Youngkin Administration Finds Focus On Equity In Schools Coincided With Achievement Gap

VIRGINIA — Virginia’s reputation for some of the best schools in the nation is masking widening student achievement gaps and lower standards in schools, according to a new report released Thursday by the administration of Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

The report, "Our Commitment to Virginians: High Expectations and Excellence for All Students," also found that Virginia's efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in public schools during the pandemic are exacerbating existing declines in student achievement.

"This report should create a sense of urgency and importance for all of us," Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow said in the report's foreword, addressed to Youngkin and Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera.

"Decisions made at the state level created confusion in Virginia education and downplayed troubling trends," the report said. "It is noteworthy that the rhetorical emphasis on equity coincided with the widened gaps in student achievement."

Educational equity means an educational system gives each student what he or she needs to perform at an acceptable level. It ensures personal and social circumstances are not obstacles to achieving educational potential.

According to the report, 45 percent of all Virginia public high school seniors in 2019, including 76 percent of Black and 56 percent of Hispanic seniors, were not college-ready in math on the SAT.

Youngkin called for the report in an executive order he signed Jan. 15, the day he was inaugurated. In that same executive order, Youngkin called for "ending the use of inherently divisive concepts" in Virginia's K-12 public education.

According to the report, Virginia has the lowest proficiency standards in reading and mathematics in the nation, resulting in what the Youngkin administration calls “honesty gaps” between the performance of students on state Standards of Learning tests and performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

The Youngkin administration said the "honesty gap" is a term of art used to describe the discrepancy between National Assessment of Educational Progress and state assessment scores.

“Virginia’s public schools have long enjoyed a reputation for academic excellence,” Youngkin said in a statement. “But the data in this report demonstrates that Virginia’s student achievement gaps are disturbing and cannot be ignored. This report documents a clear and sobering lesson on the consequences for students when state leaders lower academic standards and dismantle accountability.”

During the pandemic, homeschooling increased by 56 percent in 2020-2021, according to the report. In addition, 5,828 students have transferred from Virginia public schools to private schools since the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, the report said.

“I want to stress that this report is not an indictment of our teachers, principals, and other school leaders,” Balow said in a statement Thursday. “They have worked tirelessly over the last few years under extraordinary conditions and circumstances.”

Balow said she is “committed to working with Governor Youngkin, the state Board of Education, and the General Assembly to reorder Virginia’s K-12 priorities, raise expectations for all of our students, and create an accreditation system that is transparent, honest, and that prioritizes grade-level proficiency.”

The report is a follow-up to an interim report released in February. A letter sent March 10 to Youngkin's Department of Education on behalf of the state's 133 public school division superintendents said "gross assumptions" were made about school curriculums in the interim report.

"Division superintendents disagree with your assumption that discriminatory and divisive concepts have become widespread in Virginia school divisions," Howard Kiser, executive director of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, wrote in a letter to Balow.

Shortly after taking office, Youngkin launched a tip line email address for parents to report “divisive” concepts being taught in public schools.

The report released Thursday identified Youngkin’s guiding principles for restoring excellence in education, including advancing parent and teacher empowerment to best serve students in partnership; demanding zero-tolerance for discrimination in education and beyond; providing transparency and accountability so that each child is seen and receives what they need to succeed; and protecting and nurturing freedom of speech and inquiry "to ensure every student is taught how to think, not what to think."

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