Glenbard District 87 hosts its first SOAR conference
On Dec. 2, Glenbard Township High School District 87 hosted more than 150 educators and administrators from 47 school districts for its first SOAR Conference, which focused on Supporting Opportunity and Access to Rigorous Coursework in school districts.
The conference, which was held at Glenbard South High School, provided an opportunity for educators and administrators from across Illinois to share best practice on the following topics:
• Accelerated Placement Act and structures to auto enroll students;
• Creating a culture of belonging in Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), and Dual Credit classrooms;
• Support structures for underrepresented students in Honors, AP and Dual Credit;
• Increasing Dual Credit by partnering with community colleges;
• Partnering with middle schools to increase access to Honors, AP and Dual Credit.
Glenbard District 87 Superintendent David Larson said, "We have been leaders in creating opportunity, access and a sense of belonging for students to experience advanced coursework in honors, Advanced Placement and dual credit. The conference was a valuable opportunity for our top-notch educators to share with others information about our work and for us to hear from educational leaders from across the state about their work to increase opportunities for students."
Larson thanked Tracey Conrad and Paul DeAngelis, chief program officer and partnership development director at Equal Opportunity Schools, and College of DuPage President Brian Caputo for their partnership in providing valuable opportunities that change the trajectory of students' lives.
Equal Opportunity Schools provides customized insight into identifying students who have the skills to succeed in AP coursework, recruiting strategies and support structures for students.
Among the many features of Glenbard's partnership with the College of DuPage is a growing number of free dual credit courses available to Glenbard students.
Larson also commended two Glenbard District 87 administrators for organizing the conference: Executive Director for Teaching and Learning, Curriculum and Pathways Patrick McGill and Assistant Director for Teaching & Learning Rebecca Sulaver.