<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1szU3J_0mUDDTjS00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1szU3J_0mUDDTjS00" width="1800" height="1260" > Data: Dallas Independent School District; Chart: Lindsey Bailey/Axios Dallas ISD has dramatically increased the number of Hispanic and Black students in honors classes, according to a report from <a href="https://www.the74million.org/article/dallas-isds-opt-out-policy-dramatically-boosts-diversity-in-its-honors-classes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The 74 </a> , a nonprofit news organization covering education. Why it matters: Far more students are on track to take eighth-grade algebra, a prerequisite for more advanced coursework in high school, per The 74. Prior to a 2019 policy change, only 20% of Dallas ISD eighth graders were enrolled in Algebra I, compared with 60% today. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><hr><ul><li> "The policy has not led to a decrease in student scores as some speculated," according to The 74. </li></ul> By the numbers: The district told The 74 that the pass rates for eighth-grade Algebra I students are similar to prior years, with 95% of Hispanic students passing the state algebra exam and 76% meeting grade-level proficiency, and 91% of Black students passing the test and 65% meeting grade level proficiency. How it happened: The district decided to move from an opt-in model to an opt-out policy in the 2019-20 school year. Any student who scores well on state exams is automatically enrolled in advanced mathematics, reading, science or social studies — or some combination of the four. <ul><li> Under the new model, students can opt out only with parents' written permission. </li><li> Before the policy change, students who wanted to join honors classes in sixth, seventh and eighth grade had to opt in themselves or get a recommendation — usually from a teacher or parent. </li></ul><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Context: Dallas ISD has nearly <a href="https://www.dallasisd.org/Page/336#:~:text=Dallas%20ISD%20employs%2022%2C222%20staff,153%2C861%20students%20in%20230%20schools." rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> 154,000 students </a> , the second-largest district in Texas behind Houston. Hispanic students make up 71% of Dallas ISD's enrollment, according to the district's <a href="https://mydata.dallasisd.org/SL/SD/ENROLLMENT/Enrollment.jsp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> most recent data </a> . Black students account for 20%. Flashback: Dallas ISD was one of the only urban school districts in the country that <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2022/10/26/test-scores-dallas-schools-steady" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> didn't </a><a href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2022/10/26/test-scores-dallas-schools-steady" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> have significant drops </a> in fourth-grade math or reading scores, according to last year's National Report Card from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Yes, but: Eighth graders in Texas have <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2023/03/27/texas-8th-graders-behind" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> fallen behind </a> their peers in other states. What they're saying: "Advanced coursework in high school is a pipeline," Shannon Trejo, Dallas ISD's chief academic officer, told The 74. <ul><li> "You have to get in in middle school. The question was, 'How do we ensure students who are prepared are enrolling?'" </li></ul><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

Data: Dallas Independent School District; Chart: Lindsey Bailey/AxiosDallas ISD has dramatically increased the number of Hispanic and Black students in honors classes, according to a report from The 74, a nonprofit news organization covering education.Why it matters: Far more students are on track to take eighth-grade algebra, a prerequisite for more advanced coursework in high school, per The 74. Prior to a 2019 policy change, only 20% of Dallas ISD eighth graders were enrolled in Algebra I, compared with 60% today.\"The policy has not led to a decrease in student scores as some speculated,\" according to The 74.By the numbers:...

How Dallas schools boosted diversity in honors classes

NewsBreak

Data: Dallas Independent School District; Chart: Lindsey Bailey/AxiosDallas ISD has dramatically increased the number of Hispanic and Black students in honors classes, according to a report from The 74, a nonprofit news organization covering education.Why it matters: Far more students are on track to take eighth-grade algebra, a prerequisite for more advanced coursework in high school, per The 74. Prior to a 2019 policy change, only 20% of Dallas ISD eighth graders were enrolled in Algebra I, compared with 60% today."The policy has not led to a decrease in student scores as some speculated," according to The 74.By the numbers:...