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Updated – March 20, 2023

Oak Park-River Forest District 200’s policy, “Accommodating Transgender Students and Gender Nonconforming Students” says, “All students have the right to be addressed by a name and pronouns that correspond to their gender identity.” The document also recommends teachers issue a survey at the beginning of each semester to ask students how they would like to be referred to in class.

According to the policy, transgender students “shall be allowed use of restrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identity” and “shall be permitted to wear gender-affirming clothing to school.”

In terms of confidentiality, the district writes:

“When contacting the parent or guardian of a student who is transgender, school personnel should use the student’s name and pronoun assigned at birth unless otherwise specified in the Gender Support Plan.” 

However, the policy warns “all students under 18 years old should be aware that their parent(s)/guardian(s) and some third parties have the right to review their student records per Board Policy 7:340, Student Records, as well as state and federal law concerning school student records.”

The Gender Support Plan, used in conjunction with the policy, functions to “create [a] shared understanding about the ways in which the student’s authentic gender will be accounted for and supported at school.” The document allows students to choose whether or not their parents or guardians will be involved in the process.

The document also allows students to decide how staff will communicate with their parents:

Published – June 6, 2022

Oak Park – River Forest (OPRF) has been accused of implementing a race-based grading system. In a PowerPoint deck shared at the May 26, 2022 board meeting, the district stated that many teachers are “successfully exploring and implementing more equitable grading practices such as: utilizing aspects of competency-based grading, eliminating zeros from the grade book, and encouraging and rewarding growth over time.” Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning Laurie Fiorenza said that “traditional grading practices perpetuate inequities and intensify the opportunity gap.”

West Cook News reports:

“Advocates for so-called “equity based” grading practices, which seek to raise the grade point averages of black students and lower scores of higher-achieving Asian, white and Hispanic ones, say new grading criteria are necessary to further school districts’ mission of DEIJ, or “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice.””

In August 2021, Dr. Patrick Hardy, Executive Director of Equity and Student Success, Kristen McKee, Coordinator of Learning Analytics, and Dr. Laurie Fiorenza issued a report titled “Organizational Lessons Learned During COVID-19.” The report showed an increase in failing grades amongst minority students. The administrators stated:

“OPRF’s administration will adopt language that makes and keeps the system visible and continues to name racism as a complex interconnected structure.”

They also state:

“We must recognize the unique challenges faced during the pandemic intensify the need for a systemic approach to confronting the racial and socioeconomic discrepancies often experienced by our underrepresented student population.”

Policy 6:15: School Accountability in the district’s policy manual discusses the district’s “Measurable Equity Outcomes.” This list includes initiatives such as:

“Eliminating any statistically meaningful differentials along racial, ethnic, or income lines that may appear in the percentage of students who are graduating in 4 years.”

And:

“Eliminating any statistically meaningful differentials along racial, ethnic, or income lines that may appear in the percentage of students who are being subjected to disciplinary actions.”

Oak Park – River Forest School (OPRF) District 200 contains 1 high school, Oak Park and River Forest High School, and enrolls 3,427 students.