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Oswego School District officials deny summer remediation program aimed at certain racial groups · Kendall County News - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Aswego School District officials deny summer remediation program aimed at
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  Speaker 1: certain racial groups. Written by Eric Shelkopp, This article is
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  Speaker 1: being read by an automated voice brought to you by Everlett.
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  Speaker 1: Aswego School District three oh eight officials are denying claims
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  Speaker 1: that its summer remediation program is geared towards students of
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  Speaker 1: certain racial demographics. A parent had voice concerns that the
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  Speaker 1: district invited all non white students to participate in its
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  Speaker 1: Summer Connections program regardless of how they're doing in school.
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  Speaker 1: We don't believe that labels define whose students are, their
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  Speaker 1: achievements or their abilities, District three oh eight Superintendent and
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  Speaker 1: Alib Kalgatti said in a statement, However, our academic data
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  Speaker 1: shows there is an opportunity gap amongst our students within
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  Speaker 1: specific subgroups in our district. Summer Connections is a federally
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  Speaker 1: funded summer program free for students in Oswego Community Unit
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  Speaker 1: School District three eight from kindergarten through seventh grade. District
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  Speaker 1: officials said students are invited to participate in the program
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  Speaker 1: to strengthen their reading and math skills, as well as
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  Speaker 1: build social emotional skills. These subgroups align with those designated
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  Speaker 1: by Title I, including economically disadvantaged, historically underrepresented racial or
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  Speaker 1: ethnic groups, students with specialized learning plans, and those learning
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  Speaker 1: the English language. Kelgotti said, we are so proud of
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  Speaker 1: the success of our students, both inside the classroom and beyond.
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  Speaker 1: District three ZHO eight officials said the students registered for
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  Speaker 1: Summer Connections reflect the diverse racial makeup of the district
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  Speaker 1: and that every race represented in the school district is
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  Speaker 1: represented in this program. The invitation criteria were not designed
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  Speaker 1: to exclude any group, but to ensure that students facing
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  Speaker 1: documented barriers to opportunity had access to this targeted support,
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  Speaker 1: official said. According to the district, these are the students.
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  Speaker 1: The students who received an invitation to participate in the
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  Speaker 1: Summer Connections program, students who have an IEP or five
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  Speaker 1: oh four planned, students in the English Learners program, students
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  Speaker 1: who qualify for the free or reduced lunch program, all
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  Speaker 1: students attending a school wide Title I school, Boulder Hill
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  Speaker 1: and Long Beach Elementary and Plank Junior High students academically
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  Speaker 1: at risk as identified by a teacher or administrator, Students
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  Speaker 1: who are part of a historically disadvantaged racial ethnic group.
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  Speaker 1: Student whose families self fi their race as Black or
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  Speaker 1: African American, Hispanic, Asian, American, Indian or Alaskan Native, Native,
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  Speaker 1: Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern or North African,
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  Speaker 1: or two or more races. Students experiencing homelessness, or who
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  Speaker 1: are in foster care. Based on public education funding challenges,
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  Speaker 1: we are limited to offering supplemental programs based on the
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  Speaker 1: characteristics of available funding sources, the district said. The grant
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  Speaker 1: used for Summer Connections requires that the program target disadvantaged students.
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  Speaker 1: The district utilized the same parameters that the US Department
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  Speaker 1: of Education uses to designate Title I funded school