CH-UH Recognized Nationally For Equity Work
Sept. 23, 2016 – The Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District was recognized in Washington D.C. on Wednesday for fully reflecting America’s diversity at the highest levels of K-12 schools by equally including students of all backgrounds in Advanced Placement courses.
CH-UH, represented by Superintendent Dr. Talisa Dixon, was honored in large part as a result of its partnership with the non-profit Equal Opportunity Schools, which has assisted the district in identifying ways to provide equitable academic opportunities to all students, especially in regards to access and support for minorities in taking AP courses.
“When we met with our Strategic Planning Committee two years ago, our community members were adamant that our plan address equity issues within the school district,” said Dr. Dixon. “As a result, Goal 2 of our Strategic Plan centers on equity and our educational approach to empower all students. We want to provide an excellent education to each student in every district school and classroom.
“Paramount to this is access to rigorous courses, especially at the high school level. It is our goal to ensure that all students have equitable access to Advanced Placement and high level courses. We know that many of our students are capable of handling the rigor of AP courses but need encouragement and additional support.”
CH-UH was among a select group of districts recognized by White House Cabinet Secretary and My Brother’s Keeper Taskforce Chair Broderick Johnson at the dinner celebration, hosted by Equal Opportunity Schools and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.
"We applaud the tremendous progress Equal Opportunity Schools and all its partners have made to ignite the potential of thousands more traditionally underrepresented students across the country,” said Johnson. “The Lead Higher coalition exemplifies the values of My Brother's Keeper, forming innovative alliances to disrupt inequity and expand opportunity."
This inaugural recognition builds on commitments that members of a group called “Lead Higher” have made to find 100,000 “missing students” over three years and ensure that those previously-overlooked low-income students and students of color are matched with challenging high school learning opportunities that will prepare them for college and a future of their choosing.
About Equal Opportunity Schools
Equal Opportunity Schools is a national non-profit organization operating in 23 states providing technical assistance, research, and coaching to school system leaders to help them ensure that students of every background are consistently matched with high school classes that prepare them for college.