Page 1 - Nelson final project deliverable

TRINITY EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

by Kristy Nelson
Establishing the importance of EDI within

the student population

A plan for increasing student diversity

Executive Summary

In the past 65 years, Trinity Episcopal School has enjoyed a strong reputation in the
community of Victoria, Texas, outperforming the public school system. Overall, both na-

tionally and internationally, private religious schools consistently outperform public
schools academically, even when adjusting for SES, geographic location, etc. Yet private
schools suffer from a lack of diversity, both across race and SES, and Trinity is no excep-

tion. Diversity in school population has been shown to provide a number of advantages
to students, including better socioemotional and interpersonal skills, higher test scores,
and better career placement as an adult. One of the biggest stumbling blocks to a pri-

vate school education is the cost of attendance. Possible methods of countering the high
cost of tuition is outside funding sources and a sliding tuition scale based on family in-

come. Additional barriers include the concept of “homophily,” where families choose to
send their children to schools where others look like they do. In order to combat ho-
mophily and to create an environment where lack of resources is not a burden to admis-

sion, Trinity Episcopal School is advised to establish a five-point plan designed to recruit,
admit, and support students of color.

Introduction

Trinity Episcopal School serves Having recently celebrated its
th
the greater Crossroads area of 65 anniversary, Trinity has
Victoria and surrounding recently built a new middle
counties by providing an op- school and is in the process of
refurbishing its elementary
portunity for a rigorous aca-
school. In addition to an excel-
demic Christian education in
lent academic reputation,
th
grades K3-8 grade. The
Trinity is known for its fine
school is renowned for its arts programs and foreign lan-
scholarship and the achieve- guage education beginning at
ments of its graduates. the age of three.