Local Education Data
Equity Measures
A better understanding of our educational systems empowers us to advocate for changes that can improve outcomes and equity.
What are Equity Measures?
While the disaggregated data provided via the core measures helps us better understand disparities in outcomes, equity measures have been selected to help us understand critical aspects of educational equity in practice in our community, such as disproportionate discipline practices, segregation, access to resources, and diversity of educators and staff.
The Forsyth Promise’s goal is to support improvement of community-wide education outcomes for all students and support the reduction (and ultimate elimination) of disparities in outcomes by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
The Forsyth Promise 2020 Education Report
The purpose of this report is share community information so that everyone can better understand our educational systems. This report is produced annually by The Forsyth Promise.
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Disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes exist among students based on socioeconomic status, gender, race/ethnicity, geography, and other factors — resulting from a history of systemic inequities.
The Forsyth Promise believes that every student should have what they need to reach their full potential. Thus, educational equity is achieved when all students have access to the necessary resources, based on their individual needs, to meet their potential.
We recognize and acknowledge that significant disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes exist among students based on socioeconomic status, gender, race, and special needs — resulting from a history of systemic inequities.
We further recognize that an important step in the pursuit of equity is to better understand systems of inequity. The measures presented here represent a first step in illuminating some of the conditions that are directly connected to pressing aspects of educational equity in WS/FCS. We welcome the community’s input as we identify additional measures that would prove helpful as we assess performance in this area.
Key Findings from the Equity Measures
Students of color are suspended at higher rates than White students.
Title I and schools with lower performance grades have fewer experienced and/or highly effective teachers.
Disproportionate Discipline
Time that students spend out of the classroom for disciplinary reasons can disrupt learning. Importantly, students of color are more likely to receive a suspension. The measure used here is the short-term suspension rate or the number of combined in-school and out-of-school suspension incidents per 100 students. All the suspension incidents reported here are for 10 days or fewer. View data notes for this measure.
Data Visualization
Discipline Incident Rate (2016-20)
Use the dropdown menu below to view data on different groups.
Key Takeaways
Disparities were present in discipline rates by race/ethnicity.
The discipline rate for Black students is almost five times greater than White students, while Hispanic/Latino have a discipline rate that is more than double White students.
Disparities were present in discipline rates by gender.
Male students had a discipline rate that was more than double that of female students.
Stories of Lived Experience
“I know it is in the schools, and minorities certainly are treated differently, particularly, our black males.”
MRS. SYLVIA ADAMS, Executive Director, The Salvation Army Ken Carlson Boys & Girls Club
Go to the lived experience interviews
Data Notes
Discipline Incident Rate
Data source: Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
Teacher Effectiveness
Highly effective teachers and teachers who have more experience can have a dramatic impact on student performance and success in school.
The two measures included here are teacher effectiveness and teacher experience. Teacher effectiveness is determined by an evaluation of teachers across five standards: teacher demonstrates leadership, teacher establishes a respectful environment for a diverse population of students, teacher knows the content they teach, teacher facilitates learning for their students, and teacher reflects on their practice. A rating of ‘needs improvement’ signifies a teacher did not meet proficiency on at least one of the five ratings; a rating of ‘effective’ means they were at least proficient on all standards, and highly effective means they met ‘accomplished’ or ‘distinguished’ on all five standards.
Teacher experience defines beginning teachers as teachers who are in their first three years of teaching. View data notes for this measure.
Data Visualization
Teacher Effectiveness and Experience (2018-19 School Year)
Use the dropdown menus below to view data on different measures and groups.
Key Takeaways
There are fewer highly effective teachers at Title I and lower letter grade schools.
There are more beginning teachers at Title I and lower letter grade schools.
Data Notes
Teacher Effectiveness and Experience
Title I schools are schools where more than 55% of students are on free or reduced price lunch.
School letter grade is assigned to a whole school and is based on a school’s overall student proficiency and growth on testing results.
Data source: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Educator and Staff Diversity
A diverse school staff that is representative of the student body is one important way to help equalize opportunities for students of color. View data notes for this measure.
Data Visualization
WS/FCS Staff Diversity
Use the dropdown menu below to view data on different groups.
Key Takeaways
Administrators have the highest levels of diversity and teachers have lower levels of diversity.
Stories of Lived Experience
“With the lack of cultural competency, I think there are challenges and ultimately it affects the child’s academic success.”
ANONYMOUS, Parent of WS/FCS 4th grader
Go to the lived experience interviews
Pathways to Action
We can work together to organize, advocate, and drive positive change.
When we work together, we have the power to change our systems for the better. We hope those who read this report feel encouraged and inspired to get involved. Local groups are working to support and improve our systems and there are many ways for anyone to get involved.
Get Engaged in the Community Conversation on Education
Join us for Be The Change: Making Good on Our Promise, a digital convening designed to bring people together and discuss coordinated community-wide action to increase equity and improve outcomes.
Learn About Work Being Done to Improve Our Educational Systems
Initiative Action Profiles highlight current, collaborative, community work to improve our systems of education.
Help Improve this Report by Sharing Your Feedback
Each year, The Forsyth Promise publishes a community report on Forsyth County's educational systems. By taking just a moment to share your thoughts on the 2020 report, you can help make future reports better.
Help Us Build a More Complete Perspective
Help us understand important aspects of our educational systems that this report may have overlooked or suggest new information to improve the report.
Find a Volunteer Opportunity that's Right for You
Everyone in our community possesses important gifts, skills, and talents they can use to help make Forsyth County a better place to live.
Share the Story of Your Lived Experience
Forsyth County residents of all ages, lifestyles, and backgrounds can participate in our Lived Experience Lab, through which we capture and share critical community stories about educational experiences.