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Title VI: Indian Prairie Community Unit Sch. District (IL) OCR Complaint No. 05-10-1173

On November 26, 2012, OCR closed the part of a complaint against the Indian Prairie Community Unit Sch. District (IL) that alleged the District discriminated on the basis of race and national origin by operating a race-themed high school mentoring program, known as UPward, at Neuqua Valley High School. These programs were created because the District had been concerned that its usual efforts to recruit students to take academically rigorous classes in high school had not been successful in recruiting minority students. The UPward program consisted of direct outreach to African American and Latino students, positive peer support, and dialogue with parents.  Guidance counselors encouraged African American and Latino students to participate in the program, if the students’ grades suggested that the students would be successful in more rigorous courses. The District also began recruiting broadly, encouraging students of all races to participate in Upward and the District expanded efforts to encourage all students who showed potential to be successful to take more rigorous courses.  OCR stated that it is not a violation of Title VI, in and of itself, for a school district to operate a race-themed mentoring and support program. Such programs must be open to all and recruit broadly, although race-targeted recruiting may be a permissible part of this. OCR determined that there was insufficient evidence to support a conclusion of noncompliance with Title VI regarding the current operation of the UPward program.

Read the Resolution Letter download files PDF (168K)

 



   
Last Modified: 01/15/2020