DC Public Schools – Greatest Growth of Any Urban District in the Nation

Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80

From a press release:

District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) showed the greatest growth of any urban school district in the country on the 2013 Trial Urban District Assessment, Mayor Vincent C. Gray and DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson announced today. DCPS is the only school district in the nation to see statistically significant growth in all tested grades and subject areas.

Overall, DCPS students’ scores grew by five points in 4th-grade reading, eight points in 8th-grade reading, seven points in 4th-grade math and five points in 8th-grade math. This growth represents the highest scores DCPS students have ever seen on this test. The test was administered in March of this year, and specifically gauges math and reading skills for 4th and 8th graders.

“These results provide further evidence that DCPS is on the right track, and that the investments we have made and the strategies we’ve employed to improve public education in the District are bearing fruit,” said Mayor Gray. “We are very proud of our students and our teachers, and these results are another reason why we need to stay the course and double down on what’s working for our students.”

“We still have a long way to go, but our students are growing, our teachers are excelling and we are ecstatic about today’s results,” said Chancellor Henderson. “I firmly believe that we are making these important strides because of our commitment to support our teachers and raise the bar for our students.

“The District is a competitive city when it comes to our schools. We have more charter schools than most other cities in the country,” said Henderson. “These results show parents that we are on the right track and that they can choose DCPS and feel good about their decision.”

DCPS has also jumped up in the rankings compared with other urban school districts. In 2007, DCPS was last among other urban districts on this test. This year, DCPS jumped ahead of other urban school districts, with as many as nine districts below.

“We are not yet where we need to be, but we are working thoughtfully and with urgency. We are finally starting to see the results we know our students are capable of achieving,” said Henderson. “It takes time, energy and effort – and we are well on our way.”

The Council of Great City Schools, an organization of the nation’s largest urban public school systems, analyzed the data and concluded that, when controlled for both race and income, DCPS showed significant gains consistent with those reported for the 2013 TUDA.

In every subject and grade, DCPS’ below-basic rates shrank significantly, proficiency rates grew and the number of advanced students doubled. In addition, DCPS students’ score growth equaled or exceeded growth of students in the District’s public charter schools.”