Evanston Township High School District 202’s Board of Education focused on post-high school planning and academic performance at its meeting Monday night.
The board also reviewed statistics on students receiving tutoring services, with disciplinary incidents and with nine or more absences last semester. Carrie Levy, the district’s director of research, evaluation and assessment, highlighted the ETHS Data Dashboard, a website launched last September to make data more accessible.
Pete Bavis, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said the district has “turned the page” on an exclusively college-focused approach to post-secondary planning by expanding career readiness programs.
“The ‘college for all’ era left many students behind both here in Evanston and across the country,” Bavis said. “ETHS must serve as more than just a pipeline to college. It must prepare students for fulfilling careers and lives.”
Beth Arey, a college and career coordinator at ETHS, stressed the importance of creating “individualized career and academic plans.” The ICAP program was launched in 2014 and comprises four stages: awareness, career exploration, planning and decision-making.
Arey said the district’s approach to post-secondary planning is “very unique.” Students are given pamphlets with checklists for college and career preparation and can access additional resources through SchooLinks, an online platform designed to support their goals.
One hundred percent of graduating seniors in the class of 2025 have indicated their post-secondary plans on SchooLink, Arey said. Board Vice President Monique Parsons emphasized the need for support beyond the classroom.
“I’m glad 100% of our students have a plan,” Parsons said. “My question is whether we are prepared to support the students who will need the most resources and not give up on them.
I’ve had staff that have literally had to drive a student to college because no one in their family would do it.”
Bavis and Dale Leibforth, the director of early college and career experiences at ETHS, highlighted increased participation and success in Advanced Placement and dual credit classes. Out of 1,151 ETHS students who took an AP exam last year, more than 80% passed.
Bavis attributed increased participation and success in AP classes to the school’s wide-ranging curriculum. However, Black and Latine students remain underrepresented in AP classes at ETHS.
“Kids want to be in that classroom and see themselves in the curriculum. It’s not like we give AP credit away — you have to take that test and score a 3 or higher, so these kids put in the work,” Bavis said.
The district is also piloting a new AP cybersecurity course and has expanded its dual credit program, which now encompasses hundreds of ETHS students. Most of these courses are offered by nearby Oakton Community College.
Board members generally agreed the district should focus on balancing pre-college programs with technical education while addressing persistent issues like chronic absenteeism.
“This work really does impact Evanston,” Board President Pat Savage-Williams said. “It is our effort to take care of this town and to change the future.”
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