Reply to ACPS -- what am I missing?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I don't disagree with ACPS's focus on trying to figure out how to make things more equitable. I do differ on what I perceive to be the approach.

[b]Making the TAG identification and delivery model more equitable, while a nice goal, is not going to serve the majority of students. [/b]There are many more things that should be a priority in terms of equity.

I think the district has an admirable goal of trying to figure out how to increase the graduation rate for Hispanic male students. It would be nice for the public to be provided actual graduation rate breakdowns by gender so we can see whether progress is really being made or if this is merely some aspirational goal that is not measured. But this is the only discernible concrete goal I have seen come out of the Equity for All initiative. I would also hope that the district begins to focus on remedying the achievement gaps that exist in many schools - including the glaring gaos at the middle schools and some of the East End elementary schools.

The West End elementary schools actually have a more even distribution when you look at VDOE data but it seems that the district figures that if families at a school are not complaining about the achievement gaps, there is no need to address it. (Unfortunately, the principals and staff at the schools may clamor all they want but they need advocacy and support from families.)

As it relates to TAG, this is a link to the state's regulation on the matter:

https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title8/agency20/chapter40/section40/

My read is that a nationally norm-referenced aptitude or achievement test must be included as a measure in identifying students for GIA services and for subject-specific academic services. But the regulation also refers to a larger list of measures that can be used to help determine a student's eligibility for services.

My guess is that the thinking behind moving toward a push-in delivery model is that by providing services to all students who need more academic challenges, regardless of identification or eligibility, will better prepare students to score better on the NNAT, CogAT or whatever aptitude test the district chooses to use to comply with state law. My guess is that the thinking behind moving toward an identification process that is on a continuum and uses more than three measures to determine a student's eligibility for services will lead to identifying more students from underrepresented groups. As with anything, the district needs to provide the public with data on its progress on this and any of its initiatives so that ACPS families actually know how to hold them to account. Families should not need to FOIA the information just to find out what progress is being made.

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[b]Six years ago a representative from central office spoke to our PTA about TAG and how it wasn't racially diverse[/b]. When I agreed and asked what ACPS' plan was to correct this, the ACPS staffer said they had "a plan".  Looks like either they didn't have a plan or the plan didn't work. It really doesn't matter anymore since it's clear that TAG will be phased out in the next year or two.

Central Office is HUGE and growing and, last time I looked ACPS was spending 16K a year per pupil. Why can't they get it together when the district is so small?  They have ample resources.

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I must have been at the same meeting bc I was going to post similar.

Yes, they have been planning to revamp the TAG process even before that. My child is graduating high school and they had plans back when she was in K.

Also when she was in K, they were discussing the need for another high school and you can see how that worked out  :roll:

[b]So if you are a current parent, please, please, please don't fall into the trap of believing that changes will happen by the time your child reaches x grade because it is 5 years away, 10 years away, 15 years away.  It could literally take 25 years or more for a change to happen.[/b]
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This is so true! [/quote]

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