This two-semester course is designed to give the student a rigorous curriculum in accounting along with many of it’s applications in personal finance, personal investing (stocks and real estate) and business finance.  The course, which uses a college text and replicates the first year of college accounting, can help direct students in their post-secondary education choices.  Students will study the basic accounting cycle, sole proprietorship accounting, February 6, 2008 4:52 PMa merchandising corporation, and accounting for special procedures such as plant assets, depreciation and inventories.  This course requires a much greater in-depth study of accounting than the one semester Computerized Accounting course and is far more demanding in both subject content and work load.

BUSINESS EXPLORATIONS — 1 Unit of credit      Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite:      None
                                                                                                           
This two-semester course offers students an opportunity to better prepare themselves for both the world of work and future studies in the area of business.  Students will be provided with the skills necessary to succeed both on the job and in business.  Topics covered in this course include general business principles, ethics in business, and the study of management and marketing.  Critical career activities such as resume writing, goal setting, communication skills, time management and effective team building will also be addressed.  In addition to preparing for the world of work, the mandated consumer topics, which include money and banking, consumer credit, advertising, managing income and investments, insurance, housing and taxes are covered.  This course is designed to complement work study programs such as the Business Internship Program, the DORS program, the Technology Campus Program and other related school to work programs.  The course fulfills the Consumer Education requirement. 

BUSINESS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM — 2 Units of credits  Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite:      Concurrent enrollment in Business Explorations

This program requires students to find an employment opportunity of interest and successfully fulfill job requirements as outlined by the school and employer.  Students are required to work a minimum of 15 hours per week and will receive four performance appraisals completed by the employer.  Employment serves as a laboratory where students have an opportunity to apply principles and practices that have been discussed in the Business Exploration Course.

BUSINESS PRINCIPLES AND MANAGEMENT — 1/2 Unit of credit         Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite:      None
                                                                                                                       
This semester course is designed to give students an understanding of the fundamentals and foundations of business and will prepare students for post-secondary studies and careers in the area of business.  Students will gain an understanding of the structure of American business and will be exposed to several of the foundations of business including management, production, human relations, labor-management relations, marketing and finance.  Students will take part in a labor-relations simulation and be introduced to the concept of entrepreneurship and the creation of a business plan.  There will be heavy emphasis on group work and class discussion.  This course utilizes simulations, videos and guest speakers. 

BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY/KEYBOARDING – 1/2 Unit of credit     Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite: None

This semester course will focus on many of the essential technological aspects found in a business environment.  The early stages of the course will focus on proper keyboarding techniques and speed development which will provide a foundation for the remainder of the course.    In addition, students will learn the basic procedures for developing quality business documents and presentations by creating a public relations profile for a school department, sports team, or club of their choice.  Primary focus will be on the use of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Publisher.

COMPUTERIZED ACCOUNTING 1 — 1/2 Unit of credit    Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite:      None
                                                                                                                       
This semester course provides students with a basic foundation of accounting theory.  This is meant as a beginning course in which students will learn both the theory and function of a basic computerized accounting system.   The computerized accounting system used in this course is a comprehensive accounting package that rivals many commercial accounting packages used in business today and helps establish an accounting foundation that will be used as a basis for further study and preparation for entering a technology-oriented market. 

COMPUTERIZED ACCOUNTING 2 — 1/2 Unit of credit    Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite:      Computerized Accounting 1
                                                                                                                       
This semester course will build upon the basic accounting foundation which was provided in Computerized Accounting 1.  Students will learn advanced features of accounts payable and accounts receivable transactions, accounting techniques used in a business partnership and corporation, how to utilize financial statements for a corporation, and special accounting tools used in business.  The commercial computerized accounting package used in Computerized Accounting 1 will continue to be used throughout this course.  Completion of this course will prepare college-bound students for studies in the area of finance and accounting. 

CONSUMER EDUCATION — 1/2 Unit of credit        Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite:      None
                                                                                                                       
To enhance consumer competency, this semester course addresses four topics of concern to all individuals:  decision making, financial management, resource management and the economy.  Areas of study include decision making, consumer action, advertising, earning and managing income, money and banking, savings and investing, consumer credit, life and health insurance, transportation, housing, taxes and our economic system.  This course will provide the tools and skills necessary to function as a responsible consumer citizen.  The course fulfills the Consumer Education requirement. 

CONTEMPORARY LIVING — 1/2 Unit of credit       Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite:      None
                                                                                                                       
This is a semester course in which students are challenged to develop a greater understanding of themselves and those important relationship skills necessary for a meaningful life.  Topics covered the first nine weeks focus on the development of one's self-concept, value systems, character growth, personality, communication skills and interpersonal relationships.  Topics covered the second nine weeks will expand a student's knowledge of marriage and parenthood and will help increase the student's awareness of future responsibilities and options.  This class utilizes field trips, outside speakers, case studies, role-playing and movies, as well as several class projects. 

INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS —1/2 Unit of credit          Freshmen, Sophomores
Prerequisite:      None

This semester course provides students with a broad understanding of stock market investments, knowledge of how a business operates and the skills required to successfully create and manage an organization.  Emphasis throughout the first six to nine weeks will focus on the stock market with students participating in a stock market project.  The second nine weeks of the course will provide students with an actual business workshop where they will administer a business, apply for a company charter, elect officers, issue stock and conduct daily business activities.  Consultants from local businesses will assist students in the development of their business organization throughout the semester. 

This is an introductory semester course in law which is designed to give students a better understanding of our legal system.  Major emphasis will be the study of constitutional and criminal law.  Topics studied will include the rights of an accused person after arrest, search and seizure and student rights.  The study of criminal law will entail using a combination of the textbook and the Illinois Statutes.  This combination will provide the students with a better understanding of the different kind of crimes in Illinois and how criminal law process works in Illinois.  This course fulfills the Consumer Education requirement. 

This semester course is designed as a continuation of Law 1.  Topics include: civil law (lawsuits), contract law and consumer rights.  A major area of concentration will be on individual rights.  Students will have a better understanding of how the civil sector of the law differs from the public sector; specifically, what a person may do when their individual rights have been violated.

This two-semester course is a demanding introduction for the student to our legal system.  The major emphasis of this course will be in four areas:  constitutional law, civil law, criminal law and consumer law.  Constitutional law will be taught using case law.  Topics studied will include the rights of an accused person after arrest, search and seizure and student rights.  The study of criminal law will utilize a combination of the textbook and Illinois Statutes.  This will provide students with a better understanding of the different kinds of crimes in Illinois and how the criminal law process works.  Other areas of study will be the federal and state court systems, as well as the trial process in the U. S.  This course fulfills the Consumer Education requirement.

This semester course will cover the principles and practices of professional selling and will prepare students for post-secondary studies and careers in the area of business.  Particular emphasis will be placed on developing effective interpersonal communication sales skills through the use of videotaped presentations, role playing and related simulation exercises.  Intensive skill building will occur in all areas of the sales process with special emphasis on building rapport, determining buying needs, active listening, managing buying resistance, negotiation, persuasion, recognizing buying signals, closing and taking leave of the interview.

WEB PUBLISHING 1 — 1/2 Unit of credit                             Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors
Prerequisite:      None

This semester course introduces the Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), which is the basic programming language for websites.  Students will develop an understanding of how the web operates and how it is designed.  Students engage in strategic site analysis to determine marketing objectives.  Students will then design web pages using essential HTML tags.  Students will employ imaging techniques, tables and frames to organize and display materials in a clear and attractive format.  Dynamic elements will be introduced. 

In this semester course, students will learn to make multi-plane websites.  Students will enhance graphic, dynamic and artistic elements using animation and programming languages.  Students will develop a community-based site using software engineering principles.  Stressing the production and customer relations aspects of website development, students will apply the principles of business in the information age.