student involvement and choice in course selection will foster a classroom environment where students are more personally invested in the works of literature they read throughout the year in preparation for college. Teachers also believe this more focused curriculum will aid students in the writing of their senior research paper, the completion of which is a requirement for graduation.

Students in general have been receptive to the change in curriculum, with many excited by the fact that they will be able to take a more personally appealing course.

“I’m definitely happy that they changed the College Prep curriculum from being just an honors and a regular section, and I think that having options is going to make students more interested in the class they choose. Personally, I want to take the Literature of Sports and American Culture option, as I’m really into sports,” Isaac Batio, junior, said.

Though many students choose to take College Prep to ease their transition to higher-education, these seven options are not the only senior year English course being offered. Seniors still have the option of taking AP English Literature and Composition.

For more information about your options for senior English, you can speak to your guidance counselor or contact the Director of Humanities, Tony Bradburn.

Featured Image courtesy of Jeff Garcia