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Board reviews Education Northwest equity audit, flags discipline disparities and curriculum gaps
Summary
Trustees reviewed an Education Northwest equity program review (160‑page full report, 18‑page key findings) and discussed five focus areas: access, instructional practices, curriculum, discipline and hiring. Members called for updated data, formal follow‑up and more consistent discipline and recruitment practices.
WENATCHEE — At a September workshop, the Wenatchee School District board revisited a district‑wide equity program review conducted by Education Northwest and identified next steps for implementation and monitoring.
Speaker 2 summarized the audit process and materials, saying Education Northwest worked with district leaders, educators, students, families and community members and produced both a full 160‑page report and an 18‑page key‑findings summary the board would use for discussion. "For each of the 5 focus areas, we developed research questions," Speaker 2 said, explaining the methodology included student‑level data analysis, interviews, focus groups and surveys.
Board members each addressed an assigned focus area. Speaker 4 (Martin) urged sustained, formal board follow‑up and better disaggregated data, warning state data lag can limit immediate interpretation. "We as a district have to come up with an approach that's feasible and practical and has enough substance to stimulate the kind of review and action," Speaker 4 said.
Speaker 3 (Maria) said the audit is over three years old and recommended fresh baseline data; she praised K–8 curriculum inclusivity but called high‑school materials and accountability "an area to focus on." Speaker 1 (Tucker) said the discipline section was "eye‑opening," citing findings that students of color were removed from classrooms at higher rates than peers for similar incidents and pressed for multilingual family engagement and clearer communication about discipline choices. Speaker 5 (Mark) highlighted research in the report showing that students of color benefit from teachers who share their race or ethnicity and said hiring and recruitment strategies should better align staff demographics with the student population.
District staff described new and promising practices: expanded CTE pathways, improved ParentSquare communication, work on culturally responsive practices and a planned review of PBIS and discipline guidelines to align with updated state law. The district also said it is forming a "delivering on the promise" implementation team (Amber, Britney, Alfonso and Josh) and will circulate slides and weekly updates as it develops follow‑up actions.
No formal board action was taken; trustees asked staff for more current data, clearer implementation steps and policy updates to reflect recent changes in state discipline law.
