RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) — Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the Chronic Absenteeism Task Force on Friday, Sept. 29.
The task force is part of the “ALL IN VA” plan to increase learning by addressing attendance, literacy and learning in the classrooms, according to a release. The task force was created in response to the near doubling of absences from school in Virginia as a result of the pandemic.
Youngkin said that the decision to close schools during the pandemic had lasting and “detrimental” effects on children. Virginia’s Standards of Learning, or SOL, scores have dropped from years prior to the pandemic. Hispanic and Black students from third to eighth grade have experienced the most significant decline in both reading and math scores.
“Children must be in school to have any chance of recovering from the persistent learning loss facing students across the Commonwealth,” Youngkin said, in a release. “Our new Chronic Absenteeism Task Force was designed to get kids back in the classroom and back on track now.”
Students’ attendance can affect how well they score on the standardized tests, scoring well below peers with higher attendance.
The task force is set to meet every two weeks to discuss the factors contributing to “chronic absenteeism” such as: food scarcity, health and safety and transportation, according to a release. The task force will develop actions address barriers to reducing chronic absenteeism.
Following each session, the department will push out practical solutions to all superintendents for immediate implementation and awareness.
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