AP and honors classes are lacking diversity here and at numerous schools across the country. Many students have taken notice of the issue. 

“AP courses at North Central definitely lack diversity,” junior Aaliyah Davis said.

Teachers and administrators also realize the problem. They have created a program to help correct this issue and encourage more diversity. 

“There is a cohort program and it tries to promote diversity and make them feel special. In general a majority of teachers want to correct this,” AP Psychology teacher Tara Jobe-Scott said.

Although this program is in place, students and teachers think the school should still be doing more. Students believe the school needs to help make minorities want to take these classes.

“I do think North Central should make a bigger deal to diversify its classes because it would make everyone, no matter who they are, feel more comfortable and confident in the classroom,” junior Quentin Dean said.

Some students believe the lack of diversity in upper level classes comes down to low levels of encouragement by teachers, among other factors.

“I think AP classes aren’t as diverse as North Central as a whole because African American students aren’t encouraged enough by teachers to take these higher level courses, there is a lack of interest in how these classes could potentially shape their future and even because they just may not qualify or be prepared,” Davis said.

The school and teachers need to be worried by this issue because students are starting to feel troubled and annoyed by this problem. 

“Teachers should definitely be worried about the lack of diversity in their classes because it’s come to a point where lack of diversity is creating a sort of resegregation,” Davis said.

Camron Tyler-Brown