This story was researched and written by Radio IQ.
In recent years, the number of students classified as “at risk” by the Virginia Department of Education has increased dramatically because the state now has better data.
For many years, schools determined how many students lived in poverty by looking at who received free or reduced-price lunches. This left out many students in poverty, and the system had to be eliminated when many districts began making meals widely available. Levi Goren of the Commonwealth Institute says the new method of identifying students in poverty is based on participation in government assistance programs.
“It’s good that we are more accurately measuring the number of low-income students in Virginia,” Goren says. “And we need to make sure those students have the resources they need to be successful.”
Carol Bauer of the Virginia Education Association says student performance is similar to Olympic performance, with athletes who have the necessary financial support doing well.
“They have the uniforms. They have the coaches. They have the transportation. If they don’t have some of those things, they’re not as successful,” Bauer explains. “And I think the same could probably be said about our students. If they have the resources they need, they can actually be successful.”
Because state education officials now have better data on which students live in poverty, the Department of Education estimates that 43% of public school students are at risk. That means nearly half of Virginia’s students live in poverty.
