Cherry Creek presentation outlines plan to reduce disciplinary disparities
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Summary
At the Jan. 12 board meeting, Latoya Tolbert presented district discipline data showing disproportionate exclusions for Hispanic, Black and multiracial students and outlined short-term actions — including restorative practices and referral standardization — aimed at reducing multiple-incident rates for male students from 21.6% to 17.3%.
Latoya Tolbert, presenter for the district’s discipline priority team, told the Cherry Creek School District Board of Education on Jan. 12 that the district is confronting persistent disproportionality in school discipline and laid out a short action cycle to address it.
“We have 91.1 percent of Cherry Creek students who have not experienced a single behavioral incident this year,” Tolbert said, adding that the district’s work focuses on the smaller group of students who receive multiple discipline incidents. Tolbert cited national and state research and district findings showing overrepresentation of Hispanic, Black and multiracial students, as well as students with disabilities, in exclusionary discipline.
Tolbert described five strategic shifts the district will pursue: adopting an asset‑based mindset instead of deficit labels; expanding collective capacity through targeted professional development; operationalizing restorative practices through a trainer‑of‑trainers model that begins at the middle‑school level and phases to elementary and high school over three years; standardizing the referral process with a district behavior advisory team; and monitoring fidelity and impact across schools.
The presentation included several quantitative markers Tolbert said the district is tracking: male students with multiple incidents at 21.6% (target 17.3%), a reported 260 fewer incidents by male students from August to November (a 4.5% year‑over‑year reduction), and a stated 132% increase in special education needs over the past 10 years. Tolbert said the short action cycle runs from roughly November through March and aligns to the district’s 2030 strategic goals.
Board members pressed for detail about supports and safeguards. Director Futrell asked how peer‑to‑peer and student supports help prevent or repair harm; Tolbert cited student leadership groups such as Leadership Academy as models that enable students to resolve issues and take responsibility. Director Garland asked about the role of victims in restorative processes; Tolbert said participation would not be required of anyone who felt unsafe or uncomfortable.
Directors praised the emphasis on relationship‑based responses and data transparency while raising operational questions about how incidents are classified and tracked. Director Hamrick asked the district to distinguish minor from major incidents in reporting so trends are not obscured. Director Bates expressed full support for the work and said special education funding and enrollment trends will complicate implementation and budgeting.
Tolbert acknowledged that while the majority of students are not disciplined, targeted actions are needed for those who are, and emphasized partnership with families and community organizations as part of the approach. The presentation closed with a commitment to continued data disaggregation and public reporting as strategies are implemented.
The board moved on to public comment and consent agenda items after the presentation; no formal board action on the discipline plan was recorded at the Jan. 12 meeting.