Washington D.C
June 22, 2016
D.C.: Request to Cancel Spring Tests Approved by Federal Officials
April 7, 2021
D.C. is now the only state to have its waiver request for federally-required assessments approved by the Education Department, even as handfuls of other states saw their requests to cancel spring tests this school year denied. Deputy Education Secretary Ian Rosenblum cited D.C. having among...
DC: Auditor – District Failed to Collect School, Student Performance Data
March 16, 2021
According to the Office of the D.C. Auditor, District officials have failed to collect required data needed to evaluate the performance of schools, including data on student achievement, absenteeism, and enrollment and transfers – despite receiving $30 million in local and federal funding for reporting...
D.C. Makes Gains in Graduation Rate Despite Pandemic
December 4, 2020
New graduation data announced by Mayor Muriel Bowser last week showed impressive gains in the number of students who successfully graduated in the 2019-20 school year, despite the abrupt closing of schools in the spring at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The district saw...
D.C. State Superintendent Of Education To Step Down In October
September 8, 2020
D.C. State Superintendent Hanseul Kang announced that she is preparing to depart the office in coming months, prompting reflections on her time as D.C.’s top education official. Notably, supporters and critics alike point to Kang’s focus on reshaping teacher recruitment and retention policies, goals to...
While Achievement Gaps Persist, D.C. Schools Show Signs of Improvement Overall
November 26, 2019
According to the District of Columbia’s star rankings, released just last week, D.C. schools are showing “improvements across the city” despite the fact that an “achievement gap on standardized tests” between low-income students and more affluent ones continues to persist. This is the second year...
“Rounding Out the School Year” in Washington, D.C.
July 10, 2019
The Washington Informer’s Dorothy Rowley reports that the District of Columbia’s Board of Education has accepted final reports for the 2017-2018 school year from both its Student Advisory Committee and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) task force. These reports will be discussed at the next...
May 1, 2019
In The 74, Carolyn Phenicie takes a look at the tenure of DC Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee at the 100-day mark. Looking back at his time as Superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools, Ferebee ponders if perhaps he pushed change too fast when coming into office....
D.C. Releases New School Report Card
December 7, 2018
Last week, State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) released the District of Columbia’s newest report card and School Transparency and Reporting (STAR) Framework, the Washington Post reports. “District education officials developed the rating system” to comply with ESSA, which “mandated that states and the District create...
DC Preparing for Five-Star Rating System Implementation
July 30, 2018
Perry Stein reports for the Washington Post that, this December, the District of Columbia will roll out its five-star school rating system, which “reflects a strategy to make school data more accessible to families and provide a uniform approach to assessing charter and traditional public...
District Looks to “Hone” School Report Cards Prior to Release
July 19, 2018
According to The DC Line, by the end of this calendar year, Washington, DC parents “will be able to compare all the public schools in the District—both traditional and charter—using one tool.” However, with “work on a final design underway, the inclusion of a one-...
Dept. of Ed Approves 4 State ESSA Plans
August 30, 2017
The Dept. of Education approved four state ESSA plans – the District of Columbia, Illinois, Oregon, and Tennessee. “As more and more state plans come under the department’s review, I am heartened to see how states have embraced the spirit of flexibility under ESSA to...
Dept. of Ed Issues Feedback to DC and IL
August 4, 2017
The Dept. of Education issued feedback on Washington D.C.’s and Illinois’ ESSA plans. The department commented that D.C. “cannot use tests like the SAT and ACT in its academic achievement indicators,” and “did not clearly describe its measure for differentiating school performance.” Illinois also has...
D.C.’s Education Leaders Put Aside Differences to Improve Schools
April 14, 2017
This article was originally published on RealClearEducation. Last week, Washington D.C. education officials voted 6-3 to approve the District’s plan to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act, the new federal legislation governing American education. For observers of political fights who are accustomed to seeing the...
Real Clear Education Analyzes DC’s ESSA Plan
April 12, 2017
Real Clear Education took a deep dive into DC’s ESSA plan, noting that its ambitious and comes with substantial changes to the status quo. The article notes that the plan sets lofty goals for student performance, calling for 85 percent of students to score a...
Thomas B. Fordham Institute Raises Concerns over DC’s Proposed ESSA Plan
April 6, 2017
In an opinion piece, Michael J. Petrilli and Brandon L. Wright of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute raised concerns over the District of Columbia’s proposed ESSA plan. Petrilli and Wright argued that the District’s accountability plan doesn’t “do nearly enough for high achievers, especially those...
DC Leaders Call for Approval of Draft Plan
March 17, 2017
Over 50 education and civil rights leaders in Washington D.C. called for the district’s board to approve the proposed ESSA implementation plan. Stakeholders argued that the plan will “create a more transparent, equitable, and effective accountability system for the District’s children.” In the letter, leaders...
DC Stakeholders Encourage Others to Submit Feedback on ESSA Plan
February 22, 2017
Dr. Elizabeth Primas, project manager for the National Newspaper Publishers Association(NNPA), encouraged stakeholders to submit feedback on Washington D.C.’s ESSA plan. Primas noted that she is “excited about the promise of ESSA to effect positive change in our lowest-performing schools” and doesn’t “want to see ESSA derailed by politics...
DC State Board Discusses ESSA Implementation
September 7, 2016
Discussions on how D.C. will implement ESSA are under way at the D.C. State Board of Education. The next working session will be held on September 7th.
OSSE Launches ESSA Resource Website
August 19, 2016
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education has launched new resources on their ESSA website. A new survey – open until September 16th – asks for opinions on potential accountability measures. OSSE also provides a comprehensive listing of upcoming engagement opportunities for LEA leaders...
DC State Board Holds First Stakeholder Meetings
June 9, 2016
The State Board of Education held the first of its meetings with stakeholders from D.C. wards on ESSA. The SBOE has to approve the plan by early next year and is holding community meetings in every ward to better-address people’s concerns. SBOE Executive Director John-Paul C....
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Releases State ESSA Primers
May 16, 2016
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s primers include individual state by state accountability system fact sheets, which detail each state’s current accountability system, what could change under ESSA, and what to be asking state leaders. See details about your state here.