The Village Initiative is proud to release our Third Annual Equity Report. The Equity Report is one of The Village Initiative's many partnerships with the Williamsburg-James City School Division. We believe close partnerships between schools and communities are a key ingredient to student success. The Village Initiative values the partnerships we have with teachers, students, administrators, and the school board through our multiple collaborative projects.
In past years, the report has taken a close look at SOL test scores and discipline rates released annually by the Virginia Department of Education School Quality Profiles. As SOL testing was cancelled in the spring due to the pandemic, no new data was available. As we reflected on the significant disruptions that COVID-19 has brought to our schools and our community, we decided to focus this year's report on core inequities that have long existed in our schools and are being exacerbated by the pandemic. COVID-19 is exerting a particularly pronounced effect on our most vulnerable students - those whose families are facing economic hardships, homeless students, English language learners, students with disabilities, and those who were already struggling academically. As a result, equity must guide our response to this crisis. In this report, we propose concrete, evidence-based ways to address root causes of educational inequities. These are not new issues; indeed, we show that students and parents in WJCC have raised similar concerns for decades. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates long-standing problems, we must act boldly to put in place sustainable solutions.
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