Pillar 2: Programmatic Equity

Identify key indicators to remove systematic differences and create equitable access to programs such as early childhood, special education, gifted and talented, dual language programs with English as a second language, dyslexia, advanced placement, and collegiate academies, in addition to monitoring and reducing student discipline data relative to African-American students.

Racial Equity Priorities

The REO provides a suite of supports to remove barriers to advanced coursework and intentional support programs for African American and Emergent Bilingual students.

• School Choice Advisors provide guidance and support to eligible AA students and their families to understand, apply, and enroll in choice programming (i.e., magnets, OTI, P-Tech) to eliminate disproportionality.
• African American Success Mentors build positive relationships with identified African American students to foster a sense of belonging and self-efficacy. This program promotes strong core values for students to enhance academic achievement, high attendance, and positive behaviors.
• External Mentorship Programs offer relationship building opportunities with mentors from community organizations that specialize in social emotional learning.
• AP University allows students to enroll in virtual classes to receive AP and Honors instruction from teachers throughout the district, eliminating limited access to advanced coursework.
• College Assessment Coordinators provide students at predominantly AA campuses with content and preparation strategies to pass the TSIA, ACT, and/or SAT for college readiness.
• Reset Centers provide an alternative to out-of-school suspensions and offer opportunities for students to remain in an instructional setting while learning to apply restorative and positive behavioral strategies to utilize when they return to class.
• Special Education Assessment Practices and Manuals have been reviewed and revised to account for cultural differences, thus reducing the overidentification of AA students as emotionally disturbed. Students have also been reevaluated for the purpose of exiting ED programs.

Programmatic Equity Pillar Metric

Pillar 2 Metric: For this pillar, we assess students’ access to advanced coursework. Currently, this is measured for secondary students, we are exploring ways to assess elementary students as well. For secondary students, we examine the percentage of students who scored Meets or Masters on their prior year STAAR and/or EOC assessment who are enrolled in advanced courses (Honors, AP, IB, etc.). ​

Target: Our target is that 100% of students who scored Meets or Masters on their prior year STAAR and/or EOC assessment enroll in advanced courses.