Board examines unequal college-credit opportunities across Issaquah high schools

Issaquah School District board members said a policy discussion at a pre-meeting work study revealed clear differences in students’ opportunities to earn college credit across the district’s comprehensive high schools, and they asked staff for additional data to guide possible policy language changes. Director Gallagher and others summarized data showing the share of students taking a full load of college-credit-bearing classes varied substantially among the three comprehensive high schools: Gallagher said about 0.6% of Issaquah High School students, 0.1% of Liberty students and 3% of Skyline students were taking seven college-credit-bearing classes in the semester reviewed. Directors discussed whether to add the word "equitable" to Operational Expectation 14 (instructional programming) to clarify the district’s commitment to making college-credit-earning opportunities available across schools. Director Coyne listed specific questions the board asked staff at the work study: enrollment in dual-credit courses, the number of sections available, grade levels at which courses are offered, demographic representation, and college policies for accepting different kinds of dual credit. Board members and the superintendent noted several complicating factors: different programs operate in different schools (for example, International Baccalaureate at Skyline and Advanced Placement at other schools), colleges and universities apply different credit-acceptance policies, and Washington state rules affect how credit is conferred in some programs. Why this matters: Board members framed the conversation as an equity issue—ensuring that students at every high school have comparable opportunities to earn college credit before graduation can affect college cost and access. What happened next: The board engaged in discussion, requested additional data and indicated they would review more information before deciding whether to amend OE‑14 to include an equity provision. Ending: Board members asked staff to return with more detailed demographic and course-availability data to inform any policy changes.