DeKalb County Public Schools:
Comprehensive Access & Opportunity Audit
Presentation to Board of Education
May 2025
Audit Framework
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DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
What is Educational Access & Opportunity?
Educational Access & Opportunity (A&O) means ensuring all students have the resources, support, and
pathways they need to succeed and reach their full potential, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Educational A&O is…. Educational A&O is not…
• Removing necessary resources from students
• Providing each student with individualized resources
• Lowering expectations
• Providing all necessary support to meet desired
• Reducing academic rigor
expectations
• Engaging in segregation or providing any
• Demanding academic rigor and necessary resources
programming that allows one race but not another or
• Providing each student with the opportunity to receive
otherwise separates students, faculty, or staff based
the full benefits of education
on race
What is an Access & Opportunity audit?
An access and opportunity audit is a study of an institution’s policies, programs,
and practices, in pursuit of educational access and opportunity for all students.
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DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Public Consulting Group LLC
Who is PCG? PCG Project Team
At PCG, we address problems with solutions that matter.
• Clients include state agencies, municipalities and school districts
• Education contracts in 49 States, plus 22 of the 30 largest US
districts
• Our team members are former school, district and state education
leaders.
Since 1986, we pride ourselves on being the leading public Ana Archibald Cassandre Davis, Ed.D. Lenworth Williamson
section management consulting firm that partners with
education, health and human services agencies to improve
lives.
PCG’s Role
• PCG serves as an objective third-party in conducting
the audit.
• As such, PCG makes independent decisions about
Lauren Monz Paul Wilson Rita Lulo Abinader
research design, protocol development, sampling, and
analysis methodology.
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Audit Methodology
DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Mixed Methods Research Design
Quantitative Analysis Qualitative Analysis
PCG analyzed a range of quantitative data items, Phenomenological Approach: Researchers use the phenomenological
including: approach to grasp the stakeholder experience and the meaning making of the
• Student, teacher, and administrator demographics experience (Creswell, 2013).
• Georgia Milestones results
• Graduation rates Qualitative Coding: PCG used ATLAS.ti to code qualitative data. PCG’s
analysis was guided by six key focus areas. These categories serve as a
• Participation in advanced coursework and SAT & consistent coding framework, allowing PCG to identify themes, understand
ACT tests stakeholder perspectives, and align findings with audit goals.
• Theme & magnet school enrollment
• Disciplinary referrals
• School funding Case Study Approach
• School enrollment and capacity Case Study Approach: Researchers use case studies to investigate an
• School building age unknown, contemporary issue or to find a better understanding of a process
in which several variables are pertinent to the case (Glesne, 2010). Case
studies rely “on multiple sources of evidence, with data needing to converge
In our quantitative analysis, PCG disaggregated data in a triangulating fashion” (Yin, 2003, p.17).
by student demographic subgroups.
Creswell, J.W. (2013). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed.). Pearson.
Glesne, C. (2010). Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction (4th ed.). New York, NY: Allyn and Bacon
Yin, R.K. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
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DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Data and Document Review
PCG conducted a review of pre-existing data and documents within each research focus area. Data and documents included:
Instructional &
Organizational Professional Resource
Programmatic Family Engagement School Climate
Leadership Learning & Growth Distribution
Opportunities
• Strategic plan • School parent/student • Professional • Federal, state, and • Family engagement • Previous climate
• Student handbooks handbook development offerings local per pupil framework surveys
• Organizational charts • School choice options • Professional expenditures • Family & community • School-based activities
• DCSD reports • Code of student development self- • Construction & building empowerment & and events
• Administrator & staff conduct assessment process financial documents grants/partnerships • Staff, parent, student,
surveys • Course and programs • Staff, parent, admin • Budget book • Staff, parent, student, admin survey
• District demographics by school survey • Donation transactions admin survey • Bullying data
• Extracurricular options for all schools • Discipline data
• Student assessment • Teacher certificate and
outcomes years of experience
• Graduation rates • Staff, parent, student,
• IEP assignment admin survey
• Enrollment at theme
and magnet schools
• Staff, parent, student,
admin survey
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DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Stakeholder Engagement and School Visits
Survey Focus Groups
PCG conducted a survey of middle and high school students, PCG conducted in-person and virtual focus groups with district
families, instructional staff, and school administrators. The stakeholders.
family survey was offered in 16 languages.
Stakeholder Responses Stakeholder Focus Groups Individuals Engaged
Students 8 100
Middle and High School Students 16,891
Families 1,653 Families 8 58
Instructional Staff 4,737
Staff 64 8
School Administrators 320
Interviews School Visits
PCG conducted individual and small group interviews with PCG conducted classroom visits. Classrooms and schools were
district leaders and staff. selected by PCG and located across all 7 districts.
Stakeholder Individuals Engaged Number Visited
District Leaders and Board Members 20 Schools 34
District Staff 42 Classroom 68
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Priority Recommendations
DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Priority Recommendations
Based on the findings of this Access & Opportunity Audit, PCG recommends DeKalb County School
District prioritize the following items for immediate implementation and focus:
1. Districtwide Access & Opportunity Vision
2. Access & Opportunity Accountability Framework
3. School-Based Access & Opportunity Integration
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Recommendation 1
Districtwide Access and Opportunity Vision
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DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Priority Recommendation: Districtwide A&O Vision
1. Set and communicate a clear vision for access and opportunity across DCSD.
• Define and communicate a comprehensive access and opportunity vision to all stakeholders.
• Include how the vision will be enacted upon by each stakeholder, i.e., staff will use instructional
strategies based on student needs; administrators will create programs based on student needs,
etc.
• Clearly communicate the connection between access and opportunity, academic achievement, and
social emotional wellness for each student.
• Engage a diverse range of stakeholders to contribute to and build the shared vision, including
students.
• Make the access and opportunity vision statement highly visible in district’s communications and
materials in multiple languages.
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DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Priority Recommendation: Districtwide A&O Vision
Related Findings
There is a lack of shared understanding of access and opportunity.
• Among board members, district staff, school leaders, teachers, and families, there is confusion about what “We need more messaging
access and opportunity means in practice, which was indicated in respective focus groups and surveys. across the district so it travels
down to everyone, so everyone
understands what it means."
• Despite strong district-level vision regarding access and opportunity, implementation varies widely across
- School Leader
schools and departments, as noted by school leaders and district staff in respective focus groups.
There is a gap in perception between students and staff.
• While 78% of administrators believe the curriculum reflects diverse cultures, only 47% of students agree that the “curriculum reflects diverse
perspectives”, according to administrator and student survey data, indicating a gap between leadership perceptions and student experiences. Students
consistently express that instructional materials and classroom discussions lack multicultural representation, as reported in student focus
groups and open-ended survey responses.
• 67% of student survey responses across DCSD report that their teachers have high expectations for them, compared to 81% of staff reporting
having high expectations for every student regardless of background. Student survey responses vary by student race/ethnicity.
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Recommendation 2
Access and Opportunity Accountability Framework
DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Priority Recommendation: A&O Accountability Framework
2. Develop and implement a districtwide access and opportunity accountability framework.
• Establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) key performance indicators to
track progress towards the district's access and opportunity vision. These KPIs should go beyond traditional
academic metrics and include measures related to resource allocation, access to advanced coursework, disciplinary
outcomes, participation in extracurricular activities, student support services utilization, and stakeholder experience.
• Develop robust systems for collecting and interpreting disaggregated data related to the identified indicators
ensuring data accuracy, security, and accessibility. Implement processes for analyzing this data to identify disparities,
monitor trends, and understand the impact of implemented initiatives on different student groups.
• Establish a schedule for regularly reviewing the collected data and reporting on progress towards the access and
opportunity goals. This reporting should be transparent and shared with all stakeholders, highlighting both successes and
areas needing improvement. These reports should inform ongoing adjustments to strategies and resource
allocation.
• Embed the access and opportunity accountability framework within existing district evaluation processes for
schools and administrators. This ensures progress towards access and opportunity outcomes is a valued component
of performance and defines clear expectations and responsibilities at all levels of the organization.
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DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Priority Recommendation: A&O Accountability Framework
Related Finding: Georgia Milestones
There are large gaps in the Georgia Milestones proficiency rates between student demographic groups in 2024.
Proficiency rates are defined as the percent of students receiving a Proficient Learner or Distinguished Learner score.
In the table below, positive numbers indicate the number of percentage points this demographic groups scored higher than the District average.
Negative numbers indicate the number of percentage points this demographic group scored lower than the District average.
In comparison to…
Student Groups ELA MATH
All students, grades 3-8 All Students, grades 3-8
2023-2024 2023-2024 Across both ELA and Math,
Students with IEPs -24 -18 White, Asian, and
English Learners -25 -16 Multiracial students score
Economically Disadvantaged Students -8 -8 higher than the district
average, while all other
African American or Black Students -5 -7
subgroups score lower, with
Asian Students +12 +22 students with IEPs, English
Hispanic Students -12 -9 Learners, and Hispanic
White Students +40 +42 students scoring the
Multiracial Students +21 +16
lowest of the subgroups.
Female +4 -2
Male -4 +2
Note: Additional Georgia Milestones gap analysis data is included in the Appendix.
Data retrieved from https://gaawards.gosa.ga.gov/analytics/saw.dll?Dashboard.
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DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Priority Recommendation: A&O Accountability Framework
Related Finding: SAT and ACT
SAT or ACT Test Takers, 2022-2024
60% 58%
Hispanic Students
53%
and Students with
50%
Disabilities are
43% significantly
40% 37%
36%
Percent of 11th and 12th underrepresented in
Graders Taking the SAT
31% SAT and ACT test
33%
30%
30%
28%
Percent of 11th and 12th
Graders Taking the ACT
takers, with 33% of
students in the district
22%
% of All Students Taking
SAT
taking the SAT but only
20%
15%
12%
15%
17%
12%
5% of Hispanic
13%
14% % of All Students Taking
ACT Students taking it.
9%
10%
6%
White and Asian
5%
students, however, are
0% overrepresented in
both tests.
Note: Data provided by DeKalb County School District, “2022-2024 ACT_SAT Summary”.
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DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Priority Recommendation: A&O Accountability Framework
Related Finding
There is not equal access to advanced and specialized learning opportunities across the district:
Advanced Placement course offerings are disproportionately available in different areas of the district.
A total of 1,655 AP courses are offered during the 2024-25 school year across
DCSD. Of those courses, 34% were offered at schools in District 1 (North)
and 5% were offered in Districts 6 and 7 (Central). The percent of students
enrolled in AP courses follow this trend as well.
DISTRICT 1
Board District Number of AP Courses % of AP Courses
DISTRICT 4
District 1 564 34%
District 2 120 7%
DISTRICT 2
DISTRICT 2
District 3 241 15%
DISTRICT 6
District 4 330 20%
District 5 234 14% DISTRICT77
DISTRICT
District 6 83 5%
DISTRICT 3
District 7 83 5%
DISTRICT 5
TOTAL 1,655 100%
Note: Data provided by DeKalb County School District, “Course and Programs by School”.
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DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Priority Recommendation: A&O Accountability Framework
Related Finding: Teacher Credentials
Percent of Teachers with Full Professional Credentials by Board District
100% Across the district, 87% of teaching staff hold full professional
95%
credentials.
90%
85%
80% District. There is some variation across Board Districts. On
75%
average, schools in Board District 3 have the lowest percentage
70%
65% of teachers with full professional credentials (mean of 82%,
60% median of 81%). On average, schools in Board District 7 and 1
55%
have the highest percentage of teachers with full professional
50%
District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 District 6 District 7 credentials (mean of 90% in District 7; median of 93% in District 1).
Percent of Teachers with Full Professional Credentials by Horizon Horizon. Horizon schools have a somewhat lower percentage of
Designation teachers holding full professional credentials, with a mean of
100% 83% (compared to 88% at non-Horizon schools) and a median of
95% 84% (compared to 90% for non-Horizon schools).
90%
85%
80% Schools in Board District 3 have the lowest percentage of teachers
75% with full professional credentials.
70%
65%
60% Horizon schools have a lower percentage of teachers with full
55% professional credentials.
50%
Horizon Not Horizon
Source: Data provided by DeKalb County School District, “Years of Exp. Teachers and Paras”
Source: Georgia Professional Standards Commission, “502-2.02 Classification.” Retrieved from https://www.gapsc.com/rules/current/certification/505-2-.02.pdf
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DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Priority Recommendation: A&O Accountability Framework
Related Finding: Age of Facilities
Age of School Building by Percent of Students with Limited English Proficiency
100
PCG analyzed the age of school building by
90 various student body demographics,
including race, percent of students with
80
disabilities, percent of economically
Age of School Building in Years
70 disadvantaged students, and percent of
students with limited English proficiency.
60 PCG found the strongest correlation
between age of school building and
50
percent of students with limited English
40
proficiency.
30
20
Schools with higher percentage of students
10 with limited English proficiency tend to be
older buildings.
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Percent of Students with Limited English Proficiency
Source: Data provided by DeKalb County School District, “Building-Age Renovation,” “Enrollment_by_Subgroup_Metrics_2022-23_2023-12-15_18_54_53”
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Recommendation 3
School-Based Access and Opportunity Integration
DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Priority Recommendation:
School-Based Access & Opportunity Integration
3. Support school-based access and opportunity integration through an Access and Opportunity Liaison (AOL)
program.
• Designate a specific individual (liaison) at each school site who will serve as a champion and point person for
access and opportunity initiatives. This role will involve building awareness, facilitating communication, coordinating
efforts, and supporting the implementation of district-wide and school-based strategies to promote access and opportunity.
• Clearly outline the responsibilities of the Liaisons, which may include collaborating with the district’s Access &
Opportunity Office, building an A&O team of school leaders and staff, analyzing school-level data related to access and
opportunity, identifying and addressing barriers to all students’ participation, engaging families and the community, and
serving as a resource for students and staff.
• Equip the Access and Opportunity Liaisons with the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources to effectively fulfill
their roles. This includes initial training on topics such as access and opportunity frameworks, implicit bias, culturally
responsive practices, data analysis, and facilitation skills, as well as ongoing professional development and networking
opportunities.
• Ensure that the Access and Opportunity Liaison program is aligned with and integrated into existing school
improvement plans and initiatives. This prevents the program from operating in isolation and ensures that efforts to
promote access and opportunity are embedded within the broader school culture and improvement cycle.
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DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Priority Recommendation:
School-Based Access & Opportunity Integration
Related Findings
There is a need for increased structures of professional learning related to access and opportunity.
• Additional mandatory training is requested by district staff and instructional staff. Specific topics include student mental
health, how to teach a diverse student body, implicit bias, de-escalation, and cultural diversity.
• Currently, there is not a system or practice to monitor and evaluate staff participation in professional learning, and the
successful implementation of that learning.
Lack of trust and a need for relational repair
• In focus groups and surveys, families and district staff note that there is long-standing mistrust from some families toward
DCSD, including school leadership and district leadership. While some note that progress is being made, they still express
a desire to see continued progress to rebuild trust.
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Classroom Visits
DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Classroom Culture & Environment
On average, in classroom visits across the district, PCG
observed 10 of 27 best practices related to classroom
culture and environment.
Classroom Culture and Environment DISTRICT 1 As it relates to best practices related to
classroom culture and environment,
Total Available there is significant variance across
27
Core Practices Districts, from 6.4 best practices in
DISTRICT 4 District 2 to 11.6 best practices in
Average Number of Core District 5.
Board District
Practices Observed
DISTRICT 2
DISTRICT 2
Board District 1 10.6
DISTRICT 6
Board District 2 6.4
Board District 3 9.1 DISTRICT77
DISTRICT
Board District 4 11.1
DISTRICT 3
Board District 5 11.6
DISTRICT 5
Board District 6 9.3
Board District 7 8.4
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Classroom Visits
DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Student Relationship Building
On average, in classroom visits across the district, PCG
observed 4 of the 15 best practices related to student
relationship building.
Student Relationship Building DISTRICT 1 As it relates to best practices related
to student relationship building, PCG
Total Available observed the greatest number of
15 practices (average of 6.3) in District
Core Practices
DISTRICT 4 5, and the fewest (average of 2.8) in
Average Number of Core District 2.
Board District
Practices Observed
DISTRICT 2
DISTRICT 2
Board District 1 4.6 DISTRICT 6
Board District 2 2.8
DISTRICT77
DISTRICT
Board District 3 3.2
Board District 4 4.4 DISTRICT 3
Board District 5 6.3 DISTRICT 5
Board District 6 4.7
Board District 7 3.2
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Classroom Visits
DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Instructional Strategies
On average, in classroom visits across the district, PCG
observed 2 of the 8 best practices related to student
relationship building.
Instructional Strategies DISTRICT 1 As it relates to best practices related to
Total Available instructional strategies, PCG observed
8 the greatest number of practices
Core Practices
DISTRICT 4
(average of 3.3) in District 5, and the
Average Number of Core fewest (average of 1.2) in District 2.
Board District
Practices Observed
DISTRICT 2
DISTRICT 2
Board District 1 1.9
DISTRICT 6
Board District 2 1.2
Board District 3 2.1 DISTRICT77
DISTRICT
Board District 4 1.7
DISTRICT 3
Board District 5 3.3
DISTRICT 5
Board District 6 2.3
Board District 7 1.8
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Conclusion and Next Steps
DeKalb County School District - Access & Opportunity Audit
Conclusion and Next Steps
In PCG’s review of DCSD, PCG recognizes the tremendous amount of work and effort DCSD leadership,
staff and families have put forth to increase access and opportunity for all students within the district.
DCSD has demonstrated the following:
• Commitment to achieving access and opportunity as demonstrated in the district’s Strategic Plan,
MIRACLES framework, and leadership actions.
• Designation of a district team dedicated to advancing access and opportunity through action planning,
awareness building, and information sharing.
• Capacity to work towards access and opportunity through school and district-based staff and district-wide
initiatives, such as investment in increased translation services, effective SAT test-taking campaigns,
expanded opportunities for Gifted designation, the Student Assignment Projects, and others.
• Persistence in understanding experiences of each student and family of DCSD through several surveys and
opportunities for feedback and dialogue.
In its full audit report, PCG made 34 recommendations that will help DCSD make progress in the area of
access and opportunity. At this time, PCG recommends and believes DCSD is ready to implement many of the
plans initiated by DCSD and the recommendations shared in the audit.
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