Educational Opportunity and Achievement 5-4

School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Policy 5-4

STUDENTS

Educational Opportunity and Achievement

1. Purpose

   The School Board believes that all students, staff, and community members, regardless of backgrounds, deserve a rigorous and respectful learning and work environment where everyone contributes toward achieving positive academic outcomes and preparing students to be future ready, engaged and productive citizens. The School Board and the School Division are committed to developing an educational environment that fulfills its core values and life-long learning competencies.

2. School Board commitments

   The School Board commits to compliance with state and federal law regarding non-discrimination as set forth in Policy 5-7 and other policies and regulations. The School Board also commits to providing educational and work environments that provide students and staff with the opportunity to access educational services and work opportunities without discrimination or harassment. The School Board commits to the following:

   1. Supporting the Superintendent in providing processes and practices that are nondiscriminatory in nature.
   2. Respecting the life experiences of all community members to support the School Division’s core values and strategic goals.
   3. Adopting processes, practices, and initiatives that inform students, staff, contractors/agents, families and community members of the School Board’s commitment to nondiscrimination and its expectation that disrespectful, harassing, bullying and discriminatory conduct will not be tolerated. Such processes, practices and initiatives will also include how to report and seek resolution for discriminatory conduct.
   4. Identifying and acknowledging where lack of access and opportunity may exist in the School Division and taking actions to address these issues.
   5. Requiring mandatory training for all School Board Members and staff regarding federal and state laws regarding antiharassment and nondiscrimination.
   6. Ensuring that educational and work environments provide students, staff and the community with a wide variety of opportunities and experiences that support the School Division’s core values.
3. Curriculum and Instruction

   The Superintendent or designee(s) will ensure that curriculum and instructional materials reflect the School Board’s commitment to nondiscrimination.

   1. Curriculum and instructional materials for all grades shall reflect a range of perspectives and experiences.
   2. All curriculum materials shall be examined for bias by the Department of Teaching and Learning. Where materials reflect unlawful bias, teachers utilizing the materials will acknowledge and seek to understand the bias and communicate this important context to students and parents/legal guardians prior to instruction.
   3. The School Division shall develop, support, and implement curriculum and instruction as well as educational resources that have been reviewed and determined not to promote unlawful bias.
   4. Class instructional activities and extracurricular programs shall be designed to provide opportunities for students to learn and explore a variety of points of view and experiences.
   5. Middle and high schools will offer opportunities for supplementary coursework, such as summer bridge programs, study skills, or tutoring during or after school, to students interested in moving to higher level courses. This information will be made available to students and families through school counselors, school bulletins and webpages.

Related Links

School Board Policy 4-4
School Board Policy 4-6
School Board Policy 5-7
School Board Regulation 5-36.3
School Board Policy 5-44

Adopted by School Board: September 9, 2020
Amended by School Board: May 27, 2025