OPRFHS Report Compares Top 50 African American, White Students

The 50 top-performing white students at Oak Park and River Forest High School are more likely to have a higher GPA than the 50 top-performing African-American students, are more likely to participate in sports and activities, and have fewer disciplinary actions taken against them, according to a report from the school district.

The report comparing the top students in the class of 2013 was prepared for a board retreat earlier this summer, where a newly-assembled board focused on the district's strategic plan, District 200 spokesman Karin Sullivan said Tuesday. It was the second of four retreats planned to complete the five-year plan. A top goal identified in the draft plan is to achieve equity among students.

It’s obvious from the numbers that, even among the highest-performing students, OPRF still has disparities, said Sullivan. Moving forward, she said, a big part of the question in the strategic plan is, "How do we approach this issue?

According to the report, the 50 African American students account for about 21 percent of the African American graduates in the class of 2013, while the 50 white students only account for about 11 percent of the top 50 white 2013 graduates.

District 200 Board President John Phelan said Wednesday the report had limited value because of the difference in size of the two groups. He said looking at the top 10 percent, or dividing the groups into percentages, may have yielded results more reflective of the achievement gap.

Here’s a summary of some of the report’s findings:

GPA

The unweighted GPA for African American students was 3.93 to 2.61, with an average GPA of 3.27. The range for weighted GPAs was 4.88 to 3.07. The range for white students was 4.0 to 3.83, with a 3.94 average. The range for weighted GPAs was 4.96 to 4.73.

Sports

According to the report, 37 of the 50 African American students participated in school-sponsored activities or sports, with an average of 2.32 activities per student. Of the 50 white students, 45 participated in an average of 2.47 activities and/or sports.

Discipline

The top 50 African American students tallied 82 discipline incidents, including 78 Class 2 infractions. More than 80 percent of those Class 2 infractions were for Failure to Serve Plasco detentions or Failure to Serve detentions of another kind, according to the report. The selected 50 white students tallied three discipline incidents in the system, two of which were for Failure to Serve Plasco detentions.

Demographic breakdown of those included

The report looks at students’ basic demographic information, including gender, zip code, special education status and GPA, activity and discipline involvement, standardized test scores and course patterns.

According to the report, the top 50 African American students included 21 males and 29 females. Four of the top 50 African American students received special education services. The top 50 white students included 22 males and 28 females. None of the top 50 white students received special education services, according to the report.

Twenty-three of the top 50 African American students are from 60302; 18 are from 60304, six are from 60305 and three are in the “other” category. Twenty of the top-performing white students are from 60305, 19 are from 60302 and 11 are from 60304.

Action items to achieve equity in the draft strategic plan include:

• Expand access to rigorous teaching and learning so that race is not a predictor of a student's academic rigor, pathway or performance (years 1-5)
• Provide personnel and students with restorative justice strategies (years 1-3)
• Create a school community in which all students experience a sense of belonging (years 2-4)
• Demonstrate a developing racial consciousness in all personnel hired (years 2-5)
  

Read the full report on the Oak Park and River Forest High School website here.

Editor's note: Patch will reach out for additional board member feedback on the report.

What do you think can be done in District 200 to close this achievement gap? Tell us in the comments below.