Members of the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) Community Equity Advisory Committee (EAC) met for their first convening of the 2024-2025 school year, where they discussed the group’s purpose and priorities, examined data and student achievement, and joined forces in calibrating an aligned vision for equity across the school district.
The in-person meeting was held on Nov. 19 at the APS Student and Family Support Hub, and included superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson, Chief of Student Experience Erica Long, and staff from the Office of Equity + Social Justice.
The meeting was specifically designed to review the Atlanta Board of Education Policy BAC: Equity, which directs the Superintendent to factor equity in all the district does; discuss what the specific groups (EAC, Equity + Social Justice, senior leadership) need from the other for the EAC to be successful; examine student achievement data; and align on a collective vision for advancing educational equity within APS.
Established in 2022, the EAC provides strategic advice, school community perspective, and input to the superintendent on equity issues within the school district, consistent with the Board’s Equity Policy.
During the meeting, EAC members examined Georgia Milestones English Language Arts Assessment scores for grades 3-5 during fall 2024-2025, which revealed a glaring 61-point proficiency gap between Black and white students (24% and 85%, respectively), as well as a 49% proficiency gap between economically disadvantaged and non-economically disadvantaged (21% to 70%) students. The group also pointed to an alarming 29-point proficiency gap between students with disabilities (12%) and non-students with disabilities (41%). They also examined Georgia Milestones ELA proficiency for grades 6-8, as well as End of Course results in American Literature, Algebra, Biology, and U.S. History.
Upon examining the data, group members concluded that the district must focus on certain subgroups (i.e., Black students, Economically Disadvantaged Students, and Students With Disabilities) to improve student outcomes to ensure that all learners have access to a more equitable education to help them achieve and thrive.
Dr. Johnson said he found the committee’s perspectives extremely insightful.
“I appreciated hearing the perspectives of the Community Equity Advisory Committee members and some of the work that has been done, the grounding around the work that needs to be done, the sharing of data, focusing on the mission, and learning what the plan is going forward,” he said. “I’m really, really looking forward to the continued work.”
The committee also openly discussed how to alleviate persistent disparities, which included: recruiting highly qualified teachers, deploying the highest quality teachers to schools and classes with the greatest needs, and paying incentives to attract highly qualified teachers to the schools with the highest percentage of economically disadvantaged students.
“This approach gets us a little closer and helps with where we need to focus in terms of student achievement through an equity lens from a very practical perspective,” Long noted. “We’re asking, ‘How do we bring equity into what our expectations are for students?”
Thomas Dunn, a founding EAC member, criminal defense attorney, and retired South Atlanta High School teacher, was heartened by Dr. Johnson’s vision for equity, which underscores the importance of using data to inform all decision-making.
“It gave me a much-needed boost in hopes that equity at APS can address those long-existing and systemic problems,” said Dunn, who is also a retired Army officer. “I have spent my adult life fighting for justice, fairness, and equity in our military, in the criminal system, and in our communities. Those issues of injustice, unfairness, and inequity are the same issues facing our schools. I believe those very problems are fixable and crucial to making our schools equitable. I am very encouraged that Dr. Johnson’s vision for APS can help us get there, and I am committed to working harder to advance equity for APS scholars.”
For information about student data and to explore Milestones, Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), graduation results and more, please visit: https://apsinsights.org/blog/.