Board debates 'equitable college credit' language amid AP, IB and CTE tradeoffs

The Issaquah School District board opened a first reading on proposed language to OE‑14 that would require "equitable college credit earning opportunities starting in ninth grade, including advanced placement and college in the high school courses at all comprehensive high schools."

Board members and student representatives debated whether the policy should prescribe specific programs (AP and 'college in the high school') or instead focus on equitable credit outcomes across schools. Director Coyne urged care to avoid equating equity with "sameness," while Director Mullings proposed splitting the language into separate clauses that (a) assure equitable access to credits and (b) preserve unique program offerings at individual high schools.

Students and trustees noted structural constraints: IB is traditionally an integrated 11–12 program and cannot provide the same early‑credit opportunities as AP or running start; one district statistic cited during discussion said roughly 40% of students at Liberty had earned college credit by the end of 10th grade, a distribution that creates differences among feeder patterns. A student representative warned that offering IB coursework piecemeal at other schools could undermine the program's coherence.

The board agreed to have Directors Gallinger and Mullings draft revised language that distinguishes equitable credit access from unique program offerings and to return with clearer monitoring evidence and options for expanding access.