Seattle Public Schools | Eliminating the Achievement Gap Overview

Overview

Student achieving! Photography © Susie Fitzhugh

Definition of Disproportionality

"Disproportionality is a term that refers to the overrepresentation of the number of students of a particular ethnic group in any given area of education such as disciplinary action or low academic achievement. For instance, a review of data may reveal that the actual number of students of a particular ethnic group, who are suspended, is approaching half their enrollment."

Excerpt from The Educational Plan for the Elimination of Disproportionality, Seattle Public Schools September 1986.

Superintendent's Charge

Research, recommend and review the implementation of best practices that will support learning for all children and youth.

Develop strategies for expanding public engagement with District and community. Focus on action planning and monitoring of issues related to eliminating disproportionality.

Develop recommendations on policies, practices and priorities to advance the elimination of disproportionality in academic achievement and discipline among children and youth.

"We cannot allow some of our students to succeed and some to fail. As a school system -- and as a community -- we must marshal all of our energy, our resolve, our collective talent, and resources -- to eliminate the achievement gap and to deliver on the dream of academic achievement for every student in every school."

~ Joseph Olchefske
Superintendent
Seattle Public Schools

Seattle Public Schools' commitment

Eliminating the achievement gap is central to the district’s mission of academic achievement for every student in every school.

It is a part of the transformation process now underway at every school in the district and is a driving force behind every major district initiative. Transformation plans include disproportionality data displayed and analyzed, as well as, yearly target and strategies to eliminate the achievement gap.

Eliminating the achievement gap is central to the district’s mission of academic achievement for every student in every school.

It is a long-standing national problem to which no other school district has found answers. Solving it is a collective responsibility. Schools, families, churches, businesses, government and others must work together. That’s why the district went public with the discipline data last spring, convened a community-wide dialogue around the problem and is providing the leadership to address it.

Disproportionality in discipline is inextricably linked to disproportionality in academic achievement. Students who are achieving, who are actively involved in their work and feel connected to their schools, are less likely to show up in discipline data.

The district's goal is to eliminate the gap by 2005. Every school is developing a detailed plan to meet this goal. Principals and other staff are evaluated on their progress.

A Disproportionality Action Committee, with representatives from a broad spectrum of the community, has been meeting since August 2001, trying to devise a multi-faceted strategy to solve this problem. Preliminary recommendations go to the Superintendent April 2002 with final recommendations due June 2002.

A Disproportionality Think Tank, with representatives from central office, building leadership, and higher education, has been convened to address the impact of race on the achievement gap and to develop strategies to eliminate the gap within the district.

The District has entered into an on-going contract with Glenn Singleton, nationally recognized consultant on Equitable/Anti-racist education, for training on understanding race, culture and ethnicity as the district deals with race based gaps. Mr. Singleton is leading administrators, staff, the Action Committee and community through this training.

Updated April 4, 2003