Requests shared with DPS School Board members:

EPiC’s Black Parent Leaders shared feedback and follow up with the District following our workshop. Check out the video. (Public comments begin at 32 minutes) Below, is the written request to our school board members for accountability.

Academic success has also been a prioritization for parents and guardians who have attended the Black Parent Empowerment Workshops. The District is aware of the disparities and tracking trends for AIG, honors and AP courses, we have 3 “asks” around access to advanced academics:

1. Better communication to parents and share the deliberate “pathways” that are user friendly posted on the website and delivered as early as elementary schools.

2. Policy of an opt-out opposed to an opt-in for kids being placed in honors who are within a particular range of “qualifying”. The current language around “opt in” document speaks to parents being responsible if they advocate for their child to take an honors/AP class and the child does not “pass” the class. We want more proactive inclusion that does not create doubt, but rather promotes a growth mindset and inclusion.

3. Disaggregated data by race and school of who is currently in AIG, honors and AP, and the past 3 years so we can see trends. And, we desire to see an intentional plan for increase.

When parents are looking for a “good” school, the data has to include disaggregated demographics within the schools for Black families to consider their child’s likelihood of placement and support in academic rigor. This data will give insight to which schools are doing well with rigor and/or academic access to advanced academics and which schools will require a bit more support of advocacy on the student and parents.