Academic Excellence
ACPS needs a renewed focus on reading and math in 1st-3rd grades and core subjects (math, science, language arts) through high school.
The achievement gap between white students and students of color continues to be a significant problem. Among students of color in ACPS, roughly 40% failed the reading SOL test, and 50% failed the math and science SOL tests last year. And nearly 75% of Black students at Woodbrook Elementary failed the reading and math SOL. We must make some changes!
I recommend:
Hiring and training more elementary teachers, reading specialists, and English language specialists.
Revamping the current grading policies to encourage students to complete assignments on time and prepare for graded work (rather than rely on retakes). Provide remediation as needed.
Recruiting volunteers (UVA Madison House, high school seniors, retirees) to tutor and mentor at risk students in grades 1-8.