CASE STUDY

When the newly formed Ypsilanti Community Schools (YCS), a K12 district, was concerned about persistently low achievement and an increasingly segregated racial and socioeconomic community, they turned to CCES.

Rather than narrowing its curriculum and focusing on test preparation, the district chose to enhance its middle school curriculum by integrating diversity and racial equity its interdisciplinary humanities course (U.S. History and Language Arts). Using a revised curriculum designed to address Common Core Standards, over 300 middle school students challenged stereotypes, analyzed institutional discrimination, and advanced equity while also developing vocabulary, critical thinking, and Common Core writing skills. In a comparison of pre- and post-test scores, the post-testing increased an average of 25%, with one metric increasing by 95%.

Download this case study to learn how this bold approach affected students’ academic outcomes, social development, and leadership skills.