The Evanstonian

Evanstonians, ETHS community members reflect on opportunity gap, efforts to detrack at ETHS

Clara Gustafson, Foster Ellen, Ingrid Halverson, Eva Morales-Grahl and Jessica Sehgal • January 28, 2022

Over the years, ETHS has been consistently scrutinized for its opportunity gap. However, it wasn’t until 2010 when action was taken to detrack select ETHS courses. Despite the process continuing today, much controversy remains.

A ‘tremendous’ divide: tracking exacerbates opportunity gap at ETHS

January 28, 2022

Stepping into the halls of Evanston Township High School circa 1992, one would find themselves briefly submerged in the high school’s forever-favorite advertisement: a “melting pot” of students,...

Amidst controversy, tracked classes remain

January 28, 2022

Despite Alson’s best efforts, racism via tracking continued to prevail. Lower expectations of academic success materialized through the same courses offered in varying degrees of rigor and “intelligence.” ...

Racist encounters inspire mobilization

January 28, 2022

As the only public high school in Evanston, ETHS welcomed all students in the community from its founding in 1883. Unfortunately, there are limited accounts of racialized experiences and statistics in...

‘First Class’: a community dedicated to academic excellence

January 28, 2022

Evanston Township High School and the City of Evanston are places where students and families expect a specific definition of excellence; a definition that demands academic success and is rooted in white...

Detracking begins to take effect

January 28, 2022

The detracking initiative was promising: early statistics were favorable and have only improved since. In 2017, Bavis reported that the class of 2015, the first freshman class to take Pathway to Honors...

Pathway to paradox: how high achievements led to segregated courses

January 28, 2022

Like many schools across the country, ETHS offers a wide variety of classes with a wide range of levels. With over 3,000 students in attendance each year and a student body that comes from a diverse variety...