ERNA DC Testimony Before SBOE on Legacy Admissions

Cesar Toledo
Deputy Director
Education Reform Now Advocacy - DC

President Thompson, Board members, and staff of the Board of Education. My name is Cesar Toledo. I am a Ward 6 resident and the Deputy Director of the DC Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA), an organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all DC students. 

I am here to speak in support of SR24-16, the State Board of Education’s Resolution Calling for an End to Legacy and Donor Admission Preferences in Postsecondary Education. These preferences exacerbate challenges native DC students face in accessing college, and they should be banned. 

We have yet to have a complete data-backed understanding of the negative impacts of the disastrous Supreme Court ruling striking race-conscious admissions, but estimates show that it could lead to a 10% drop in Black and Latino student enrollments nationwide. [1]

As a first-generation Latino raised by immigrant parents who came to this country at a very young age, I see my story reflected across the thousands of Latino DC students who face unprecedented hurdles in escaping the poverty cycle by completing a college degree. Nationally, the gap in degree completion between Latinos and their White peers has increased [2] and in DC, our Latino students have the lowest postsecondary enrollment compared to their peers at 44% [3]. With an estimated 40% of the city’s population foreign-born [4], we must dismantle racist barriers that disproportionately impact our most vulnerable neighbors. 

It’s time for DC leaders to step up and join Virginia and Maryland in making college access equal and based on merit, not on familial bloodlines that disproportionately benefit the white elite class.

There is notable support for ending legacy admissions. For example:

• 70% of DC voters support banning this practice [5]  

• Eight organizations, including the NAACP, signed onto ERN DC’s letter opposing legacy admissions [6]  

• Nearly 500 DC residents across all 8 Wards, including students at Georgetown University, George Washington University, and Howard University, signed a petition to ban legacy admissions

• Georgetown University students have been leading on this issue for years, collecting hundreds of signatures, but have been stonewalled by the university administration [7] 

• National leaders have spoken out against legacy, including 

• President Biden [8], and First Lady Michelle Obama [9]  

• Members of Congress, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders [10], and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [11] and Barbara Lee [12] 

• NAACP President and CEO said, “Legacy and donor admissions have long served to perpetuate an inherently racist college admissions process.” [13] 

Postsecondary Crisis for DC Students

We believe DC should support efforts to increase the number of students who finish high school and complete college. [14] Just 18 out of 100 ninth-grade students earn a degree six years after graduating high school. [15] Most jobs in DC require postsecondary training, which limits DC natives’ job prospects. [16] Ultimately, native Washingtonians’ average income doesn’t reach a living wage level. [17] DC must do more to ensure students are equipped to thrive in life.

Legacy Admissions Are Part of the College Access Problem

Legacy preferences in admissions give an unfair advantage to applicants with family members who previously attended the university, disproportionately favoring white and wealthy students. This is a clear example of systemic racism. 

Legacy admissions are widespread across the U.S. A 2020 survey of four-year colleges found that nearly half consider legacy status in their admissions process. [18]

Four major universities (Catholic, Georgetown, George Washington, and Howard) in DC use legacy preference. These institutions do not pay property or income taxes [19] and receive millions in city contract dollars each year. [20] 

In Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, the Supreme Court banned the consideration of race, and when combined with legacy preferences, this may reduce the enrollment of students of color in colleges. 

Additionally, there is some early evidence that eliminating the legacy preference created more seats for students with Pell Grants, particularly at John Hopkins University and Amherst College. Hopkins went from 12.5% of freshmen that were legacies and just 9% Pell-eligible pre-elimination to 3.5% legacy and 9.1 % Pell-eligible post-elimination. Amherst's legacy percentage went from 11% to 6% and they hit their highest Pell share ever this past year. Every legacy student represents a lost chance to enroll one more student with financial need.

Increasing Resistance to Legacy Preference

Despite the prevalence of this unfair policy, there are encouraging signs of change. Since 2015, around 400 colleges and universities [21], including Johns Hopkins and George Mason University [22], have stopped considering legacy status in admissions. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is currently investigating Harvard and Penn to determine whether providing a legacy preference violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. [23] At highly selective colleges such as Harvard, Cornell, Georgetown, and Princeton, most undergraduates, including legacies, oppose passing an admissions advantage along family bloodlines. [24] Additionally, seven out of eight admissions office leaders believe that legacies should not receive an admissions advantage. [25]

There is widespread, bipartisan public opposition to legacy preference. Three-quarters of Americans think that colleges and universities should not consider who an applicant is related to as part of its admissions process. [26] Notably, 70% of D.C. voters supported banning legacy admissions, according to a September 2023 poll. [27] 

Other states, including DC’s neighbors, have already taken legislative action against this injustice. Maryland banned legacy admissions at both public and private institutions, while Virginia banned the practice at public institutions. Colorado and Illinois have also banned legacy admissions at public institutions. Additionally, six states (California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, and Rhode Island) have introduced legislation to ban legacy admissions, with Illinois passing a bill that is awaiting the governor's signature.

In addition, Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Todd Young (R-Indiana) [28] and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) [29] proposed bills banning the practice nationwide.

End Legacy Preference

Too few DC native students are attending and graduating college and can access family-sustaining jobs. As a city, we must urgently address this crisis. 

DC should ban legacy preference as a concrete strategy to increase college access for DC students furthest from opportunity. We must take action to remedy this inequitable practice.

Privileged students should not get preference in admissions at the detriment of Black and Latino first-generation students. Let’s give all our students a fair shot by ending legacy admissions.

Thank you. I welcome your questions.

ERNA DC Provides Written Testimony on Child Behavioral Health Services Dashboard

Minetre Martin

Organizing Manager, DC

Education Reform Now Advocacy

Committee on Health Hearing on:

• B25-0692 – “Enhancing Mental Health Crisis Support and Hospitalization Amendment Act of 2024”

• B25-0759 – Child Behavioral Health Services Dashboard Act of 2024

• B25-0696 – Advancing the Range of Reproductive Options for Washingtonians Amendment Act of 2024

• PR25-0840 – Board of Dentistry Dr. Eric Bradshaw Confirmation Resolution of 2024

• PR25-0841 – Board of Dentistry Dr. Jonelle Anamelechi Confirmation Resolution of 2024

Good afternoon, Chairperson Henderson, Councilmembers, and staff of the Committee on Health. My name is Minetre Martin. I am a ward 4 resident and an Organizing Manager for the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA), an organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students. Thank you for holding this hearing. I am here to provide comments on B25-759, the Child Behavioral Health Services Dashboard Act of 2024, introduced by Councilmember Zachary Parker.

ERN-DC supports B25-0759, which requires the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services to create a public dashboard of behavioral health services in DC by September 30, 2025. The dashboard would include features such as the ages the provider serves; what services/therapies provided and whether the service is LGBTQIA+ friendly; the provider’s language(s), ethnicity, and gender; the types of insurance accepted; and the zip code where services are provided (and whether telehealth is offered). Baltimore and Philadelphia have similar dashboards.[1] 

For families seeking behavioral health care for their children, navigating providers’ websites and calling their offices to determine potential fit can be extremely time-consuming. Creating a public dashboard is a common-sense solution to anyone who has ever had to find a speciality provider. 

Consider the challenges of a typical teenager in our District struggling with undiagnosed anxiety or depression. With 38% of students exposed to at least one adverse childhood experience[2] and only 68% of our schools having full-time clinicians,[3] many students in general education classrooms without an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 plan lack access to school based mental health services due to staff shortages, according to interviews I’ve conducted with clinicians. This teenager may be one who doesn’t get support at school. Her working parents might spend months searching for an external provider while her condition worsens. A centralized dashboard could rapidly connect families to suitable providers, potentially preventing months of academic declines and emotional distress for our vulnerable youth, such as this teen.

For families whose students face behavioral health challenges, making it easier to access care may help improve students’ attendance and outcomes in the classroom. This is important because nearly half of our students are still missing significant instructional time due to chronic absenteeism.[4] In addition, DC student outcomes on the 2023 PARCC were very low:  just 22% of students met grade level mastery in math and 34% in reading.[5]

For these same reasons, ERN-DC also supports investments in school-based behavioral and mental health services. I testified earlier this year before this Committee regarding school-based recommendations.[6] Specifically, practitioners in schools need more training and resources to support students. Local educational agencies (LEAs) should also seek diverse community partners in planning behavioral health supports and interventions. Finally, LEAs must provide competitive compensation for school-based behavioral health professionals to ensure they have sufficient staff to serve students’ needs.

In conjunction with the development of a dashboard, we urge the Committee on Health to encourage the Department of Health Care Finance to change DC’s Medicaid claiming policy, as at least 25 states have done in the past two years,[7] so that LEAs can bill Medicaid for all covered health services delivered to all students enrolled in Medicaid. By expanding the Medicaid claiming policy, LEAs can generate more funds that could then be used to deliver supports, like behavioral health services, to all students.

1. https://www.bhsbaltimore.org/ and https://healthymindsphilly.org/

2. https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/community-violence-exposure/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%202020%2D2021,they%20are%2018%20years%20old

3. Data source: FY 23 Oversight Question 67 Attachment 1 of 6 List of Schools with DBH CBO or both.xlsxI.The number of students attending schools without clinical support was determined by summing the reported student enrollments from schools lacking a clinician using My School DC, totaling over 25,000 students.https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Hearings/hearings/247

4. https://osse.dc.gov/publication/dc-attendance-report-2022-23-school-year

5. https://osse.dc.gov/assessmentresults2023

6. https://dferdc.org/archive/minetre-martins-testimony-on-dbh-performance-oversight

7. https://healthyschoolscampaign.org/blog/school-medicaid-expansion-publications/

ERNA Provides Testimony on Student Attendance Bills

Jessica Giles
Executive Director, DC
Education Reform Now Advocacy
Committee of the Whole Public Hearing on:

• Bill 25-740, “Truancy Reduction for Student Success Act of 2024”

• Bill 25-754, “Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy Reduction Amendment Act of 2024”

• Bill 25-758, “The Showing Up for Students Amendment Act of 2024”

• Bill 25-791, “Utilizing Partnerships, Local Interventions for Truancy and Safety (UPLIFT) Amendment Act of 2024”

Chairman Mendelson, members, and staff of the Committee of the Whole,

My name is Jessica Giles. I am a ward seven resident and the Executive Director of the DC Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy, an organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all DC students. Thank you for holding a hearing on B25-740, B25-754, B25-758, and B25-791.

Across the nation, chronic absenteeism, or missing more than 10% of a school year, has risen sharply in the past few years. The crisis is especially acute in Washington, DC. Last school year, 43% of DC students were chronically absent and three out of five high school students were chronically absent.[1] 37 percent of DC students were truant meaning they accrued ten or more unexcused absences per year. Shockingly, several schools have chronic truancy rates at or above 80 percent.[2]

While both chronic absenteeism and truancy rates in DC fell slightly in the past year, trending in the right direction, nearly half of our students are still missing significant instructional time. And this is a problem. Chronic absenteeism is associated with missed early learning outcomes, increased rates of high school dropout, and poor outcomes later in life, from poverty and diminished health to involvement in the criminal justice system. In short, students need to attend school to learn and live productive lives.

So why are so many students chronically absent and truant? The causes are complex – issues such as safety, transportation, health, among other factors – affect student attendance. Indeed, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) found that excused absence totals in SY22-23 remained similar to the prior year.[3]

Any legislation that the Mayor and DC Council move forward must strengthen student absentee reporting, improve the referral process, and provide students and families with evidence-based interventions.

Improve reporting of student attendance

Student absentee data must be shared in a timely, accurate, and actionable manner. DC Council should require more frequent reporting of absenteeism and average daily attendance by school, at least once per month, which could help OSSE and local educational agency (LEA) leaders learn more quickly what is working or intervene timely to support schools with the greatest challenges. Additionally, DC Council should require LEAs to report to OSSE on the reasons for students’ absences (such as illness, funeral, court proceedings, religious observance, etc.).[4] This data would provide valuable insights into school and neighborhood trends to inform policymaking and the allocation of resources. This should come with citywide recognition for schools and agencies that make needed improvements to student attendance.

Strengthen the referral process

Prior hearings on chronic absenteeism and truancy have revealed that our referral system is broken. When LEAs refer students with significant attendance challenges to agencies, too often, students and families do not receive immediate and meaningful help. The DC Council must ensure that agencies charged with providing support to families have appropriate resources to do their work and are held accountable for providing services in a timely manner.

Additionally, the referral process must be updated. Investing in a single, streamlined technological tool that LEAs and city agencies share would allow for tracking agencies’ service delivery timelines and building a culture of improving support. Further, the DC Council must give agencies and LEAs enough time and resources to implement changes with fidelity.

Support students and families through evidence-based practices

Most importantly, our students and families need greater support. We should analyze what schools are doing to improve student attendance and replicate best practices. For example, the DC Policy Center’s recent analysis of chronic absenteeism changes between SY22-23 and SY23-24 – thanks to OSSE’s new mid-year attendance brief – showed that some schools, such as Smothers and Perry Street Prep, reduced chronic absenteeism significantly[5]. What’s their secret sauce? Additionally, the Mayor and DC Council should continue to invest in evidence-based practices, like home visiting[6] and nudge communications[7].

The bottom line is that no single solution can fix student attendance. It will take thoughtful legislation, sustained investments in evidence-based practices, strong oversight, and strategic support for students and families when needs arise. It will also take our entire community underscoring the value of consistent school attendance.

My written testimony provides some comments on each bill. I am available to answer any questions you may have.

Bill 25-740 – Truancy Reduction for Student Success Act of 2024

(Introduced by Councilmember Robert White)

The primary focus of this bill is to require OSSE to post student absentee data monthly, by school in the School Year 2025-26 (SY25-26). The current code requires OSSE to report absentee data annually, within 60 days after the school year ends[8], limiting the ability for the data to inform timely changes to practice. Other states, such as North Carolina, post attendance data monthly[9], enabling policymakers and practitioners to respond in real-time.

However, we suggest the DC Council go beyond reporting on absentee data by mandating OSSE report average daily attendance by school on a similar timeline so that the field can determine which schools are “bright spots” among attendance. For example, the DC Policy Center’s recent analysis of chronic absenteeism changes between SY22-23 and School Year 2023-24 (SY23-24) showed that some schools, such as Smothers and Perry Street Prep, reduced chronic absenteeism significantly.[10] While this year-over-year analysis was helpful, more frequent reporting could help state and LEA leaders learn more quickly what is working or intervene timely to support schools with the greatest challenges.

Additionally, we recommend that the Council mandate LEAs report to OSSE on the reasons for students’ absences (such as illness, funeral, court proceedings, religious observance, etc.). This data could provide valuable insights for city-wide policymaking and resource allocation.

Bill 25-754 – Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy Reduction Amendment Act of 2024

(Introduced by Councilmember Charles Allen)

• Schools with a chronic absenteeism rate of 20% and above are designated as priority areas for the  Safe  Passages  Safe  Blocks program by  School  Year  2027-2028. While expanding safe passage is needed, schools have high rates of chronic absenteeism for a variety of reasons that may be unrelated to safety. We support further expansion of the Safe  Passages  Safe  Blocks program only when there is evidence of great public safety needs.

• A new funding category is added to school budgets specifically to address chronic absenteeism. We oppose this. DC has been challenged with chronic absenteeism and truancy for many years; any additional funding that LEAs receive should be given only if schools are adopting evidence-based practices.

• School principals are given the authority to choose how to use additional at-risk or chronically absent funding allocated to the school. We oppose the specific mandates regarding DC Public Schools in this bill. The bill proposes that DC Public Schools (DCPS) post at-risk plans and send them to DC Council by February 1. DCPS’ budget development timeline is driven by the executive’s budget process; DCPS should not be held accountable to a deadline outside its control. In addition, DCPS has documented its methodology for the use of UPSFF funds for students designated as “at-risk”[11]. Asking school principals to create these additional plans is burdensome and unnecessary.

• Schools are mandated to intervene after five or more unexcused absences in a marking period prior to a referral. We commend requiring this kind of sensible support, as many school campuses are already providing it.

• Requires the Department of Human Services (DHS) to report monthly to schools and the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to provide annual reports. We support the bill’s aim of having DHS and OAG provide reports on its progress in supporting students and families.

Bill 25-758 – The Showing Up for Students Amendment Act of 2024

(Introduced by Councilmember Zachary Parker)

• Expands the set of valid excuses to include specific or presumed threats of violence, the serious illness of a family member, housing displacement, and absences relating to family and immigration court proceedings. We believe a valid excuse should include when OSSE fails to provide transportation, but we believe schools already have discretion regarding additional explanations they consider to be valid.

• Modifies the process for engagement with families of students who accrue unexcused absences. Overall, any changes to agency referrals should be streamlined, minimize the burden on LEAs, school campuses, and agencies, and come with sufficient resources. Namely, the bill shifts truancy referrals for 14-17-year-olds from schools to OSSE might have unintended consequences because schools have a relationship with the students and families that OSSE won’t have. Additionally, the bill requires that DHS staff conduct home visits for any student with more than 20 unexcused absences. DHS staff may not be the best choice to conduct home visits, as they lack existing relationships with many families and may not have support options suitable for all students. Instead, building on the successes of DCPS’ home visit program, which leverages trusted educators’ relationships to boost achievement[12], we recommend the DC Council instead allocate resources to LEAs or programs that do this work well.

• Tasks District education agencies to provide greater analysis, support, and interagency coordination to reduce absenteeism and truancy. Overall, we are supportive of the intent of these provisions but question whether this is duplicative of current efforts that the Deputy Mayor for Education is leading with Every Day Counts.

• Adjusts the District’s neglect and child supervision standards and defines the existing concept of educational neglect. Determining educational neglect is likely more of an art than a science, so we encourage the DC Council to establish a community-driven process to define it that strikes the right balance between providing families with support when challenges arise and holding them accountable for unaddressed truancy.

• Requires more detailed reporting and root cause deliberation. These provisions are worthwhile.

Bill 25-791 – Utilizing Partnerships and Local Interventions for Truancy and Safety (UPLIFT) Amendment Act of 2024

(Introduced by Mayor Muriel Bowser)

This bill modifies the referral process for unexcused absences by shifting the timing of the referral process as well as the referral agency from the CFSA to DHS for children 14-17 years of age with 15 unexcused absences and to OAG if they have 25 or more. Overall, any changes to agency referrals should be streamlined, minimize the burden on LEAs, school campuses, and agencies, and come with sufficient resources. We are curious about the extent to which DHS has the staff capacity to handle referrals effectively.

Regarding Title I-III, we are wary of punitive approaches that limit discretion in responding to youth and that expand the definition of a weapon. Further, Title IV of the bill allows for placement of youth in grades 6-12 in an alternative setting for 11-45 days. We would want to hear more about how such a program would effectively support students in staying on track academically and reintegrating into their home schools.

[1] Ibid

[2] https://osse.dc.gov/publication/dc-attendance-report-2022-23-school-year

[3] Ibid.

[4] https://osse.dc.gov/page/attendance-and-truancy-resources-schools and https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/38-203#:~:text=(e)%20Any%20person%20convicted%20of,or%20both%20for%20each%20offense

[5] https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/chart-of-the-week-schools-on-track-to-improve-chronic-absenteeism/

[6] https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?projectID=4597&display=1

[7] https://dme.dc.gov/node/1660471

[8] https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/38-203

[9]https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/district-operations/financial-and-business-services/demographics-and-finances/student-accounting-data#PrincipalsMonthlyReportPMR-955

[10] https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/chart-of-the-week-schools-on-track-to-improve-chronic-absenteeism/

[11] https://dcpsbudget.com/budget-model/at-risk-funding/

[12] https://flamboyanfoundation.org/resource/jhu-evaluation-of-the-family-engagement-partnership/

ERNA DC Jessica Giles Testimony Youth Employment

Jessica Giles
Executive Director – DC
Education Reform Now Advocacy

Committee on Executive Administration and Labor Hearing on:

• B25-0353- Middle School Career Exploration Pilot Amendment

• B25-0744- Pay Our Youth a Fair Summer Wage Amendment Act of 2024

• B25-0745- Youth Work Permit and Employment Protection Act of 2024

Chairperson Bonds, members, and staff of the Committee on Executive Administration & Labor,

My name is Jessica Giles. I am a ward seven resident and the Executive Director of the DC Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA), a non-partisan, non-profit organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all DC students. I am pleased to submit this statement for the record for the Committee’s May 30, 2024, hearing on B25-0353, B25-0744, and B25-0745.

We believe DC should support efforts to increase the number of students who finish high school and complete college.[1] Just 18 out of 100 ninth-grade students earn a degree six years after graduating high school.[2] Most jobs in DC require postsecondary training, which limits DC natives’ job prospects.[3] Ultimately, native Washingtonians’ average income doesn’t reach a living wage level.[4] While more long-term data on students is needed to understand the impact of students’ education and training on their careers, it is clear that DC must do more to ensure students are equipped to thrive in life.

B25-0353 – Middle School Career Exploration Pilot Amendment

ERNA DC supports B25-0353, which enables the Department of Employee Services (DOES) to offer programs for students ages 9-13 to help them learn about careers before they are eligible to participate in the Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (MBSYEP) and provide them a safe summer experience. Career exploration during the middle grades can help students begin planning for their future at a time when they are at risk of disengaging from school.[5] Further, researchers have found student motivation and behavior in middle grades to be predictive of students’ eventual readiness for postsecondary education.[6] In particular, we support the bill’s approach of piloting programming, surveying participants about their experiences, and reporting findings to the DC Council. We suggest the DC Council consider requiring DOES to share individual participant data with students’ local educational agencies (LEAs). In addition, we suggest the DC Council consider ways to structure greater collaboration among agencies such as DOES, Workforce Investment Council DC, Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Deputy Mayor for Education, LEAs, and others to build alignment and coherence among college and career programs from preK-12 to career.

B25-0744 – Pay Our Youth a Fair Summer Wage Amendment Act of 2024

While we support the intent of B25-0744, we have strong concerns about the program overall. The DC Council should strengthen[7] MBSYEP, which is the nation’s largest summer youth program per person[8],  to provide more meaningful career opportunities and job skills for students and ensure the program is beneficial for more employers.[9] Specifically, we recommend the following changes::

• Require an external evaluation of MBSYEP outcomes. Since program participants are overwhelmingly Black and the majority hail from wards 7 and 8, ensuring that the program is high-quality and provides pathways to future employment is paramount. As the DC Fiscal Policy Institute has outlined, more data is needed to understand the efficacy of MBSYEP.[10] An external evaluation has not been completed since 2020 when COVID drastically affected MBSYEP delivery.[11] Findings from an external assessment should inform ongoing program design and refinements.

• Require DOES to increase the number of jobs aligned to in-demand industries/build in-demand skills. In the FY23 performance oversight hearing response, DOES shared that 3,555 jobs of the 13,520 in which students began working were in the DC government.[12] While it is commendable that students further the mission of city government and experience that sector, DOES should be held accountable for its liaising with industries that lead to high-wage, in-demand careers for students. When accessed on June 13, 2024, the MBSYEP site does not include content overviewing what employers gain from participating in the program.[13] Additionally, MBSYEP could require employers to note a few key skills participants will learn or utilize in the program; this would help students identify suitable matches and help them continue to build awareness of their strengths in an increasingly skills-based economy.

• Require MBSYEP to ensure equitable access (e.g., access for English learners. Currently, application materials are offered in English and Spanish. English learners who speak other native languages may be excluded from the program. Virginia recently passed legislation convening a work group to make recommendations on reducing barriers to paid work-based learning programs for English learners; DC should follow suit in ensuring all students may participate.[14]

• Provide incentives for employers in high-demand industries. In addition to paying MBSYEP student wages, the city could offer subsidies or tax credits to employers in high-demand industries to encourage them to participate in MBSYEP. At least 28 states – but not DC – provide financial incentives for work-based learning.[15] In the last year, more states expanded incentives for offering work-based learning: Arkansas and Florida offered reimbursements to employers for workers’ compensation, and Florida and North Dakota created tax credits for employers hiring apprentices and pre-apprentices.[16] Beyond targeting high-demand industries, incentives could be further targeted to small-, minority-, and local-owned businesses. Such incentives would make it easier for these smaller operations to host MBSYEP students.

• Expand “Earn & Learn” programs. MBSYEP has partnered with Trinity Washington to offer program wages and enrollment in a credit-earning course to prepare students for college. MBSYEP should explore expanding such partnerships, including opportunities to partner with other higher education institutions to offer credit for other work placements.  

B25-0745 – Youth Work Permit and Employment Protection Act of 2024

We support B25-0745. The common sense language protects youth and makes the process for employers to hire youth more straightforward. We also recommend that the DC Council charge DOES to inform employers of the shifts to encourage youth employment. We suggest that DOES liaise with employers with opportunities in high-demand fields to build pathways for youth to eventual careers.

Thank you for holding this hearing. You may contact me at jessica@ernadvocacy.org with any questions.

###

[1] Education Reform Now DC. November 2023. D.C.’s Quiet Crisis in College Access & Completion

[2] D.C. Policy Center. March 8, 2024. State of D.C. Schools, 2022-23: Challenges to pandemic recovery in a new normal. Source: https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/state-of-dc-schools-2022-23/

[3] D.C. Policy Center. June 30, 2020. Transition to college or career for the District’s high school students. Source: https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/student-transition-college-career/

[4] Ibid.

[5] Association for Career and Technical Education. February 2018. “Career Exploration in Middle School: Setting Students on the Path to Success.” Source: www.acteonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ACTE_CC_Paper_FINAL.pdf

[6] National Council on Measurement in Education. 2015. “Performance, Perseverance, and the Full Picture of College Readiness” Source: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1065364

[7] DC Office of the Auditor. March 21, 2017. Internal Control Weaknesses Found in Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program Source: https://s26552.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/MBSYEP.Internal.Controls.Final_.Report.3.21.17.pdf

[8] https://mayor.dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser-highlights-pathways-health-careers-during-mayor-marion-s-barry-summer-youth

[9] Department of Employment Services. 2024 Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program 2024. Source: https://does.dc.gov/service/mayor-marion-s-barry-summer-youth-employment-program

[10] DC Fiscal Policy Institute. Lawmakers Should Require Third Party Evaluation of Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program. February 21, 2024. Source: https://edreformnow.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ERN-DC_QuietCrisisPostSecondaryReport_NOV2023.pdf

[11] https://does.dc.gov/service/mayor-marion-s-barry-summer-youth-employment-program

[12] https://dccouncil.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/DOESPOHATT.pdf

[13] https://summerjobs.dc.gov/page/employers

[14] https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+sum+SB1430

[15] https://www.ecs.org/50-state-comparison-work-based-learning/

[16] https://www.americanprogress.org/article/k-12-work-based-learning-opportunities-a-50-state-scan-of-2023-legislative-action/

Minetre Martin’ Testimony to the DC Council Committee of the Whole’s Budget Oversight Hearing

Minetre Martin

Organizing Manager

Education Reform Now Advocacy DC

DC Council’s Committee of the Whole Budget Oversight Hearing:

• “Fiscal Year 2025 Local Budget Act of 2024”

• “Fiscal Year 2025 Federal Portion Budget Request Act of 2024”

• “Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Support Act of 2024”

• “Fiscal Year 2024 Revised Local Budget Emergency Adjustment Act of 2024” 

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson, Councilmembers, and staff of the Committee of the Whole. My name is Minetre Martin. I am a ward 4 resident and an Organizing Manager for the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA), an organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students. Today, I am here to urge the DC Council to:

1. Fully fund the Early Literacy Education Taskforce recommendations with an additional $10 million across the financial plan.

2. Fund the Mathematics Education Improvement Amendment Act of 2024 at $300,000 ($3 per public school student).  

3. Restore the 3.1% increase to the charter facilities allotment funding at $11.66 million ($246 per public charter student) over the financial plan.

The urgency of our situation is clear. 78% of our students can’t do grade level math, 66% aren’t proficient in English Language Arts, and there is a shocking 49.8% illiteracy rate for adults in wards 7 and 8. That is relevant to our community because we want to empower our residents to thrive in life and D.C. families demand change.

A recent poll of 325 DC public school parents revealed that 87% agreed that Mayor Bowser and the D.C. Council must prioritize investments in math education. This cuts across racial lines, with 81% of Black parents and 73% of Latino parents ranking math as the most important subject for their children's future.

Two years ago, Chairman Mendelson, Councilmember Pinto, and the DC Council passed legislation into law that would create the Early Literacy Education Taskforce, and now the DC Council must finish what it started by making targeted investments in strengthening reading by supporting access to high-quality instructional materials and providing evidence-informed training for teachers in the science of reading. Additionally, an investment in a math task force now would allow us to course correct and revolutionize how math is taught in DC and perhaps even chart a course for reforms across the country. We applaud Councilmember Zachary Parker for introducing the Mathematics Education and Improvement Amendment Act of 2024 and Councilmembers Anita Bonds, Christina Henderson, Janeese Lewis George, Brianne Nadeau, Brooke Pinto, and Robert White for co-introduction.

Let’s not just be a city that talks about equity but rather one that puts its money where its mouth is, investing in the programs and supports that truly make a difference in our student’s academic acceleration.

Additionally, we are asking the DC Council to restore the 3.1% increase to the charter facilities allotment funding at $11.66 million over the financial plan. Maintaining the facilities allotment is crucial for public charter schools to find, construct, and/or renovate buildings to create safe and well-maintained learning environments for our students. This funding is necessary to keep pace with rising costs and is integral for accessing large-scale projects.

So I'm asking you, Council members, to be the heroes of this story. 

1. Fully fund the Early Literacy Education Taskforce recommendations. (The Mayor proposed $2.2 million for some training and high-quality instruction materials.) 

2. Fund the Mathematics Education Improvement Amendment Act of 2024.  

3. Restore the 3.1% increase to the charter facilities allotment over the financial plan. 

Before I close, it is also important that we maintain the Mayor's proposed investment in secondary education initiatives that provide students with greater access to college-level courses and career-readiness programs. These investments include $668,000 for the Office of Education through Employment, which will work to create seamless transitions from high school to postsecondary education and the workforce.

Thank you for your time and I welcome any question you may have.

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School year 2022-23 PARCC Assessment Results Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/Assessment%202023%20Deck_.08.24_0.pdf

 OSSE. 2022-23 Assessment Results. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/Assessment%202023%20Deck_.08.24_0.pdf

 Reading is Fundamental. East of the River News. Source: https://eastoftheriverdcnews.com/2024/02/13/reading-is-fundamental/

 Education Reform Now DC. Majority of DC Parents Want to Overhaul Math Education, New ERN DC Survey Reveals. Accessed April 4, 2024. Source: https://edreformnow.org/2024/03/11/majority-of-dc-parents-want-to-overhaul-math-education-new-ern-dc-survey-reveals/

Recommendations for Structured Literacy Instruction in the District of Columbia. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/Early%20Literacy%20Task%20Force%20Report.pdf

Civic Leader LaDan Johnson Advocates for FY2025 Investment in Math

LaDan W. Johnson
Civic Leader 
Education Reform Now Advocacy D.C.

DC Council’s Committee of the Whole Budget Oversight Hearing:

“Fiscal Year 2025 Local Budget Act of 2024”

“Fiscal Year 2025 Federal Portion Budget Request Act of 2024”

“Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Support Act of 2024”

“Fiscal Year 2024 Revised Local Budget Emergency Adjustment Act of 2024”

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson, Members, and Staff of the Committee  of the Whole. I am LaDan W. Johnson, a resident of Ward 7 and an employee and Ph.D. student in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies at Howard University. As a civic leader for Education Reform Now Advocacy D.C., I advocate for equitable educational opportunities in Washington, DC. Tonight, I am here to urge you to: 

1. Fund the Mathematics Education Improvement Amendment Act of 2024 estimated to be $300,000 ($3 per public school student).  

2. Fully fund the Early Literacy Education Taskforce recommendations with an additional $10 million. 

3. Maintain the Mayor’s proposed investments to build secondary college and career pathways to expand dual enrollment opportunities for students. 

In my current role as the Student Affairs Specialist and Advisor for Computer Science at Howard University, I find access to math, literacy, and early college through dual enrollment increases persistence for students pursuing higher education. This is true for many of the students whom I advise in the computer science program who participated in dual enrollment prior to enrolling at Howard. Many of my advisees who participated in dual enrollment and had solid math and literacy skills have excelled in the computer science program.

Math and literacy proficiency are essential for success in higher education and the workforce. They provide the critical thinking and communication skills needed to thrive in today's economy. Dual enrollment and early college programs, in turn, help students build on these foundational skills while addressing stagnant college participation rates and socioeconomic disparities in educational attainment.

Despite some progress, only 30% of adults in D.C. have obtained a bachelor's degree over the past two decades, and educational attainment gaps persist. With just one in four young adults holding a degree, yet 58% of jobs requiring one, the need for strengthening math, literacy, and dual enrollment programs is clear. Currently, only 7% of public high school students participate in publicly funded dual enrollment programs.

Our asks:

We urge the DC Council to build on the Mayor's proposed investments by taking decisive action to:

• Fund the Mathematics Education Improvement Amendment Act of 2024 estimated to be $300,000 ($3 per public school student). 

• The Task Force will be comprised of local and national experts to recommend implementation of a statewide math strategy that includes five elements: daily math instruction with high-quality content and instructional materials; support for teachers; assessments and parent notification; interventions; and resources for families and caregivers.

• Fully fund the Early Literacy Education Taskforce recommendations with an additional $10 million. 

• The Mayor has proposed $2 million to implement high-quality instructional materials and some training for teachers based on recommendations from the Early Literacy Task Force. Additional funding is needed to support the full adoption of training as well as literacy coaches

• Maintain the Mayor’s proposed investments to build secondary college and career pathways to expand dual enrollment opportunities for students. These investments include the following: $668K for the Office of Education through Employment Pathways; and $22 million for investments in the Advanced Technical Centers, dual enrollment, Reimagine High School, and internships. Still, there is much-needed progress that is needed to ensure these investments are well-spent:

• Enhance marketing for these programs.

• Provide robust data collection on student outcomes and transparently share.

• Develop strategies for expanding in-person, cohort-based dual enrollment programs, especially for students facing significant barriers.

• Incentivize employers to hire students in high-demand, high-wage careers.

My experiences in education policy and practice have deepened my commitment to addressing challenges in the American educational landscape, advocating for diversity, and eliminating inequitable practices. Thank you for considering these crucial steps toward a more inclusive and equitable educational system in Washington, DC.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Jessica Giles’ Testimony to the DC Council Committee of the Whole’s Budget Oversight Hearing

Jessica Giles
Executive Director, DC
Education Reform Now Advocacy

DC Council Committee of the Whole’s Budget Oversight Hearing on:

• State Board of Education (including Student Advocate and Ombudsman)

• District of Columbia State Athletic Association

• Public Charter School Board

• Deputy Mayor for Education (Government Only)

• University of the District of Columbia

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson, Members, and Staff of the Committee  of the Whole. My name is Jessica Giles. I am a ward seven resident and the Executive Director of the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA), an organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students. With limited time today, I want to discuss two topics. 

Equitable Funding for Students

At ERNA, we prioritize students’ needs—no matter where they live or which school they attend. That is why we are particularly concerned about subtitle (IV)(A), which delays equitable funding between DCPS and public charter schools until fiscal year 2029 and subtitle (IV)(K), which repeals the public charter facility allowance after fiscal year 2025.

Subtitle (IV)(A) – Funding for Public Schools and Public Charter Schools Increase Amendment Act of 2024
This subtitle sets a bad precedent for the next four years and reverses DC Council’s incredible work last year to provide the same level of funding for schools across sectors. We urge you to strike this language.

Subtitle (IV)(K) – Charter School Facility Allowance Amendment Act of 2024
This subtitle repeals the public charter facilities allowance after next year. All students need safe, well-maintained buildings in order to learn. The facilities allowance helps schools make needed renovations and keep up with rising costs and inflation. We urge you to strike this language. 

Strengthening Student Supports at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC)

As D.C.’s only public university, UDC is a critical partner in ensuring residents are able to earn an affordable degree and launch a career that allows them to thrive. With low student enrollment (3,855 – Fall 2024, compared to 5,1188 – Fall 2014) and completion rates (35% combined for bachelor and associate degrees), it is imperative that UDC strengthen its student support services.1 ERNA’s affiliate organization, Education Reform Now DC released a report last November titled, “D.C.’s Quiet Crisis in College Access & Completion.”2 It enumerates several recommendations UDC should adopt and we are pleased that the University’s strategic plan is aligned with them.

• Launch a support model to incentivize on-time degree completion. 

• Provide grant-based aid sufficient to move part-time students to full-time status. 

• Provide student advising services that include fully utilizing early warning systems to target supports to students at risk of getting off track.

• Reduce student debt by eliminating loans for first-year students. 

• Establish articulation agreements within the University (Workforce Development & Lifelong Learning to associate to bachelor’s) and between the Community College and other local universities, so that students can transfer their credits and earn a bachelor’s degree or credential.

• Provide free corequisite courses with wraparound support.

• Immediately end the practice of withholding student records and transcripts. 

• Deepen dual enrollment investments.

The Mayor’s proposed budget includes three student-first investments that are important, and we hope to hear more discussion about them today:

• $1.65 million to maintain a scholarship program at the University of the District of Columbia for residents who seek a career pathway within behavioral health

• $1.1 million for UDC to bolster student success and outcomes 

• $4 million in capital improvements for a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system that will enhance the University’s ability to attract, enroll, retain, and graduate the District’s residents

We would also like to hear more from UDC about their efforts to expand dual enrollment and whether the proposed budget supports this. Thank you for allowing me to testify today. I am available for any questions you may have.

###

1 University of the District of Columbia. “2024 UDC Performance Oversight Hearing Responses.” 22 February 2024. Source: https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Hearings/hearings/242
2 Education Reform Now DC. “D.C.’s Quiet Crisis in College Access & Completion.” 1 November 2023. Source: https://edreformnow.org/2023/11/01/new-report-highlights-d-c-s-quiet-crisis-in-college-access-completion/

Civic Leader Vonique Bolluck Advocates for FY2025 Investment in Math

Vonique Bolluck
Civic Leader
Education Reform Now Advocacy D.C.

DC Council Budget Oversight Hearing on:
University of the District of Columbia
District of Columbia Public Charter School Board
State Board of Education
Office of Student Advocate
Ombudsman for Education
District of Columbia State Athletic Association
Deputy Mayor for Education (Government Witnesses Only)

Greetings Chairman Mendelson, members, and staff of the Committee of the Whole. My name is Vonique Bullock, and I live in Ward 7.  I’m here as a parent, educator, community member, and a civic leader with the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA), an organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all D.C. students. Today, I’m here to discuss the importance of ensuring all of our students have strong math skills. 

Mathematics is more than solving problems to get the right answer. It is imperative that we educate our children in mathematics by giving them the tools and resources of reasoning, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking which allows them to have a broader understanding of the world around them. It also opens up college and career opportunities. In the 2022-2023 school year, nearly 8 out of 10 students who took the PARCC assessment in Math did not meet or exceed expectations.1

As a previous 4th-grade teacher, I’ve observed that many students do not have fact fluency and number sense, which makes it difficult for them to understand fractions and decimals. These are just some of the concepts needed for students to be ready for Algebra. I and my team, used many interventions, such as, Reflex(a fact fluency app) and Kathy Richardson, a researched resource for small groups to catch students up. I believe more support is needed for our educators and, ultimately our students. 

Currently, there is no funding in the Mayor’s proposed FY 2025 Budget and Fiscal Plan for a statewide strategy for supporting all students with math. There is no comprehensive, statewide PreK-8 mathematics strategy and with that how do we know our children are receiving high-quality math content? How are teachers delivering daily math instruction with instructional materials?  Are there designated teachers and blocked times for math interventions? Lastly, what support are we giving to families and caregivers if there is no comprehensive statewide Prek-8 mathematics strategy? 

I am asking for the DC Council to fund the establishment of a Mathematics Innovation and Research Task Force (“Task Force”) comprised of local and national experts to support pre-K-8th grade students, educators, and families with math. These experts can implement a statewide math strategy that includes five elements: daily math instruction with high-quality content and instructional materials; support for teachers; assessments and parent notification; interventions; and resources for families and caregivers to support math instruction at home (or learn math themselves). This is needed so that DC Public Schools and public charter schools all utilize the best strategies to support students. This taskforce is particularly important as the DC Public Charter School Board gets ready to implement its new ASPIRE Academic Accountability Framework2 and schools are again held accountable for providing their students with excellent math education. 

Thank you for considering this important issue. I am ready to answer any questions you may have.

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1 OSSE. School year 2021-22 PARCC assessment results. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/2021-22%20District%20of%20Columbia%20Statewide%20Assessment%20Results%20Presentation.pdf
2  DC Public Charter School Board. Accessed April 4, 2024. Source: https://dcpcsb.org/aspire-system

Civic Leader Olivia Chase Advocates for FY 2025 Investment in Math

Olivia A. Chase
Civic Leader
Education Reform Now Advocacy

DC Council’s Committee of the Whole FY 2025 Budget Oversight Hearing on: 

• Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education

• District of Columbia Public Schools

• Office of the State Superintendent of Education

Greetings, Chairman Mendelson and Committee of the Whole members,

My name is Olivia A. Chase, a resident of Ward 6 and a steadfast advocate with the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy. I stand before you as a grandparent raising a grandchild, navigating the complexities of our educational and justice systems. Today, I urge you to consider the profound impact of our decisions on students like my grandchild who is a student at McCarthur High School, particularly regarding secondary education pathways, public transportation, and safety.

The urgency of our task is underscored by stark statistics: nearly 80% of our students failed to meet math standards last year, a foundational skill critical for many high-demand careers.1 Moreover, only 51% of our students transition to college, with a mere 18% completing their degree within six years.2 These figures are not just numbers; they represent lost potential and diminished futures.

Our youth, especially those like my grandchild, face unique challenges that can derail their educational journeys. With my grandchild’s parents incarcerated, the obstacles multiply, making the promise of safe, accessible secondary education pathways not just an educational issue but a lifeline.

The Mayor’s proposed FY2025 Budget and Fiscal Plan includes several key investments to expand dual enrollment opportunities in DC: $17 million to expand the Advanced Technical Center at Penn Center; $600,000 to support the opening of a new Advanced Technical Center at the Whitman-Walker Max Robinson Center in Ward 8; and $5 million to Reimagine High School, support the Advanced Technical Center in Ward 5, Career Ready Internship, Advanced Technical Internship, and maintain dual enrollment seats.3

Still, there are additional considerations needed to enhance our offerings. The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) must do the following::

• Enhance marketing efforts for dual enrollment to reach more students like mine.

• Collect and analyze data to continuously improve and tailor the programs to our students’ needs.

• Expand in-person, cohort-based dual enrollment opportunities at local education agencies to help build these worthwhile opportunities into the school day.

Additionally, D.C. must continue to work to incentivize employers to hire students in high-demand, high-wage careers. In closing, I ask you to see beyond the statistics and recognize the faces they represent: students who aspire to learn and succeed despite the odds. Let’s ensure that our actions today forge a path to a brighter, more secure future for all our children.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

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1  OSSE. School year 2022-23 PARCC assessment results. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/Assessment%202023%20Deck_.08.24_0.pdf
2 DC Policy Center. State of D.C. Schools, 2022-23: Challenges to pandemic recovery in a new normal. Source: https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/state-of-dc-schools-2022-23/
3 Mayor Bowser Presents Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Proposal, A Fair Shot: Strategic Investments and Shared Sacrifice. April 3, 2024. Source: https://mayor.dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser-presents-fiscal-year-2025-budget-proposal-fair-shot-strategic-investments-and#:~:text=The%20FY25%20budget%20and%20financial,billion%20in%20capital%20improvement%20funds.

Jessica Giles’ COW Testimony to DC Council’s Committee of the Whole FY 2025 Budget Oversight Hearing

Jessica Giles
Executive Director, DC
Education Reform Now Advocacy

DC Council’s Committee of the Whole FY 2025 Budget Oversight Hearing: 

• Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education

• District of Columbia Public Schools

• Office of the State Superintendent of Education

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson, Members, and Staff of the Committee  of the Whole. My name is Jessica Giles. I am a ward seven resident and the Executive Director of the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA), an organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students. At ERNA, we always put the needs of students first and we’re steadfastly focused on improving student attendance, literacy, math, and secondary pathways to college and career. I am pleased to provide testimony today.

In a year marked by significant financial constraints, Mayor Bowser’s proposed Fiscal Year 2025 Budget and Fiscal Plan is forward-thinking in public education investments and provides a solid foundation for innovation and future success.

• An increase to the foundation level of per-student funding: This investment of $14,668 per student provides critical funding for all public schools.

• 3.1% increase to the facilities allotment in FY 2025: Supports safe and well-maintained buildings for public charter schools, which do not have access to capital dollars.

• Enhanced At-Risk Weight Funding: Addresses equity head-on through increased support for students designated as “at-risk.”

• Improving Supports for Student Attendance: Provides additional student-first investments, such as:

  • $4.8 million allocation to High-Impact Tutoring, which is proven to boost student attendance and academic success. 

  • $375,000 in “nudge” technology to target text and mail communication to families of students who are chronically absent or truant.

  • $9.7 million investment in safe passage to support students going to and from school and home. 

  • $7 million to increase capacity to serve 500 additional youth through the Department of Human Services Parent and Adolescent Support Services (PASS) program and 180 youth through Alternatives to the Court Experience (ACE) Diversion program. 

• Investments in Secondary College and Career Pathways: These efforts will provide students with greater access to college-level courses and career pathways, bridging the gap between high school and higher education. 

  • $668,000 along with capital funding, to establish the Office of Education through Employment Pathways, which will provide key insights into education and workforce outcomes.

  • Significant investments to expand dual enrollment opportunities, including $17 million to expand the Advanced Technical Center at Penn Center; $600,000 to support the opening of a new Advanced Technical Center at the Whitman-Walker Max Robinson Center in Ward 8; and $5 million to Reimagine High School, support the Advanced Technical Center in Ward 5, Career Ready Internship, Advanced Technical Internship, and dual enrollment seats.

  • $1.1 million for the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) to bolster student success and outcomes, along with other key investments. 

Still, there are areas where the budget should further align to solve the District’s academic achievement crisis. For the sake of time, I will focus only on two.

#1 – There is no proposed funding for a statewide strategy for math research and innovation—zero—even though students have experienced the greatest declines in math.  

Why math is important

In DC we are always talking about the many vacancies that exists in various career fields from school-based behavioral health clinicians to nurses, social workers, psychologists, and police – well guess what? All of these professions require strong math skills. Math helps students develop critical thinking skills, expands college and career options, and improves student outcomes later in life. Research says that student need to pass Algebra I by the eighth grade to put them on a trajectory of future postsecondary success.1

DC students need more and different support

Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of our students need more and different kinds of support. In the 2022-2023 school year, nearly 8 out of 10 students who took the PARCC assessment in Math did not meet or exceed expectations.2 

DC parents want to overhaul math education

A recent poll surveying 325 parents of DC Public Schools (DCPS) and DC public charter school students revealed 87% of respondents agree that Mayor Bowser and the DC Council must prioritize investments in improving math education. 79% of parents ranked math as the most important subject their children take among nine academic subject options presented, including 81% of Black parents and 73% of Latino parents.3 ​​70% would like to see a math innovation and research hub to  improve the quality of their child’s math education through evidence-based solutions led by a task force.4

Here’s how DC Council can help

We urge the DC Council to fund the establishment of a Mathematics Innovation and Research Task Force (“Task Force”) comprised of local and national experts to support pre-K-8th grade students, educators, and families with math. These experts can implement a statewide math strategy that includes five elements: daily math instruction with high-quality content and instructional materials; support for teachers; assessments and parent notification; interventions; and resources for families and caregivers. 

#2 – We are grateful for the $2 million proposed investment, but it does not fully fund the Early Literacy Education Taskforce recommendations. 

Why literacy is important

Yesterday, at the Public Briefing on the Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2025 Proposed Budget and Financial Plan, Mayor Bowser mentioned the progress that DC has made because of the investments in literacy. I can think of no better reason to enhance an investment in this evidence-based approach. Reading is a fundamental skill that all students need in order to succeed in school, life, and career. Every child must read on grade level by third grade regardless of where in the city they live and what school they attend. That is not currently the case and too many students, and adults, struggle to read in the District of Columbia. In the 2022-23 school year, 66% of students did not meet or exceed expectations on the PARCC exam in English Language Arts.5 Further, the Washington Literacy Center recently reported that the literacy rate for DC residents in wards 7 and 8 is alarmingly only 49.8 percent.6 When I say that we have a literacy crisis in DC, I am not exaggerating.

Here’s how DC Council can (continue to) help

Because of the DC Council’s leadership, OSSE convened an Early Literacy Education Task Force last year, which culminated in the production of ahigh-quality report with four over-arching recommendations for expanding science of reading training to all elementary educators.7 Now, these recommendations must be implemented. The Mayor has proposed $2 million to implement high quality instructional materials for teachers based on recommendations from the literacy task force. In this austere budget, I do not take this investment lightly but I also know that it’s not enough. We urge the DC Council to fully fund the implementation of these recommendations. 

In closing, I want to reiterate my gratitude for the investments that have been proposed and to encourage the DC Council to enhance investments in learning acceleration. Namely by establishing a Mathematics Innovation and Research Task Force and fully fund the recommendations of the Early Literacy Education taskforce. In addition, I ask the DC Council during these budget oversight hearings to investigate whether the proposed investments to support attendance are enough to meet the vast need.  Thank you for allowing me to testify today. I am available for any questions you may have.

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1 Predictors of Postsecondary Success. American Institutes for Resarch. Source: https://ccrscenter.org/sites/default/files/CCRS%20Center_Predictors%20of%20Postsecondary%20Success_final_0.pdf Accessed January 22, 2024.
2 OSSE. School year 2021-22 PARCC assessment results. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/2021-22%20District%20of%20Columbia%20Statewide%20Assessment%20Results%20Presentation.pdf
3 Education Reform Now DC. Majority of DC Parents Want to Overhaul Math Education, New ERN DC Survey Reveals. Accessed April 4, 2024. Source: https://edreformnow.org/2024/03/11/majority-of-dc-parents-want-to-overhaul-math-education-new-ern-dc-survey-reveals/
 4 Ibid.
5 OSSE. 2022-23 Assessment Results. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/Assessment%202023%20Deck_.08.24_0.pdf
6 Reading is Fundamental. East of the River News. Source: https://eastoftheriverdcnews.com/2024/02/13/reading-is-fundamental/
7 OSSE. Recommendations for Structured Literacy Instruction in the District of Columbia. Accessed April 4, 2024. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/Early%20Literacy%20Task%20Force%20Report.pdf

Civic Leader Emmanuel Bestman Advocates for FY2025 Investment in Math.

Emmanuel Bestman
Civic Leader
Education Reform Now Advocacy D.C.

DC Council’s Committee of the Whole FY 2025 Budget Oversight Hearing on: 

• Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education

• District of Columbia Public Schools

• Office of the State Superintendent of Education

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson, members, and staff of the Committee of the Whole;

I am Emmanuel Bestman, a ward 4 resident, financial literacy coach, and dedicated advocate for the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy, an organization fighting for a just and equitable education for all students in the District of Columbia. Today, I stand before you not as an educator but as a resident deeply concerned about our community’s future, especially regarding our students’ mathematical skills.

Here’s the hard truth: nearly 80% of our students didn’t meet math standards last year.1 In a city where every job of the future will demand strong math skills, this is a red flag we can’t ignore. The absence of proposed funding for a statewide strategy on math research and innovation is alarming, particularly when our students have faced unprecedented declines in math proficiency. 

Math is not just a subject; it is a critical tool that shapes our children’s future, fostering analytical skills and opening doors to numerous career opportunities.

My journey in financial literacy has shown me firsthand how math underpins the ability to make informed decisions, manage finances effectively, and navigate the complexities of our economic system. This skill set begins in the classroom. Still, the Mayor’s proposed FY2025 Budget and Fiscal Plan provides no funding for improving math instruction. Given our students’ math outcomes, this omission is troubling. Therefore, I am urging the DC Council to include a budget support act title that would:

1. Create a Mathematics Innovation and Research Task Force: To lead a city-wide strategy, turning around our math education crisis.

2. Invest in Evidence-Based Math Practices: Let’s fund programs that work, shown by real results, to transform our students’ math abilities.

3. Support for Teachers and Families: Provide resources and training to those on the front lines of education, ensuring they have what they need to turn the tide.

The data is clear: when students excel in math, their chances for success skyrocket. This isn’t just an investment in education; it’s an investment in our city’s future. Thank you for considering this call to action.

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1 OSSE. School year 2022-23 PARCC assessment results. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/Assessment%202023%20Deck_.08.24_0.pdf

Civic Leader Kenya Johnson Advocates for FY2025 Investment in Math

Kenya Johnson
Civic Leader, Education Reform Now Advocacy D.C.
Budget Oversight Hearing

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson, members, and staff of the Committee of the Whole;

My name is Kenya Johnson, and I am a Career Pathways Educator in Ward 4 and an advocate for Education Reform Now Advocacy D.C. In the fight for just and equitable education for all students in D.C., even in a fiscally challenging year, we must consider how our budget will yield a return on investments in the years to come. Today, I come before you, to add on to Jessica Giles and Andre Aina’s testimony by offering a glimpse into our youth’s future and advocating for a budget that champions career pathways and dual enrollment programs as paths to success.

When I think about the students I serve, their brilliance shines not simply through their grades but through their dreams to serve their community. Yet, in a city where opportunity and inequality walk side by side, my students’ dreams risk remaining unfulfilled. This is not just their story; it reflects the reality of many students in D.C., where only 7% have access to dual enrollment—a critical step toward higher education and career readiness.

With only 18% of the 2011-12 9th grade cohort completing their postsecondary degree within six years of high school graduation and D.C. residents between 18 and 34 only making half of what transplants do ($31,658 versus $58,547), it is a necessity for our city’s economic revival to invest in our young adults earning to move beyond a whisper of survival to a promise of prosperity.

We have a proven path illuminated by programs like the Advanced Technical Center (ATC) at Trinity Washington University that we commend OSSE for helping to establish. A program that students like mine can use to ensure their dreams come true if we expand those opportunities to them. 

In the Mayor’s FY2025 proposed budget, there are many worthwhile investments in secondary college and career pathways, including the following: 

• $668,000 investment in establishing the Office of Education through Employment Pathways

• $17 million investment to expand ATC at Penn Center

• $600,000 to support the opening of a new ATC at the Whitman-Walker Max Robinson Center in Ward 8

• $5 million to Reimagine High School, support the ATC in Ward 5, Career Ready Internship, Advanced Technical Internship, and dual enrollment seats

Still, there are remaining challenges with dual enrollment opportunities, such as the following:

• Enhancing marketing efforts for dual enrollment to reach more students like mine.

• Collecting and analyzing data to continuously improve and tailor the programs to our students’ needs.

• Expanding in-person, cohort-based dual enrollment opportunities at local education agencies will help build these worthwhile opportunities into the school day.

• Continuing to work to incentivize employers to hire students in high-demand, high-wage careers.

Our call to action is clear: By investing in dual enrollment, we are investing in our students’ futures and the economic vitality of our community. We must seize this opportunity to transform the educational and economic landscape of D.C.

Thank you for your time, and I am available for further discussion and collaboration on this critical matter.

Civic Leader Andre Aina Advocates for FY2025 Investment in Math

Andre Aina
CEO, Third Eye Education Analytics
Budget Oversight Hearing

DC Council’s Committee of the Whole Budget Oversight Hearing: Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, Office of the State Superintendent of Education, and DC Public Schools 

Honorable Chairman Mendelson, esteemed members of the Committee of the Whole, and dedicated staff, I’m Andre Aina, CEO of Third Eye Education Analytics. In collaboration with Education Reform Now Advocacy DC (ERNA DC), I’m here today to speak to you about our commitment to improving student achievement in math education. Third Eye Education Analytics remains committed to empowering educators and children with data-driven insights, fostering a future where every kid in D.C. thrives academically.

I return before you to emphasize the importance of improving math instruction in the District. My first testimony at the performance oversight hearing on these agencies articulated a vision; today, I give a call to action backed by tangible solutions for a funding framework. 

In school year 2022-23, 78% of DC students who took the Math PARCC assessment were not on or above grade level, which is a 2.6 percentage point increase from the school year 2021-2022.1 Data reveals a stark disparity in math proficiency rates across wards, with underfunded areas demonstrating the most significant gaps. 

In OSSE’s strategic plan,2 the agency cites the need to improve progress in math for student groups with the greatest needs. However, in the Mayor’s proposed FY2025 budget, there is no funding for a statewide strategy to support students and their families who struggle with math. 

Investing in the Future: A Comprehensive Strategy

Our proposal for a statewide math strategy is not merely an educational reform; it’s an investment in our community’s future. Funding is needed for the following:

• A Math Task Force: Spearheading systemic reform requires collaborative expertise. Funding a task force ensures a coalition of voices, including those from underserved communities, shaping a math education that reflects the diversity and needs of our students.

• Curriculum (Development) Enhancement and Coaching: Modernizing our approach to math education necessitates resources for developing curriculum on a school-by-school basis. Ensure there is a math coach for every elementary school by increasing the availability of coaches trained in evidence-based practices.

• Support for Families and RTI Frameworks: To build a supportive ecosystem around each student, we should engage families in the educational process and implement Response to Intervention (RTI) models; this requires resources like workshops, digital tools, and targeted instructional materials.

• Monitoring and Evaluation: A data-driven approach to funding for monitoring and evaluation mechanisms is critical for transparency and continuous improvement.

Cultural Engagement

A Math Innovation and Research Task Force, which we estimate would cost $300K, would allow local and national experts, teachers, and families to engage on how math is perceived and its impact on students’ identities with it. We can identify how demographic backgrounds and attitudes shape students’ relationships with math. This approach will enable targeted strategies to nurture a positive math identity among students.

The Economic and Social Imperative

Investing in math education transcends academic achievement; it’s about economic resilience and social equity. Enhanced funding for math education promises a future where every student can pursue careers in STEM fields, contributing to a robust, innovative economy. By addressing the achievement gap, we lay the groundwork for a more equitable society.

A Call to Action: Seize the Moment for Transformational Change

The urgency to act has never been greater. With the DC Council’s support, we can initiate a transformative journey towards a future where math education is a beacon of excellence, equity, and empowerment. The proposed budget allocations are not merely expenditures; they are investments in the potential of our students and, by extension, the prosperity of our community.

Closing

In closing, we request $300,000 to establish a Math Innovation and Research Task Force. Thank you once again for the privilege of addressing this esteemed body. Together, we have the power to enact meaningful change. I look forward to partnering with the Council, the OSSE, and our community to turn our shared vision into a reality.

###

1 OSSE 2022-23 PARCC Assessment Results presentation. Accessed April 3, 2024. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/Assessment%202023%20Deck_.08.24_0.pdf
2 OSSE Strategic Plan. Accessed April 3, 2024. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/OSSE%20Strategic%20Plan%202023.pdf

Lori Danley’s Testimony at DC’s State Board of Education Public Meeting

Lori Danley
Community Member
Education Reform Now Advocacy D.C.
Public Meeting

Good evening DC State Board of Education (SBOE) Representatives. My name is Lori Danley, and I live in Ward 6. I’m here as a community member for Education Reform Now Advocacy D.C., a non-profit organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all D.C. students. Today, I’m here to advocate for the State Board of Education to introduce a resolution to expand secondary college and career pathways, which are crucial for our high school students.

From my experience as a community member, I’ve seen how the lack of opportunity after high school contributes to undesirable situations within my community. This stems from a loss of hope in our youth and feelings of disenfranchisement after high school. 

Every student wants to succeed, but most do not know how.  If the path to success is unclear for them, life after high school becomes less inspiring. With no way to progress in sight, he or she is now vulnerable to eventual extreme hardship. I believe the answer to student success and the success of my community is dependent on providing secondary pathways for our youth. 

Preparation to enter society as a fully functioning and capable adult is vital. We must provide opportunities for our students that help them see a way forward after high school. Dual enrollment provides an entryway to college, which lays the foundation for the successful completion of secondary education. When one sees a way to success that they perceive as achievable, they are motivated to strive for it.

Not all students will want to go to college, but this does not mean that they are any less capable of acquiring the skills needed to earn a good living. These opportunities should be provided while in high school, and our communities need them.  When you see a way forward, you are inspired and driven to strive for this success. Having a pathway that will equip our students to enter the workforce in high-demand and high-earning positions makes a difference. It not only makes a difference in the lives of the students but also the lives of the community. 

If you have two students, one with a clear path to a solid productive future and one who does not see a positive future ahead, we have failed the latter. We have done our communities a disservice and consciously contributed to a future community of disenfranchised citizens. We must be a part of the solution by providing optimal opportunities for our students, they are the future of our community. 

Here’s what’s happening right now:  

• Only 18 out of 100 ninth graders in D.C.’s 2011-12 cohort completed a postsecondary degree within six years of high school graduation.1 

• Approximately 7% (1300) of our students are participating in dual enrollment.2 There are 19,625 students in grades 9-12 who could benefit. We must ask ourselves why and solve this problem.

• Washington D.C., the nation’s capital, is in the lower ranks with regard to dual enrollment access. Again the question is why?

• Failing to provide secondary pathways to college and career for our students contributes to issues we do not want, such as having higher unemployment and a population of people who feel disenfranchised which sometimes leads to depression as they begin to grapple with not having opportunities to provide for themselves after high school.

Here are the steps we suggest:

Looking ahead to next year, we must begin to address the inequities in our public education system regarding preparing students for life after high school. That’s why we’re asking the SBOE to provide our high school students with a positive way forward by providing secondary pathways in high school. This plan will: 

• Tell more students and families about these programs so they know they can join.

• Set aside money to help colleges offer these classes to high school students either at their schools or on college campuses.

• Keep track of how students do in these programs to make sure they’re working.

• Incentivize employers to hire DC students in high-demand, high-wage careers by establishing a fund for employers to receive support for hiring DC students and allowing them to earn points towards the First Source law.

We are urging the D.C. State Board of Education to introduce a resolution that will create secondary pathways for the students of Washington, D.C. Having opportunities to receive formal education and on-the-job training provides a firm foundation for our students as they head out into the world. Thank you for considering this important issue. I’m ready to provide any additional details or help needed.

###

1: DC Policy Center. Coffin, Chelsea and Julie Rubin. State of D.C. Schools, 2022-23: Challenges to pandemic recovery in a new normal. 8 March 2024. Source: https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/state-of-dc-schools-2022-23/.
2: Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education. “Strengthening Student Access and Success in Dual Enrollment in Washington, DC: Report and Recommendations.” December 11, 2023. Source: https://dme.dc.gov/publication/strengthening-student-access-and-success-dual-enrollment.

Jessica Giles’ Testimony at Committee of the Whole Hearing on Baseball Deal

Jessica Giles
Executive Director, DC
Education Reform Now Advocacy

DC Council’s Committee of the Whole Hearing:

B25-0640, the Ballpark Budget and Maintenance Amendment Act of 2023

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson, Members, and Staff of the Committee of the Whole. My name is Jessica Giles. I am a ward seven resident and the Executive Director of the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA), an organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students. At ERNA, we always put students’ needs first and focus on improving student attendance, literacy, math, and secondary pathways to college and careers. 

Today, I am pleased to present testimony regarding B25-0640, the “Ballpark Budget and Maintenance Amendment Act of 2023.” This legislation creates a long-term partnership with the Nationals, which is laudable. I have been a fan for many years and appreciate its contributions to the District. However, I believe the team can do more to help foster career opportunities for DC residents. 

Now is the perfect time for the D.C. Council to work with the Washington Nationals (Nats) to create an employment program like the one initially proposed in the Nats’ enabling legislation in 2005. A great example of this program is already in the deal negotiated with D.C. United at Audi Field. I am including more information about that partnership in my written testimony.1

We can imagine that the employment program would incorporate a training program in sports management and field maintenance or other vital parts of the Major League Baseball experience. D.C. residents could then apply to be part of the program and begin to get the essential work experience it takes to get on the path to a stable, well-paid career. Obviously, a program like this would benefit the residents who can enroll, but it would also benefit the Nationals. The team would have a steady stream of D.C. residents who are career-ready, trained on the job, and willing to support the team. 

I am bringing this issue to your attention because D.C., as a whole, needs to do more to prepare our young people for college and careers. Only 18 out of 100 ninth graders in D.C.’s 2011-12 cohort completed a postsecondary degree within six years of high school graduation.2 Further, D.C. residents 18 to 34 years of age make half of what transplants do: $31,658 v $58,547.3 With the legislation before us, we can make a better proposal by including this community benefit and ensuring D.C. residents earn a livable wage.

Let’s envision a future with D.C. residents at its core, where we are cheering on our favorite players and those pursuing careers that enable us to continue enjoying America’s favorite pastime. Thank you for letting me testify today. I am available to answer any questions you may have.

###

1  “A Stadium For All: Economic and Community Benefits of the D.C. United Soccer Stadium at Buzzard Point Source: https://dmped.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/config/publication/attachments/Stadium%20for%20All_v5%20Economic%20and%20Community%20Benefits.pdf
2 DC Policy Center. Coffin, Chelsea and Julie Rubin. State of D.C. Schools, 2022-23: Challenges to pandemic recovery in a new normal. 8 March 2024. Source: https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/state-of-dc-schools-2022-23/.
3 DC Policy Center. Coffin, Chelsea and Julie Rubin. Measuring early career outcomes in D.C. 17 November 2021. Source: https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/measuring-outcomes/

Jessica Giles’ Testimony at Committee of the Whole and Committee on Business and Economic Development Joint Hearing

Jessica Giles
Executive Director, DC
Education Reform Now Advocacy

DC Council’s Committee of the Whole and Committee on Business and Economic Development Joint Hearing on:

B25-0581, the “Medical Cannabis Clarification Amendment Act of 2023”
B25-0691, the “Medical Cannabis Program Enforcement Amendment Act of 2024”

Greetings, Chairman Mendelson, Chairman McDuffie, Members, and Staff of the Committee of the Whole and Committee on Business and Economic Development. My name is Jessica Giles. I am a ward seven resident and the Executive Director of the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy, an organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students. 

I am submitting written testimony on B25-0581, the “Medical Cannabis Clarification Amendment Act of 2023,” and B25-0691, the “Medical Cannabis Program Enforcement Amendment Act of 2024.” We urge you to remove the following paragraph from the emergency, temporary, and permanent legislation: 

“(c) For purposes of this section, the 300-foot restrictions shall not apply  where the main entrance to the preschool, primary or secondary school, or  recreation center, or the nearest property line of the school or recreation  center, is actually on or occupies ground zoned commercial or industrial  according to the official atlases of the Zoning Commission of the District of Columbia.” 

We are opposed to this subsection for three reasons:

1. Cannabis use among high school students in DC is common, and it can negatively impact their health. According to the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey: 1 out of 5 high school students used marijuana within the last 30 days. This rate increased for students with poor mental health and who identify as LGBTQ+.1 Teenagers who use cannabis recreationally are two to four times as likely to develop psychiatric disorders, such as depression and suicidality, than teens who don’t use cannabis at all.2
    

2. The proximity of cannabis retailers and advertisements can increase cannabis use among adolescents. A study found that “younger student cannabis use was most often linked to cannabis advertising exposure, while older student cannabis use was more common among students who attended high schools within 1 mile from a cannabis retailer.”3
    

3. Cannabis retailers and cultivation centers should be 300 feet or more from every public school, regardless of how it is zoned. The current subsection creates an exception that allows cannabis retailers and cultivation centers to open next door to a child care center, public school, or recreation center if the facility is located on a zoned commercial or industrial site. 

Ultimately, we are neutral on whether medical dispensaries should be legalized and regulated in the District of Columbia. However, we oppose the DC Council passing legislation that would likely adversely impact our youth. We encourage you to remove subsection c. Thank you for allowing me to submit written testimony. Please include this in the public record for this hearing.

###

1 Office of the State Superintedent of Education. (2021) 2021 DC Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/service/dc-youth-risk-behavior-survey-yrbs Accessed: March 6, 2024.
2 Columbia University Department of Psychiatry. (2023) “Recreational Cannabis Use By Teens Linked to Risk of Depression, Suicidality.” Source: https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/news/recreational-cannabis-use-among-u-s-adolescents-poses-risk-adverse-mental-health-and-life-outcomes Accessed: March 6, 2024.
3 Firth, C. L., Carlini, B., Dilley, J., Guttmannova, K., & Hajat, A. (2022) “Retail cannabis environment and adolescent use: the role of advertising and retailers near home and school.” Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9189000/ Accessed: March 6, 2024.

Jessica Giles’ Testimony at Committee of the Whole

Jessica Giles
Executive Director, DC
Education Reform Now Advocacy

DC Council’s Committee of the Whole Performance Oversight Hearing on:

● Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education
● District of Columbia Public Schools
● Office of the State Superintendent of Education

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson, Members, and Staff of the Committee  of the Whole. My name is Jessica Giles. I am a ward seven resident and the Executive Director of the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA), an organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students. At ERNA, we always put the needs of students first and we’re steadfastly focused on improving student attendance, literacy, math, and secondary pathways to college and career. Because l have limited time, my testimony today will focus on the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME), and how we can continue to make progress in education in DC, and transform the lives of our students. 

(1) Treat Student Attendance with the Urgency it Deserves

Chronic absenteeism and truancy is the number one issue facing our public education system.1 43% of students were chronically absent in the 2022-2023 school year, and 37% of students were truant (more than 1 and 3 students).2 Why does this matter? If students are not attending school daily or consistently, then they will fall behind in school and could drop out of school altogether. The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council released a report in 2020 that showed educational indicators have the largest magnitude of association with juvenile justice involvement, higher than homelessness and neglect/abuse.3 Youth with an average number of unexcused absences are 3.16 times more likely to become justice system involved than if they had no unexcused absences.4 Unfortunately, there are no magic solutions for addressing our attendance crisis. All of our agencies must play an active role in supporting student attendance. When faced with smaller budgets, schools must keep evidenced-based practices that work in driving student attendance, including nudge communications. I’ll end by asking: who is ultimately responsible for attendance? From my experience, when no one leads, nothing gets done.

(2) Become a Math Hub for Innovation and Research 

Math helps students develop critical thinking skills and opens up career pathways. A student’s ability to pass Algebra I by the eighth grade is an indicator of future postsecondary success.5 However, in the 2022-2023 school year, nearly 8 out of 10 students who took the PARCC assessment in Math did not meet expectations.6 While OSSE’s Division of Teaching and Learning Professional Development offers resources on standards and implementation, assessments, instructional materials, distance learning, and professional development, there is no comprehensive, statewide PreK-8 mathematics strategy. A statewide strategy includes five elements: daily math instruction with high-quality content and instructional materials; support for teachers; assessments and parent notification; interventions; and resources for families and caregivers. The DC Council should pass legislation to establish a Mathematics Innovation and Research Task Force (“Task Force”), as there has been in literacy. As the ESSER cliff approaches and high-impact tutoring funds are spent, there must be a statewide strategy and interventions in place to continue providing support for students who struggle with math. Our civic leader Andre Aina will be testifying later today about the need for this statewide math strategy.

(3) Transform how Literacy is Taught in DC

Every student has a right to read. Reading is a fundamental skill that all students need to succeed in school, life, and career. Children must read on grade level by third grade regardless of where in the city they live and what school they attend. That is not currently the case and too many students and adults struggle to read in the District of Columbia. Last school year, 66.3 percent of students who took the English Language Arts section of the PARCC assessment did not meet expectations.7 

For the last three years, ERNA DC has been advocating for the expansion of science of reading. We have been pleased by the Mayor and OSSE’s tremendous leadership in this area. OSSE has invested $20 million over five years and released a comprehensive literacy plan.8 Additionally, OSSE convened an Early Literacy Education Task Force last year, which culminated in the production of a high-quality report with four over-arching recommendations for expanding science of reading training to all elementary educators.9 Thanks to the leadership of Councilmember Pinto and Chairman Mendelson for funding this task force. Now, these recommendations must be implemented. Recently, we shared a sign-on letter on behalf of literacy advocates urging full investment in the science of reading. We urge the Mayor and DC Council to fully fund the recommendations in the report.

(4) Build Strong, Accessible College and Career Pathways for Students

About half of DC students enroll in college within six months of graduating, but only 8 out of 100 9th-grade cohort students will complete postsecondary education within six years of graduating high school.10 There are many consequences for students not earning a degree or credential that have an impact on their ability to earn a livable wage and the little data we have now indicates that 18 to 34 years of age make half of what transplants do: $31,658 v $58,547.11 To put bluntly, we are doing a great disservice to our students by not adequately preparing them for what comes next. Last November, ERNA’s affiliate organization, Education Reform Now DC, published a report titled, “D.C.’s Quiet Crisis in College Access & Completion,” which included several recommendations DC leaders can take to address these challenges.12 

Rapidly Expand Dual Enrollment and Early College

Dual enrollment is known to lead to greater two-year and four-year college enrollment, degree attainment, and earnings six years after high school, with stronger effects for students who are traditionally underrepresented.13 Despite this fact, only 1,300 students (7%) of D.C. public high school students participated in these opportunities.14 Over the last year or so, the DME convened a dual enrollment working group with education stakeholders to figure out how to equitably scale up dual enrollment opportunities, and the office released a report titled, “Strengthening Student Access and Success in Dual Enrollment in Washington, DC: Report and Recommendations.”15 While OSSE has worked diligently to increase the number of students participating in dual enrollment opportunities over the last few years – this is not enough. We urge OSSE to double the number of dual enrollment seats in fiscal year 2025, enhance the program’s marketing, and collect data on student outcomes. This must include a strategy for expanding in-person cohort-based dual enrollment at local education agencies for students furthest from opportunities. 

Maintain and Build out the Education to Employment Data System

DME officially launched the Education Through Employment Data System recently, which we are very excited about. We appreciate that there is an intention to ground the data in community feedback and cross-partner collaboration. We urge the Mayor and DC Council to maintain an investment in the Education to Employment data system in fiscal year 2025 and beyond, and to include a return-on-investment analysis on current career programming to see what works and what does not.

Implement a Strategy for Incentivizing Employers in High-Wage, High-Demand Career Fields

Lastly, the Deputy Mayor for Education and DC Council must identify incentives for employers to hire DC students, such as establishing a fund for employers in high-demand, high-wage industries to receive support for hiring DC students and removing barriers for them.

In closing, we want to thank Mayor Bowser for a proposed 12.4% increase to the foundation level of the uniform per student funding formula, or $14,668 per student, which includes educator pay. We applaud this investment and hope the DC Council approves it, as well as the charter facilities allotment. Still, we know that local education agencies (LEAs) in both sectors will have to make gut-wrenching decisions about their staffing and funding in FY 2025 due to lower revenue and the approaching ESSER cliff. We look forward to seeing the results of the DC Council-mandated adequacy study and ask the Committee of the Whole to ask for an update on its progress. 

Thank you for letting me testify today. I am available for any questions you may have.

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1 Education Reform Now DC. 12 December 2023. ERN DC Testimony on Chronic Absenteeism & Truancy. Source: https://edreformnow.org/2023/12/13/ern-dc-testimony-on-chronic-absenteeism-truancy/
2 District of Columbia Attendance Report 2022-23 School Year. 30 November 2023. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/2022-23%20Attendance%20Report_FINAL_0.pdf
3 Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. November 2020. A Study of the Root Causes of Juvenile Justice System Involvement. Source: https://cjcc.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/cjcc/CJCC%20Root%20Cause%20Analysis%20Report_Compressed.pdf
4 Ibid
5 Predictors of Postsecondary Success. American Institutes for Resarch. Source: https://ccrscenter.org/sites/default/files/CCRS%20Center_Predictors%20of%20Postsecondary%20Success_final_0.pdf Accessed January 22, 2024.
6 OSSE. School year 2021-22 PARCC assessment results. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/2021-22%20District%20of%20Columbia%20Statewide%20Assessment%20Results%20Presentation.pdf
7 Ibid. School year 2021-22 PARCC assessment results.
8 Office of the State Superintendent of Education. District of Columbia Literacy Plan. December 2021. https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/CLP2021_Booklet2021_DecUpdate.pdf
9 Office of the State Superintendent of Education. Recommendations for Structured Literacy Instruction in the District of Columbia. September 2023. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/Early%20Literacy%20Task%20Force%20Report.pdf
10 DC Policy Center. Coffin, Chelsea and Julie Rubin. State of D.C. Schools, 2021-22. D.C. Policy Center, 15 March 2023, www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/schools-21-22/.
11 DC Policy Center. Coffin, Chelsea and Julie Rubin. Measuring Early Career Outcomes in D.C. Policy Center, 17 Nov. 2021, www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/measuring-outcomes/.
12 Education Reform Now DC. “D.C.’s Quiet Crisis in College Access & Completion.” 1 November 2023. Source: https://edreformnow.org/2023/11/01/new-report-highlights-d-c-s-quiet-crisis-in-college-access-completion/
13 College in High School Alliance. “Evidence of Success.” Source: collegeinhighschool.org/what-we-do/evidence-of-success/
14 Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education. “Strengthening Student Access and Success in Dual Enrollment in Washington, DC: Report and Recommendations.” 11 December 2023. Source: https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Strengthening%20DC%20Student%20Access%20and%20Success%20in%20Dual%20Enrollment_0.pdf
15 iBid.

Andre Aina’s Testimony to the DC State Board of Education on Statewide Math Education and AI Integration

Andre Aina, CEO
Third Eye Education Analytics 

Testimony to the DC State Board of Education on Statewide Math Education and AI Integration

Good afternoon, distinguished members of the DC State Board of Education. I’m Andre Aina, CEO of Third Eye Education Analytics. I’m here today, in collaboration with Education Reform Now Advocacy DC (ERNA DC), to speak to you about our commitment to improving student achievement in math education and the responsible use of AI to support our teachers and students. 

Third Eye Education Analytics uses modern data analytics to provide schools and educators with effective tools for tracking and supporting student achievement. I personally have a decade of direct experience working with students in mathematics education across many domains—special education, general education, and Response to Intervention (RTI). I am committed to improving DC students’ learning experiences. 

Through our collaboration, ERNA DC and Third Eye have underscored several key insights that have helped shape this testimony, highlighting the imperative to enhance our approach to math education. 

• A statewide approach to improving literacy in DC has shown much promise, but we have yet to implement a systematic statewide plan for PreK-8 mathematics. 

• Federal education money from the epidemic (also known as the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) grant) that supported High-Impact Tutoring and other evidence-based programs is nearing an end; therefore, we must implement effective solutions to continue supporting students. 

• There is a noticeable dip in math achievement among students in DC. Last year, 78% of DC public school students did not meet expectations in math. This isn’t just about missed lessons; it’s a red flag for their future. 

• As the temporary financial aid from the pandemic begins to fade, establishing a Mathematics Support Fund is imperative to ensuring our strides in math education are sustained for generations to come. 

This situation calls for an innovative, tech-driven strategy to rejuvenate math learning, making it not only more engaging but also tailored to meet every student’s individual needs. 

A Statewide Math Strategy 

A statewide strategy begins with forming a Mathematics Innovation and Research Task Force to oversee improvements in math education. It could then consist of these five components: daily math instruction with high-quality content and instructional materials; teacher assistance; evaluations and parental communication; interventions; and services for families and caregivers. 

This starts with creating a comprehensive district-wide pre-K through 8th-grade mathematics strategy. This strategy provides teachers with support, resources, and professional development in mathematics. We should implement screeners and assessments paired with parental notifications that communicate students’ progress in mathematics to their families. 

Develop and deploy interventions for students who are struggling with math, and generate resources for families and caregivers to support math learning at home. Create a Mathematics Support Fund to administer grants for math education enhancement. 

Third Eye Pilot Program 

During Third Eye Education’s pilot program this past summer, we partnered with a non-profit organization to provide their summer enrichment program with our digital learning services. While maintaining data privacy, we used AI to analyze a student’s past performance with current math and reading diagnostics. This helped us create personalized learning paths in reading and mathematics. 

AI was a major help when it came to differentiating the content that we produced for students. Once our instructional designer and I created the content for a specific common core reading or math standard, we were able to produce more versions of this content at different levels with the use of AI. This helps us tailor instruction to the right access point, which is also known as the zone of proximal development. 

We have also used AI to analyze a vast amount of curriculum information and assessment data to provide us with insights into trends across groups of students and individual student needs, helping them to tailor their instruction more effectively. It also assists in automating specific administrative tasks, like producing progress reports for families based on student metrics. In the classroom setting, AI could allow a teacher more time to focus on teaching. 

A Statewide AI Strategy 

We believe that the district should create an AI Task Force to craft strategies for effectively incorporating AI as a learning tool and subject of study. 

The findings of this task force can help schools comprehensively prepare to fully leverage AI’s potential while safeguarding against its associated risks and ethical implications. This preparation involves several key measures: 

Educational Policy and Framework Development: Establishing clear guidelines and policies that dictate the ethical use of AI in educational contexts and ensuring that AI tools are used to complement rather than replace the human elements of teaching and learning.

Teacher Training and Professional Development: Equipping educators with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively integrate AI tools into their teaching practices. Teachers should be prepared to teach students about the ethical use of AI, including understanding the limitations of AI-generated content and the importance of academic integrity. 

Collaborative Research and Development: Creation of an encouraging collaboration between educators, AI researchers, and technology developers to create AI solutions that are pedagogically sound and aligned with educational goals. This collaborative approach can lead to the development of AI tools that are not only technologically advanced but also deeply rooted in educational best practices. 

Closing 

In closing, I implore you to support our call to action—a call to not only mend the gaps created by the pandemic but to leap forward into a future where every student is equipped to thrive in a global marketplace. 

Thank you for the privilege of presenting this testimony. I stand ready, alongside ERNA DC and the broader education community, to support this monumental shift towards a brighter, more equitable future for our students.

Jessica Giles’ Testimony at DC’s Committee of the Whole

Jessica Giles
Executive Director, DC
Education Reform Now Advocacy

DC Council Committee of the Whole’s Performance Oversight Hearing on:

• University of the District of Columbia

• District of Columbia Public Charter School Board

• State Board of Education

• Office of the Student Advocate

• Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education

• District of Columbia State Athletic Association

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson, Members, and Staff of the Committee  of the Whole. My name is Jessica Giles. I am a ward seven resident and the Executive Director of the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy, an organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students. We’re focused on improving student attendance, literacy, math, and secondary pathways to college and career. With low student outcomes in each of these areas, I urge the Committee of the Whole to review how each of these agencies is assisting with improvement. With limited time today, I will focus my testimony on the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). 

Currently, in Washington, D.C. only 8 out of 100 9th-grade cohort students will complete postsecondary education within six years of graduating high school.1 Consequently D.C. residents 18 to 34 years of age make half of what transplants do: $31,658 v $58,547.2 It’s vital that D.C. leaders act with urgency to implement the eight student-first recommendations in ERNA’s affiliate organization, Education Reform Now DC’s report titled, “D.C.’s Quiet Crisis in College Access & Completion.”3 One of these recommendations calls for strengthening UDC. 

As D.C.’s only public university, UDC is a critical partner in ensuring residents are able to earn an affordable degree and launch a career that allows them to thrive in their hometown. However, with low student enrollment (3,855 – Fall 2024, compared to 5,1188 – Fall 2014) and completion rates across campuses, there are many obstacles for UDC to overcome.4 

To strengthen its services, UDC must do the following: 

• Launch a support model to incentivize on-time degree completion. 

• Provide grant-based aid sufficient to move part-time students to full-time status. 

• Provide student advising services that include fully utilizing early warning systems to target supports to students at risk of getting off track.

• Reduce student debt by eliminating loans for first-year students. 

• Establish articulation agreements within the University (Workforce Development & Lifelong Learning to associate to bachelor’s) and between the Community College and other local universities, so that students can transfer their credits and earn a bachelor’s degree or credential.

• Provide free corequisite courses with wraparound support.

• Immediately end the practice of withholding student records and transcripts. 

We urge the Committee of the Whole to ask follow-up questions to determine how far along the University is in implementing these recommendations.

Additionally, UDC should expand its dual enrollment partnership with the city. Although dual enrollment is known to lead to greater two-year and four-year college enrollment, degree attainment, and earnings six years after high school, with stronger effects for students who are traditionally underrepresented,5 only 1,300 students (7%) of D.C. public high school students participated.6 According to UDC’s performance oversight responses, the University is working to “expand the early college program at Anacostia High School”  with a Spring 2024 cohort of 20 students. How many students are currently taking advantage of dual enrollment opportunities with the University? Is the Early College program at Anacostia on track to meeting its goal this spring? 

Lastly, UDC should elaborate on the challenges facing the University in implementing the Teacher Preparation Emergency Amendment Act of 20217 as there appears to be very little progress that has been made. 

Thank you for allowing me to testify today. I am available for any questions you may have.

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1 Coffin, Chelsea and Julie Rubin. State of D.C. Schools, 2021-22. D.C. Policy Center, 15 March 2023, www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/schools-21-22/.
2 Coffin, Chelsea and Julie Rubin. Measuring Early Career Outcomes in D.C. Policy Center, 17 Nov. 2021, www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/measuring-outcomes/.
3 Education Reform Now DC. “D.C.’s Quiet Crisis in College Access & Completion.” 1 November 2023. Source: https://edreformnow.org/2023/11/01/new-report-highlights-d-c-s-quiet-crisis-in-college-access-completion/
4  University of the District of Columbia. “2024 UDC Performance Oversight Hearing Responses.” 22 February 2024. Source: https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Hearings/hearings/242
5 College in High School Alliance. “Evidence of Success.” Source: collegeinhighschool.org/what-we-do/evidence-of-success/.
6 Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education. “Strengthening Student Access and Success in Dual Enrollment in Washington, DC: Report and Recommendations.” 11 December 2023. Source: https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Strengthening%20DC%20Student%20Access%20and%20Success%20in%20Dual%20Enrollment_0.pdf
7 The Teacher Preparation Emergency Amendment Act of 2021 “requires OSSE to establish, in collaboration with UDC, District university grantees, and the District’s LEAs, a dual pathway “Grow Your Own” Teacher Preparation Support Program for the purpose of educating, training, and providing financial support to public high school dual enrollment students, public high school graduates, and paraprofessionals to become licensed teachers at DCPS schools or certified teachers at District public charter schools.” Source: 2024 UDC Performance Oversight Hearing Responses https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Hearings/hearings/242

Jessica Giles’ Testimony at the DC State Board of Education Public Meeting

DC State Board of Education
Public Meeting

Jessica Giles
Executive Director, DC
Education Reform Now Advocacy

Good evening DC State Board of Education Representatives, Executive Director Butler, and staff; my name is Jessica Giles. I am a Ward seven resident and the Executive Director of the DC Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy, an organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students in Washington, DC. I am pleased to provide testimony this evening. 

SR24-5 To Approve the Categories and Format of the District of Columbia School Report Card

For several years, we’ve been actively engaged in the discussion regarding the DC School Report Card. We’ve provided multiple testimonies, held focus group meetings, shared information with our community, filled out surveys, and attended information sessions. We’ve repeatedly stated the importance of transparently sharing the federally required summative score now referred to as an accountability score. We are happy to see that this data point is included in the DC School Report Card. We are also pleased to see postsecondary pathways data is being recommended by the State Board. Our parents and community deserve to have all school-related information at their fingertips, so they can make a well-informed decision about their child’s education and future. We hope the State Board approves this resolution and continues working on ways to raise the quality of our schools.

Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget Priorities

Currently, our schools are grappling with safety concerns, high chronic absenteeism/truancy rates, and widening gaps in academic achievement in core subjects like reading and math. It is crucial for the State Board of Education to study and advocate for, and the Mayor and DC Council to invest in, what works, namely: structured literacy training for educators, innovative math supports, and ensuring every high school student graduates with at least one semester of free college and experience in a high-demand, high-wage career. This way, every step on a student’s education journey leads them on a path to future success. 

Our FY 2025 budget recommendations are the following:

Per-student funding: Maintain the 12.4% increase in the foundation level of the uniform per student funding formula (UPSFF). Ensure all funding, including educator pay, is provided equitably to all local education agencies (LEAs) through the UPSFF, while prioritizing students designated as  “at-risk”. 

Invest in Early Literacy: Fully fund the recommendations of OSSE’s Early Literacy Education Taskforce.1

Provide Innovative Math Support: Implement a statewide strategy for providing innovative mathematics support by studying best practices from local and national experts and providing grants to eligible community-based organizations and local education agencies that promote positive math culture ($5.3M).

Build High-Demand, High-Wage Secondary Career Pathways:

• Double the number of dual enrollment seats, enhance the marketing of the program, and collect data ($5.3M)

• Maintain an investment in the Education to Employment data system and require a return on investment analysis on current job and career programming to see what works and what does not.

Continue to support safe and educationally appropriate buildings: Maintain the public charter school facilities allotment at 3.1%.

Support Students’ Behavioral Health: Make critical investments in children’s behavioral health – and increase the reach and efficacy of the school-based behavioral health (SBBH) program by sustaining compensation for the school-community-based clinicians, with inflationary adjustments ($25M); providing compensation and guidance for the SBBH Coordinator role ($381K); and piloting the addition of non-clinical staff positions to SBBH teams ($2.4M). These asks are aligned with the Strengthening Families through Behavioral Health Coalition.

Thank you for holding this public meeting. I look forward to working with you all throughout this year and beyond.

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 1September 2023. OSSE. Recommendations for Structured Literacy Instruction in the District of Columbia. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/Official%20Early%20Literacy%20Task%20Force%20Report.pdf