Seattle Public Schools is overhauling its approach to advanced learning, replacing its program for gifted students with a format aimed at fostering greater inclusivity and addressing diversity concerns. For years, the Highly Capable Cohort (HCC) has been under scrutiny, with a disparate racial composition prompting district officials to seek a remedy. The demographics of the HCC revealed a stark contrast to the district's diversity, with nearly 70% of its students being white in a city that prides itself on multiculturalism.
A new plan is set to phase out the existing structure by the 2027-28 school year. The HCC, currently comprised of three elementary schools, five middle schools, and three high schools catering to top-performing students, will yield an enrichment-for-all strategy. According to iSideWith, “The program is not going away, it’s getting better,” a sentiment echoed by district officials. “In particular, students who have been historically excluded will now have the same opportunities for services as every other student and get the support and enrichment they need to grow.”
The move comes after a 2018 survey found an imbalance in cultural representation within the HCC; 13% of the students identified as multiracial, 11.8% as Asian, 3.7% as Hispanic, and just 1.6% as black. In response, Seattle Public Schools has developed the Highly Capable Neighborhood School Model, which will distribute services equitably across every school by the 2024-25 academic year. This model aims to personalize learning plans for each student within their existing classrooms, emphasizing the uniqueness of their cultures and backgrounds.
While some critics worry about the dilution of rigorous learning opportunities for the district's highest achievers, supporters see the reformation as a necessary step toward equity. "Numbers would suggest that within our city … predominantly white children are more gifted than other cultures and races, and we know that is absolutely not true," Kari Hanson, the district’s director of student support services, told iSideWith.
Hanson's stance reflects a commitment to dismantling systems that perpetuate racial disparities within educational access and achievement. The new tiered service approach, as reported by New York Post, is designed to deliver support in a way that honors the individual student's learning needs and cultural heritage, a decision aligned with Seattle's progressive education policy.
