Guided by its mission, Mundo Verde aims to foster high levels of academic achievement among a diverse group of students by offering equitable access to DC students. The equitable access preference is an optional preference schools in the District of Columbia may offer during the application lottery process, similar to other preferences Mundo Verde already has in place. After seeking feedback from stakeholders and a robust Board discussion and vote of approval, Mundo Verde applied and was approved for the equitable access preference in August 2022.
A task force of parents, caregivers, and staff was then created to guide the implementation of the preference. The task force includes parents/caregivers from both campuses and a range of staff including instructional, student support, data, operations, and human resources expertise. Two parents/caregivers from each campus were nominated by Comunidad (Calle Ocho) and Padres (J. F. Cook), caregiver organizations representing each campus.
Right as the school year began, school leaders learned new information about implementing the preference from MySchoolDC, including one key early deadline, which was the need to decide the method of implementation. After two meetings, the task force recommended the designated seats option, which will allow Mundo Verde to designate a specific number of seats for each grade at each campus for equitable access applicants. The exact number of designated seats will be finalized in March 2023.
From the beginning of this process, Mundo Verde school leaders have been attuned to the additional resources and complexity of implementing an equitable access preference. The task force sees this as an opportunity to stay true to Mundo Verde’s mission and to take some planned and managed organizational shifts to increase its support for individuals facing what often look like insurmountable challenges.
Overview of the Application and Implementation Process
May-June 2022
Information sessions held with interested staff and caregivers
Feedback survey sent to school community
Initial feedback included questions about the timing for implementation, concern about support for the behavioral challenges of at-risk students
July 2022
Mundo Verde Board considered staff and caregiver feedback, and unanimously approved the equitable access preference application, after a robust discussion about the application
Mundo Verde Board felt strongly that providing more opportunities for equitable access to admission through the lottery is an important tool to support Mundo Verde’s mission and founding principle of serving a diverse student body, including students designated as at-risk
August 2022
DC Public Charter School Board approved Mundo Verde’s application to implement the equitable access preference
September 2022
Implementation task force formed, comprising staff and caregivers from both campuses, as well as network staff
Leadership meeting with My School DC; informed of October 11 deadline for decision about if/how to implement approved application
October 2022
Initial task force meetings to better understand the two options for implementing the equitable access preference
The task force unanimously recommended implementing the equitable access preference for the 2023-2024 school year, using the designated seats method
Exact number of seats per grade will be finalized by March 2023, per My School DC timelines
November-December 2022
Task force meetings with Mundo Verde leadership about current supports and structures, gathering information to inform recommendations, and gathering feedback from other staff and caregivers
What’s Next
The task force continues to seek input from staff and caregivers to inform their recommendations through sessions and confidential individual interviews. Feedback gathered last year showed an overriding concern for ensuring the school would have the systems and resources in place to fully support all students with any needs, including accessing social services and academic support. In order to understand the current supports and needs, the task force will focus on feedback from:
Current families who meet the criteria for the equitable access preference, particularly those receiving social supports
Families of children receiving special education
Families who joined in upper grades and didn’t speak Spanish
Spanish speaking / immigrant families
The task force will meet in the new year with school leaders to make recommendations regarding additional structures and supports for students and staff. The task force will also make recommendations about how many designated seats should be reserved for equitable access applicants. The recommendations will inform decisions made by Mundo Verde’s Executive Director regarding the implementation of the preference and will inform the budgeting process, which is finalized in a board vote.
Additional information on the equitable access preference is available here.
Individuals interested in providing feedback may complete this form or email the consultant supporting the process (Alison Collier) at alison@acollierconsulting.com.