In a report headed to the School Board tonight, staff at Alexandria City Public Schools have pinpointed racial disparities within the school division’s Talented and Gifted (TAG) program.
Overall, staff found that in 2019 while white students only account for 28% of the school population, they comprise 62% of the TAG programs. Black students, who make up 25% of the overall student population, represented only 15% of the TAG program. The highest disparity was Hispanic students, who comprise 38% of the student population but only 13% of the TAG program.
“The data suggest that ACPS has disproportionality in enrollment in all of its advanced courses or programs,” the report said. “The ACPS 2025 Strategic Plan commits to eliminating opportunity and achievement gaps by monitoring our progress through: disproportionality of underrepresented students in advanced courses; disproportionality rate of students in TAG at the elementary level by school and student group; and disproportionality rate of students in advanced coursework at the secondary level by school and student group.”
A presentation prepared for the School Board outlines the racial disparities at every level of the program and outlines some paths forward to right-sizing the enrollment figures.
“The data indicates that the program has identified a substantial amount of white Talented and Gifted students in comparison to non-white Talented and Gifted students,” staff said.
The disparity also existed in advanced classes placement. At T.C. Williams High School, white students comprise 25% of the student population but 59% of the advanced placement program, 37% of dual enrollment, and 38% of the honors program.
The presentation ends with a series of recommendations to help close the gap, including:
- Honors and dual enrollment summer boot camps
- Honors information sessions during advertisement for students
- Professional learning for staff on equitable instructional practices for minorities in honors courses
- Collect additional data and feedback about how many students of color drop out from advance courses and why
Top photo by Jay Westcott, graph via ACPS
Recent Stories
It’s been another week bookended with violence in Alexandria’s West End. On Saturday, a man was shot in the Landmark area during a suspected carjacking. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries….
Alexandrians should brace for a stormy weekend. Rain is likely to kick off tonight after 11 p.m. and there’s a good chance it will continue through the weekend as a…
There were no injuries or arrests after gunfire was reported in the West End early Friday morning — a separate incident from the other West End shooting this morning where…
A 2 BD/1.5 BA home with refinished floors, renovated bathroom and fenced backyard is included in Just Listed.
It’s here! The 2024 Alexandria Coffee Guide!
After being in production for the past two years, dealing with the tumultuous changes to the service industry following the COVID environment, and the bittersweet closings and openings of coffee shops, Joyful Tern Publishing has finally released the Alexandria Coffee Guide: 2024 Edition!
The guide best serves locals, transplants and tourists interested in coffee by giving them a curated set of Alexandria’s local shops, excluding such brand names like Starbucks, Dunkin’, Peets and the like. The guide is broken down into multiple regions (Old Town North/Del Ray, Crystal City, Old Town, Alexandria West End, and Eisenhower East) and catalogs the coffee shops within each region, as well as notable details about them and things to do in the surrounding area. The guide provides a concise glossary of coffee culture terms near the end, and a few articles about coffee concepts.
Thorough Testing
Sometimes mold is easy to spot, but you don’t know how deep inside your walls it has spread. It can grow in sinks, cabinets, and other places you frequent every day. If you find mold, the question remains: Do I call a professional? Thistle Environmental, LLC believes in quality, comprehensive testing.
CALL NOW: (703) 929-4036
Made in Alexandria Fall Makers’ Market
The Made in ALX Fall Makers’ Market at Port City Brewing Co. in Alexandria is set for Sunday, Sept. 24!
This is the fall’s most fun sip-and-shop, featuring craft beer from the award-winning Port City Brewing Co. along with food,
2023 Alexandria Fall Festival
Food trucks, bounce houses, pony rides, magic shows and more at the 2023 Alexandria Fall Festival, an Alexandria Living event presented by The Patterson Group. Join us at River Farm on Sunday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
