Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Discipline Equity topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
David Douglas board refines equity targets to reduce racial disproportionality in exclusions
Summary
Board members reviewed revisions to disciplinary metrics and monitoring tied to the district equity plan, shifting reporting to building‑level disparity measures (Black vs. White students) and requesting building plans and community involvement; no vote was taken.
The David Douglas School District board reviewed revised disciplinary targets intended to eliminate racial disproportionality in exclusions and referrals.
Board materials framed the work as part of the district equity plan and noted a multi‑year effort to reduce exclusionary discipline that disproportionately affects Black students. A presenter described a change in reporting metrics made after a 2024 board retreat: the board is focusing monitoring on three primary measures at the building level — percentage of students with one or more exclusions, exclusions per student, and average days excluded — and on ratio comparisons between Black and White students with the stated goal to eliminate disproportionality within three years.
Why it matters: District leaders said focusing on disparity ratios (rather than bulk counts) helps the board target interventions and track progress. Board members and staff discussed data‑quality and coding issues (how incidents are logged, active vs. inactive student denominators) that can distort trends, and asked for additional contextual reports (referrals, program participation such as CTE and music) to understand root causes.
Details from the meeting: The presenter explained the indicator definitions (students with one or more exclusions as a binary measure, relative risk ratios comparing groups, and days excluded as a multiplier of exclusions), and described cohort analyses for longitudinal trends. Board members asked for building‑level plans that include strategies, action steps, community engagement and budget implications; staff said quarterly reports will present progress and that ad‑hoc data pulls are available between quarters.
What was not decided: The board did not vote on policy changes or specific budget allocations at this session. Several board members urged follow‑up visits from building leaders and additional data disaggregation; participants warned that shifting codes or definitions could mask real behavior changes if not tracked consistently.
Next steps: Staff and cabinet will continue refining reporting materials, prepare building‑level plans and provide targeted data on request ahead of quarterly monitoring. An October workshop to begin unpacking the strategic plan was mentioned as a forthcoming venue for deeper discussion.
