York High Seeks 'Equitable Access' For Students

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst School District 205 wants to renew efforts that officials say help students of color and low-income students.

On Tuesday, the school board is set to vote on the second year of a contract with Equal Opportunity Schools, a Seattle-based group.

The organization has been helping York High School enroll more students in Advanced Placement courses. It has had success in increasing the number of AP students, according to a district memo.

The mission of Equal Opportunity Schools is "to ensure that students of color and low-income students have equitable access to America's most academically intense high school programs and succeed at the highest levels."

The agreement for next year will cost $24,400, according to the district.

Last fall, York, with the help of Equal Opportunity Schools, identified 368 students as potential candidates for advanced coursework but who had no experience with AP, the district memo said.

The district held an event with about 250 potential first-time AP students.

Of the targeted students, 140 students took AP courses this school year. Next year, 179 are slated to do advanced coursework.

In the 2020-2021 school year, nearly 50 percent of York's students took one or more AP classes, according to the Illinois Report Card. Among low-income students, about 18 percent of students were enrolled in such classes.