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Committee forwards revised equity policy ACA to full board for first read
Summary
Portland Public Schools’ curriculum and policy committee voted March 25 to forward revised language for Policy ACA (equity) to the full board for first read, directing staff to add clearer data‑disaggregation language developed with the district data team.
Portland — The Portland Public Schools Curriculum and Policy Committee on March 25 voted to forward revised language for policy ACA, the district equity policy, to the full board for first read.
Sarah Warren, the district’s senior executive director of strategy, said the proposed redlines aim to clarify definitions, better ground the policy in the district strategic plan and align the policy with recent judicial rulings. Staff presented edits that streamline the equity definition, simplify the equity literacy language, clarify professional development expectations and rename an implementation “audit” as an “evaluation.”
Chair Lentz, who has been involved in the drafting process, told the committee the policy remains an “incredible anchor” for district work while asking staff to tighten language where needed. Vice Chair Bondo raised concerns about removing a long list of named subgroups from the policy text and urged staff to work with the data team to add language about the disaggregated factors the district uses to measure equity outcomes.
Warren and committee members agreed staff will return to the full board with the redlined policy plus recommended language — developed with the district data team — that identifies the typical disaggregation factors the district uses to measure outcomes. The committee voted to move the amended policy language to the full board for a first read; the motion carried in committee.
Committee discussion focused on keeping high expectations for students while ensuring evaluation language does not conflict with recent legal rulings. The revisions remove some specific subgroup listings from the principal policy text and plan to include a clearer implementation/evaluation approach and supporting materials for the board’s consideration.
The policy will return to the full board for its first read as edited, and staff said they will prepare suggested evaluation/disaggregation language to accompany the policy when it appears before the full board.
