By Rob Frehse and Travis Caldwell, CNN
An impartial investigation reveals that the Fairfax County Public Faculty system in Virginia deliberately did not notify some highschool college students about their Nationwide Benefit Scholarship Recognition in a well timed method, the system superintendent introduced Wednesday.
The college district requested a legislation agency in January to conduct an investigation into printed allegations that college employees withheld some notifications to “keep away from hurting college students’ emotions” that went unacknowledged. based on an announcement from District
The investigation discovered that of the 23 district excessive faculties with college students who obtained commendations within the Nationwide Benefit Scholarship competitors, eight notified recommended college students after Nov. 1, which is an early admissions deadline for some faculties, learn within the assertion.
However the investigation discovered “no proof” of deliberately withholding notifications of reward or minimizing pupil achievement, or any suggestion that the delays had been because of racial concerns, the assertion mentioned. The investigation additionally discovered no proof “to counsel that any later-than-usual notification harmed the scholars’ tutorial, skilled, or monetary pursuits,” the assertion learn.
The legislation agency’s investigation discovered that “logistical elements” that adjust from faculty to high school had been chargeable for the delays, based on the district.
“This isn’t a selected concern of the college right now. Reasonably, this can be a system concern round coverage and procedures that must be in place to stop this from taking place once more,” Superintendent Michelle Reid mentioned of the investigation at a public assembly Wednesday.
College students ought to have been notified in September in the event that they obtained awards from the Nationwide Benefit Scholarship program, an “tutorial competitors for undergraduate school scholarships and recognition,” this system’s web site says.
Of the roughly 1.5 million entries, some 34,000 of the highest 50,000 college students from throughout the nation obtain commendations in recognition of their achievements, however this additionally means they did not make it to semifinalist degree and are out of competition for awards. Nationwide Benefit Scholarships. based on this system.
Whereas the present informs semifinalists of their achievement instantly, it does not achieve this for the praised college students, counting on faculties to relay the accolades, the Fairfax County district mentioned.
Impartial college advisors beforehand informed CNN that such recognition would most likely not sway an admissions resolution from a top-tier college, however every faculty handles these awards otherwise.
Virginia will proceed with its personal investigation, says the lawyer basic’s workplace
The Virginia lawyer basic had launched its personal district investigation into the difficulty in January. The investigation first targeted on the district’s Thomas Jefferson Science and Expertise Excessive Faculty in Alexandria over suspicions of illegal discrimination, however later expanded to your complete district because of studies that different faculties denied recognition.
Of the 459 Thomas Jefferson Excessive Faculty seniors, 393 had been recommended or semifinalists, based on the Fairfax County Public Colleges system.
The college can be below investigation for its admissions insurance policies, which Commonwealth Legal professional Basic Jason Miyares mentioned in a January assertion have considerably diminished the variety of Asian-American college students in recent times.
The ethnicity of the scholar inhabitants at Thomas Jefferson Excessive Faculty is sort of 66% Asian, in accordance the college system
Victoria LaCivita, a spokeswoman for the lawyer basic, informed CNN relating to the newest report: “It’s encouraging that FCPS is working to be extra clear concerning the inconsistencies surrounding its Nationwide Benefit award selections and course of.”
The lawyer basic’s workplace will proceed its investigation, he mentioned.
A dad or mum took challenge with Reid on the Wednesday night time assembly, claiming {that a} racially disproportionate variety of Asian college students weren’t knowledgeable of the reward.
“A abstract of the findings didn’t establish discrimination on the idea of race at this level. … Presently, the abstract of key findings from the analysis overview doesn’t present uneven impression,” Reid informed the daddy.
Faculty employees members have drafted a new regulation that may be sure that college students and fogeys are notified in a well timed method concerning the advantage award, Reid mentioned.
The CNN Wire
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CNN’s Gili Remen, Sara Good, Athena Jones, Kirsten Appleton, Paul LeBlanc and Braden Walker contributed to this report.