Washington (AP). The Department of Education announced Thursday that it was opening a civil rights investigation into the Fairfax District State Schools in Virginia for admission policy in the elite, selective high school.
Five years ago, the change in admission policy was presented at Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology, encouraged to attract more black and Spanish students and face the challenge of some parents. The plaintiffs argued that this came from the expense of Asian American students with a decrease in school.
The investigation is carried out one day after the Prosecutor General of Virginia, Republican Jason Miyares, closed his investigation, which found that school policy is discriminated against for Asian American students. His office referred the case to the federal authorities.
“The Department of Education is grateful for the work of a careful Governor (Glenno) Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares for documenting the TJ practice model and we will continue to investigate this complaint to ensure that all students are valued correctly based on merits and achievements.”
Last year, the US Supreme Court refused to hear a case in which Thomas Jefferson’s admissions policy was contested, leaving the judgment of the Court of Appeal allowing politics.
The school district stated that it would review the documents published by the State Prosecutor General.
“This issue was already completely litigating,” the Fairfax County state schools said in a statement. “The Federal Court of Appeal found that there was no reason to argue that the policy of accepting Thomas Jefferson’s secondary science and technology discriminates against any group of students.”
2020 The school district reviewed Tom Jefferson’s acceptance policy by removing the $ 100 application and reception test and accepting the Holistic Review process.
In the first grade adopted by the new policy, low -income students, English learners and girls were increased. About 54% of the adopted class were Asian Americans, which decreased from the percentage of the previous year, the percentage of which ranged from 65% to 75%. The percentage of black and Spanish students who are under -represented in school have also increased.
Student grades, problem-solving essays, their “portrait leaf” skills and four experience factors-special education status, fitness for free or lower prices, whether they were an English learner and whether they attended historically insufficiently represented public high school-part of the review. Admission appraisers did not have access to the student name, race or other demographic information.
The district court initially made a decision to a group of parents who challenged politics, but the Court of Appeal subsequently annulled the decision.
The Court of Appeal noted that although the percentage of Asian American students decreased according to the new policy compared to the previous classes, the Asian American students overtook their applicants’ fund.
The case was considered to be a possible step in the challenge of adopting the challenge after the Supreme Court annulled the positive actions and clearly evaluated the race during its 2023. Resolution against Harvard and the University of North Carolina. However, in 2024. The Supreme Court refused to take the case.
___
The Associated Press Education coverage receives financial support from several private funds. AP is fully responsible for all content. Find AP work with Philanthropies standards, a list of sponsors and funded coverage areas ap.org.