TDSB Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement is the first of its kind in public education in Canada. It is one of TDSB’s responses to dismantle anti-Black racism within the school board and improve both experiences and outcomes for Black students. The creation of the Centre of Excellence is also responsive to the voices of the Black communities who consistently advocated for deeper systemic change from the TDSB.

The first proposed in TDSB over two years ago by the Enhancing Equity Task Force. This work involved extensive community consultation which surfaced systemic barriers that are experienced by many TDSB students and disproportionately impeded the academic success of Black students. The Task Force’s recommendations led to a number of action plans in the Board’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan. These action plans have the goal of removing practices that stream students and decrease the educational opportunities of underserved groups of students, especially Black students.