Our Mission

Working together as a team, we will end the predictive value of race, class, gender, and special capacities for our children’s success through high quality teaching and learning for all. We seek to build relationships with families and communities to ensure that every student succeeds. We will know every student.

Our Mission

Equity Education

IGAK

EQUITY EDUCATION

The Albemarle County School Board believes that equity in opportunities and accessibility to our programs, services, and resources is critical to the achievement of all students. The Board values the diversity in our community and staff, seeks to develop a capacity for cultural competence and a commitment to equity and inclusion to enable the fulfillment of our mission.

The Board believes that for students to respect and value diversity, they must experience adults who are reflective of the varied cultures and backgrounds that make up our community and nation. Diversity includes diversity of thought, diversity of values, and diversity of perspectives and includes protected classes as outlined in Policy AC, Nondiscrimination.

The Albemarle County School Board is committed to:

1. Adopting accountability measures to ensure our school community is inclusive of diversity, cultural values, and family belief systems as directed through Division strategic initiatives and as outlined in Policy AC, Nondiscrimination.

2. Ensuring that staff are demonstrating respect for diversity through daily actions and decision making, including but not limited to the definitions in policies ACC, AntiRacism, and Policy JBA, Policy on the Treatment of Transgender and Gender Expansive Students.

3. Ensuring equity of opportunity and equity of access to programs, services, and resources.

4. Providing opportunities and support for all staff to embody culturally responsive, antiracist, and gender-inclusive educational practices and decision making.

This commitment will prevail in all of its policies and practices concerning staff, students, educational programs and services, and individuals and entities with whom the Board does business.

The Board shall oversee the implementation and impact of inclusive cultural, racial, and gender competencies through:

1. Approved staff development for all classified staff, administrators, and teachers.

2. Tracking of existing disparities based on past institutional practices to include but not limited to Achievement, enrollment in certain classes, discipline, graduation rates, gifted identification, and talent development services, and special education as per our Division equity tables.

3. A Superintendent and School Board Diversity and Equity Advisory Committee to organize feedback for accountability from diverse affinity groups at the student, staff, and community levels.

Adopted: November 8, 2001

Amended: September 10, 2015

Reviewed: July 12, 2007; September 23, 2021

Equity Review: September 23, 2021

Cross References:

AC, Nondiscrimination

ACC, Anti-Racism

AE, School Division Goals and Objectives

JB, Equal Educational Opportunities

Anti-Racism Policy

Transgender Gender Expansive Policy

POLICY ON THE TREATMENT OF TRANSGENDER AND GENDER EXPANSIVE STUDENTS

It is the policy of the Albemarle County Public Schools (“ACPS”) to maintain a safe and supportive school environment for all students free from harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying and free from discrimination because of actual or perceived race, color, creed, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship/immigration status, religion, biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, or any other protected class outlined in policy AC, Nondiscrimination. Educators play an essential role in creating a supportive school culture and advocating for the well-being of students. It is important for school staff, students, and parents/guardians to be aware that transgender and gender-expansive (collectively “gender-expansive”) students may be at a higher risk for being left out, victimized, and bullied because of bias and/or misunderstanding and lack of knowledge about their lives. Schools must be proactive in creating a culture that respects and values all students and fosters understanding of gender identity and expression within the school community. This policy is intended to help schools ensure the educational and social integration of transgender and gender-expansive students and to keep their learning environments safe and free from discrimination and harassment. Each principal is responsible for ensuring that all staff are aware of this policy and for ensuring the training and professional development opportunities that support them. Schools must assess the needs of each student on a case-by-case basis. School administrators should discuss the needs and concerns of gender-expansive students with them and their families and apply the experiences and expertise of their colleagues as well as external resources when they are useful.

For more details about the policy visit our Transgender Gender Expansive Policy Website.

Special Education

Special Education – Special Education – San Marino Unified School District

Albemarle County Schools are committed to providing all children with opportunities to benefit from a public education. Special education programs and services are available to county residents who have children with special education needs. These programs and services are provided for children with disabilities whose second birthday falls on or before September 30 through the age of 21 years. Each student receives special education services designed to meet his or her individual needs.

Pursuant to SB 1288 and HB 2299, passed by the 2021 Session of the General Assembly and signed by the Governor on March 30, 2021 (2021 Acts of Assembly, cc. 451; 452), each local school division will be required to complete and report the results of an inclusive practice self-assessment and action planning instrument once every three years, commencing no later than the start of the 2022-2023 school year. Each school division will report the results of its assessment and plans for improvement to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and to its (i) division superintendent; (ii) special education director; and (iii) chairs of its local school board and local special education advisory committee. ACPS completed this process and a summary report is attached for review.

For more information visit the Special Education Department Website.

Equity Dashboard

Defining Equity

The shared mission of our schools is to end the predictive value of race, class, gender, and special capacities on student success by working together with families and communities to ensure each individual student's success.

Equity Table

One way ACPS monitors equity work is through our equity table. By looking for proportional representation within key metrics associated with student success, the equity table makes it possible to see where some groups are overrepresented or underrepresented. Then, as a division and working with families and communities, we can take steps to remove barriers that prevent proportionality.

ACPS developed our first equity table in 2016-17. At that time, it was evident that Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students were underrepresented in the gifted program, as compared to their overall representation in our student population. Through strategic work in the gifted program, now the talent development program, the 2020-21 Equity Table shows more representation by these students and a closer degree of proportionality.

The equity table also helps monitor larger trends related to division initiatives, such as using the short-term education program (STEP) to decrease the number of out-of-school suspensions (currently at a four-year low). Similarly, our middle schools are working to delevel, or detrack, math classes, a move that has resulted in higher numbers of students enrolling in a high school math course while in middle school.

Live link to Equity Dashboard coming soon!

Equity Policy Checklist

Albemarle County Public School Division’s shared equity mission is to end the predictability of social and cultural factors on student success by working together with families and communities to ensure each individual student’s success.

The Equity Policy Checklist serves as a tool that policy owners use to ensure we are considering how policies are supporting equitable outcomes in our school division.