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District 128 updates board on equity policy work, staff diversity and AP enrollment efforts
Summary
District staff reported progress on equity and inclusion commitments in policy 7-12, including targeted recruitment that increased diversity among educational support professional hires, a new "Speak Up" student training, and rising AP enrollment among underrepresented students without lowering AP pass rates.
District leaders told the Oct. 14 Program & Personnel Committee they are implementing commitments in the district's equity, diversity and inclusion policy (7-12) and reported early outcomes on staffing diversity, professional learning and AP access.
Larry Varn, director of equity and inclusion, said targeted recruitment and outreach helped maintain or grow applicant diversity during the most recent hiring season. "We maintained our applicant pool demographics from 2024 to 2025," Varn said, and staff expanded the reported pool to include both certified staff and educational support professionals (ESPs). Varn said 40% of the ESP new hires were people of color, compared with 11% of certified new hires.
Varn and other presenters described retention of Black/African American certified staff as a continuing challenge. The district said it will continue to monitor hiring and retention metrics and to align recruiting efforts with retention supports.
On professional learning, staff noted a new "Speak Up" series designed to teach students how to respond to witnessed discrimination. Varn said district survey data showed nearly 50% of students reported witnessing discrimination and just 43% said they knew how to respond; the Speak Up program is intended to increase students' skills and their likelihood of intervening.
The presentation also summarized work to increase representation of underrepresented students in AP and honors courses. District slides showed an increase in the percentage of students enrolled in at least one AP course over several years and modest growth in Hispanic and African American student AP enrollment. In 2025, the district reported Hispanic students represented about 9% of AP enrollment (an increase from prior years). Staff said AP exam pass rates have not declined as underrepresented-student enrollment in AP rose.
Board members asked about supports for English learners and students with disabilities in AP and honors classes; staff said classroom and out-of-classroom interventions are being expanded to build student skills and persistence so students remain in higher-level coursework.
Speakers included Larry Varn (director of equity and inclusion) and Charlotte Imes (data and assessment).
