ERNA DC Testifies at Public Oversight Hearing on Academic Achievement

Jessica Giles
Executive Director
Education Reform Now Advocacy - DC

Committee of the Whole Hearing: Academic Achievement

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, a non-profit organization committed to advocating for a just and equitable public education system for all students in the nation’s capital. I am pleased to testify today at the Committee of the Whole’s public oversight hearing on Academic Achievement.

Washington, D.C. can lead the nation in academic achievement. When I speak with education advocates in other parts of the country about D.C., they are amazed at what leaders here have achieved: 

• D.C. educates our youngest learners: D.C. was the first to adopt pre-kindergarten and has the highest percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in preschool in the country.[1]

• D.C. invests in students: D.C. has the highest base funding ($14,668 per student) in the country.[2] 

• D.C. supports educators: D.C. has the highest starting teacher salary in the country.[3]

• D.C. commits to adult education: D.C. has one of the largest adult learner populations in the country, if not the largest. 47 percent of adult learners attend publicly funded schools.

There is no doubt about it - funding is essential for academic achievement, but how states and local education agencies (LEAs) use their funding is even more crucial. While there have been slight improvements in academic outcomes since the nationwide COVID-19-related drop in proficiency, D.C. students continue to experience deep disparities in academic achievement between student groups in literacy and math. 

D.C.’s high chronic absenteeism and truancy rates undoubtedly play a significant factor in our low proficiency rates. In the 2023–24 school year, 39.2 percent of students were chronically absent (3.9 percent decrease), and 30.3 percent were chronically truant (6.6 percent decrease).[4] High school students, in particular, continue to struggle with attendance. Last year, 56 percent of high school students were chronically absent, and 31 percent were chronically truant. These challenges, while enormous, can be addressed at the state level, and we are optimistic that recent shifts in policy and practice will continue to yield positive outcomes. 

Improve D.C. Student Literacy Rates

In 2024, about a third of D.C. students met or exceeded grade-level expectations in English Language Arts on the DC CAPE.[5] This represents a 0.3 percent increase over last year. There was a 58 percent point gap between Black and white students and a 50-point gap between Hispanic/Latino and white students. Economically disadvantaged students (18.4 percent), Homeless (15.5 percent), English learners (12.9 percent), and students with disabilities (9.7) lagged behind their peers.

For several years, we’ve been advocating for the District to fully fund science of reading training and coaching for all elementary educators to improve how students learn to read. In the fiscal year 2025 budget, however, the Mayor and D.C. Council funded only some of the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) Early Literacy Education Task Force recommendations.[6] Namely, $2.2 million in high-quality instruction materials, and $566k in fiscal year 2025 and $2.9 million in fiscal year 2026-2028 for kindergarten structured literacy training and coaching pilot at up to 20 schools.[7] Still, there are far too many first through fifth educators without coaching and training - grades that are crucial for reading proficiency. 

Our asks:

1. We request that the Committee of the Whole follow up with OSSE today on the implementation of FY 2025 funding.

2. We urge the Mayor and D.C. Council to continue their commitment to D.C. students by funding science of reading training and coaching for all elementary educators and providing strong oversight of implementation efforts, particularly where there are areas to improve.[8]

Strengthen D.C. Students’ Math Proficiency Rates

In 2024, only 22.5 percent of students who took the math DC CAPE assessment met or exceeded grade-level expectations in math, a 0.7 percent increase over last year. There was a 65 percent point gap between Black and white students, and a 51-point gap between Hispanic/Latino and white students. Economically disadvantaged students (8.5 percent), Homeless (7.1 percent), English learners (9.6 percent), and students with disabilities (7.6 percent) greatly lagged their peers. While these scores only represent a snapshot in time, they are a mirror to the deep chasms of inequities that exist in D.C. overall, and in our public schools. Although our students, educators, and parents are confronted with these challenges, we believe that everyone can be a math person. 

We’ve been advocating for D.C. to improve math education for all students in the District with the launch of the Math 4 All campaign.[9] The Math 4 All campaign advocates for the adoption of a statewide strategy for addressing students’ low math skills. D.C.’s statewide strategy must include High-Impact Tutoring, strengthening a math teacher pipeline, providing high-quality instruction materials and professional development, and stong parent/caregiver support. 

• High-Impact Tutoring

• Tutoring that is intensive, frequent, personalized, curriculum-aligned, and delivered by a skilled educator. Research shows that D.C. Economically disadvantaged students, who participated in high-impact tutoring (HIT) programs saw a median increase of three points in math scale scores on the DC CAPE assessment, compared to a median increase of only one point for students who did not participate in HIT programs.[10]

• High Quality instruction Materials (HQIM) and professional learning opportunities that support students with disabilities. 

• D.C. should develop a list of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) and require LEAs to choose from this approved list. Investing in and adopting high-quality instructional materials provides teachers with easy access to top-tier content and assignments, ensuring that students engage daily with grade-level material. 

• This approach helps students build conceptual understanding, develop procedural skills and fluency, and apply their knowledge to real-world challenges. It is critical that not only do teachers have access to these materials, but they are also trained on how to apply the materials to the classroom. These professional learning opportunities should focus on teaching how to get students on grade level that are already behind.

• A high-quality math teacher pipeline. 

• Teachers are the number one in-school factor for student academic achievement. D.C. is in need of a high-quality math teacher pipeline. In the Office of the State Superintendent of Education’s (OSSE) recent Educator Workforce report, it is revealed that there were slightly less math teachers (12 percent) than English Language Arts teachers (15 percent) in the 2023-2024 school year.[11] Having high-quality educators is essential. 

• Support for parents and caregivers by establishing a list of easy-to-use high-quality tools, resources, and games to support caregivers at home.

• These resources empower caregivers to reinforce classroom lessons, making learning more engaging and accessible for students. By equipping parents with effective strategies and materials, we can help bridge the gap between school and home, fostering a stronger partnership that promotes academic success and supports students' overall development.

Our asks:

1. As OSSE convenes the Interagency Math Task Force, we ask them to adopt the Math 4 All pillars in their recommendations, and for their recommendations to be funded in the fiscal year 2025 budget. 

2. Support the passage of B25-0800 - Mathematics Education Improvement Amendment Act of 2024.[12]

In closing, all students can learn and succeed with the right support. Our District leaders can play an active and instrumental role in improving academic achievement by funding what works, so that D.C. can lead the nation. Thank you for holding this hearing and allowing me to testify. I am available to answer any questions you may have.

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[1] On Its Tenth Anniversary, Here’s Where D.C.’s Free Preschool Program Stands Source: https://dcist.com/story/19/03/15/on-its-tenth-anniversary-heres-where-d-c-s-free-preschool-program-stands/ 

[2] The Uniform Per Student Funding Formula provides funding to all public schools and provides a weighted funding based on student demographics.

[3] National Education Association Educator Pay Data 2024. Source: https://www.nea.org/resource-library/educator-pay-and-student-spending-how-does-your-state-rank

[4] District of Columbia Attendance Report - School Year 2023-2024 Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/2023-24%20Attendance%20Report%20%28Final%29.pdf

[5] OSSE. 2024 Statewide Assessement Results. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/2024-08-22-DCCAPE_MSAA_2324_PublicDeck_with_appendix.pdf

[6] Early Literacy Taskforce Recommendations. https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/Early%20Literacy%20Task%20Force%20Report.pdf 

[7] B25-0784 - Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Support Act of 2024 Source: https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B25-0784

[8] National Council of Teacher Quality. District of Columbia: Recommendations to Strengthen Implementation of the Science of Reading Souce: https://www.nctq.org/dmsView/DCSOTSReadingProfileUpdated

[9] Math 4 All DC Campaign: https://www.math4alldc.org/

[10]  National Student Support Accelerator: Implementation of the OSSE High Impact Tutoring Initiative: First Year Report School Year 2022 – 2023 Source: https://studentsupportaccelerator.org/briefs/implementation-osse-high-impact-tutoring-initiative

[11]  OSSE. 2024 Educator Workforce Report. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/2024%20Educator%20Workforce%20Report%20%28Oct%2028%29.pdf

[12] https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B25-0800

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FY2025 Budget Wins for Students

FY2025 Budget Wins for Students  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Cesar Toledo, Cesar@edreformnow.org 

Washington, D.C. (June 26, 2024) — In response to the D.C. Council’s final vote on the FY 2025 Local Budget Act of 2024 and Budget Support Act of 2024, Jessica Giles, Executive Director of Education Reform Now DC (ERN DC), released the following statement:

“Earlier this year, ERN DC launched an advocacy campaign called “District Heroes” to urge the Mayor and DC Council to invest in tomorrow’s heroes—our students. Through digital advocacy, grassroots organizing, and dozens of conversations with the DC Council, this campaign galvanized critical support from Education Reform Champions for four important education investments: student attendance, literacy, secondary pathways, facilities, and math. 

Yesterday’s final budget vote marked a major victory for our students. Building on Mayor Bowser’s proposed investments, the Chairman and DC Council doubled down on reforming our public education system.

The Fiscal Year 2025 Budget and Financial Plan includes a 12.4% increase to the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula, along with an increase to the weight for at-risk students. Additionally, there are several impactful investments from our advocacy campaign: 

Supports student attendance by funding:

• $2.7 million for grants to address truancy, a case manager to expand the Addressing Truancy Through Engagement and Negotiated Dialogue (ATTEND) truancy prevention program, and to maintain investments in “nudge technology” to address chronic absenteeism at the District’s public schools

Provides innovative and evidence-based early literacy investments by prioritizing:

• $2.2 million for high-quality literacy instructional materials 

• $566k in FY25 and $2.9M in FY 26-28  for kindergarten structured literacy training and coaching pilot at up to 20 schools

Ensures safe and conducive learning environments by securing: 

Funding for the 3.1% annual increase to the public charter facilities allowance ($17.5 million across the financial plan)

Builds secondary pathways to college and career by providing:

• $150,000 for the subtitle, “Reporting Requirements for Career and Technical Education and Dual Enrollment,” which includes a youth-focused career preparation study

• Funds for the establishment of the Office of Education through Employment Pathways to implement a data system to 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

Giles continued, “In the coming months, we look forward to supporting the implementation of these critical investments so that all of our students are put on the path to success. We will also focus on ways to address our math education problem. When more than three out of four students are struggling in math, it is clear that our work is far from over.”

# # #

About Education Reform Now D.C. 

ERN D.C. is a non-profit, non-partisan think tank and advocacy organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students in Washington, D.C. We seek progress in D.C. Public Schools and public charter schools by developing and advocating for systemic change to eliminate racial inequity and discrimination.

FY2025 Budget Wins for Students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Cesar Toledo, Cesar@edreformnow.org 

Washington, D.C. (June 26, 2024) — In response to the D.C. Council’s final vote on the FY 2025 Local Budget Act of 2024 and Budget Support Act of 2024, Jessica Giles, Executive Director of Education Reform Now DC (ERN DC), released the following statement:

“Earlier this year, ERN DC launched an advocacy campaign called “District Heroes” to urge the Mayor and DC Council to invest in tomorrow’s heroes—our students. Through digital advocacy, grassroots organizing, and dozens of conversations with the DC Council, this campaign galvanized critical support from Education Reform Champions for four important education investments: student attendance, literacy, secondary pathways, facilities, and math. 

Yesterday’s final budget vote marked a major victory for our students. Building on Mayor Bowser’s proposed investments, the Chairman and DC Council doubled down on reforming our public education system.

The Fiscal Year 2025 Budget and Financial Plan includes a 12.4% increase to the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula, along with an increase to the weight for at-risk students. Additionally, there are several impactful investments from our advocacy campaign: 

Supports student attendance by funding:

• $2.2 million in one-time funds for the Office of the State Superintendent of Education truancy grants to non-profit and community-based organizations

• the Office of the Attorney General’s ATTEND (Abating Truancy Through Engagement and Negotiated Dialogue) Mediation Program

Provides innovative and evidence-based early literacy investments by prioritizing:

• $2.2 million for high-quality literacy instructional materials 

• $566k in FY25 and $2.9M in FY 26-28  for kindergarten structured literacy training and coaching pilot at up to 20 schools

Ensures safe and conducive learning environments by securing: 
Funding for the 3.1% annual increase to the public charter facilities allowance ($17.5 million across the financial plan)

Builds secondary pathways to college and career by providing:

• $150,000 for the subtitle, “Reporting Requirements for Career and Technical Education and Dual Enrollment,” which includes a youth-focused career preparation study

• Funds for the establishment of the Office of Education through Employment Pathways to implement a data system to 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

Giles continued, “In the coming months, we look forward to supporting the implementation of these critical investments so that all of our students are put on the path to success. We will also focus on ways to address our math education problem. When more than three out of four students are struggling in math, it is clear that our work is far from over.”

# # #

About Education Reform Now D.C. 
ERN D.C. is a non-profit, non-partisan think tank and advocacy organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students in Washington, D.C. We seek progress in D.C. Public Schools and public charter schools by developing and advocating for systemic change to eliminate racial inequity and discrimination.

FY2025 Budget Wins

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Cesar Toledo, Cesar@edreformnow.org 

Washington, D.C. (May 29, 2024) — In response to the D.C. Council’s first vote on the FY 2025 Local Budget Act of 2024 and Budget Support Act of 2024, Jessica Giles, Executive Director of Education Reform Now DC, released the following statement:

“Today’s vote on the budget is a victory for our students. Building on the Mayor’s proposal, the Chairman and DC Council proactively commit to improving our public education system in several impactful ways: 

Provides innovative and evidence-based early literacy investments that prioritize reading in kindergarten and support educators in teaching the science of reading ($566,291 in FY 2025 and $2.9 million across the financial plan). 

Ensures safe and conducive learning environments by reversing the repeal of the 3.1% increase to the public charter facilities allowance to keep pace with inflation in fiscal year 2026 and beyond ($17.5 million across the financial plan).

Strengthens secondary college and career pathways to prepare our students for the demands of workforce and higher education by restoring the D.C. Futures program for current enrollees ($4.3 million in FY 2025 and $14.4 million across the financial plan) and supporting the evaluation and planning necessary to enhance Career and Technical Education and dual enrollment programming ($150,000).

Still, the DC Council must address a glaring hole in the budget: a lack of a plan to address our math problem. When only 11% of Black students are proficient in math, it is clear that our work is far from over. We strongly urge the DC Council to fund and scale evidence-based strategies to support students struggling in math.”

# # #

About Education Reform Now D.C. 
ERN D.C. is a non-profit, non-partisan think tank and advocacy organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students in Washington, D.C. We seek progress in D.C. Public Schools and public charter schools by developing and advocating for systemic change to eliminate racial inequity and discrimination.

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.

D.C. Needs More Than Phonics to Lift its Students’ Reading Scores - The 74 Million

A decade ago, Washington, D.C., was hailed as a national model for education reform. The charter school sector, which now serves almost half of all public school students in the city, was expanding rapidly. D.C. Public Schools was a leader in adopting a teacher evaluation policy that linked compensation to student test scores and boasted that it was “the fastest-improving urban school district in the country.”

But while reading scores have improved somewhat, 73% of fourth-graders and 78% of eighth-graders still score below proficient on national reading tests. And the yawning gaps between groups of students have stayed the same or even expanded.

In 2022, Black fourth-graders scored 69 points lower than their white peers, a gap that hasn’t budged significantly since 1998. The disparity between children poor enough to qualify for free school meals and those who are not is now 56 points, 14 points larger than in 1998. The trend for eighth grade is similar.

(read more)

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.

###

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

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.

###

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.

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.

###

 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 

"The Right to Read" Documentary Screening - Washington Informer

Join us this Black History Month for the FREE documentary screening of The Right to Read on Tues., Feb. 20th, from 6:30pm-8:45pm at Alamo Drafthouse (DC Bryant St) to learn about the nation's reading crisis and how to solve it in the District. The film shares the stories of an NAACP activist, a teacher, and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read. When a child doesn't learn to read, their chances of incarceration, homelessness, and high school dropout increase. That's why Oakland-based NAACP activist Kareem Weaver's message is clear: literacy is the greatest civil right of our time.

(read more)

Giles’ Testimony on Academic Achievement

D.C. Council’s Committee of the Whole Public Roundtable on:

Academic Achievement in the District of Columbia

Jessica Giles
Executive Director
Education Reform Now Advocacy

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 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 pleased to testify at the Committee of the Whole’s hearing on Academic Achievement in the District.

The road to academic recovery remains long. DC students are navigating many different challenges: public safety concerns and declines in mental health and well-being, extremely high rates of chronic absenteeism and truancy, and low math and reading proficiency. Consequently, fewer students are enrolling in postsecondary education and completing.

Public safety concerns and declines in mental health and well-being

DC has gone backward on public safety. Schools went from COVID-19 shutdowns to shooting investigation lockdowns. Students are getting robbed on their way to school and SAT prep. Bullets are being sprayed throughout our neighborhoods. Multiple studies and anecdotal evidence reveal that students across the nation and  in DC Public Schools and public charter schools are suffering from declines in mental well-being made worse by the pandemic. For example, the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Study revealed that 35% of D.C. students reported feeling so sad or hopeless for as long as two weeks that they stopped doing some usual activities, up from 31% in 2019. 1 This rate is 67.6% for transgender students. 2 Additionally, EmpowerK12’s Student and Educator Wellbeing Survey in 2022 found that roughly 1 in 10 elementary school students experienced a significant well- being challenge during the fall term of the 2021-2022 school year. 3 In middle school, the rate was higher – one in eight students. DC Council must continue making critical investments in youth’s behavioral health – and increase the reach and efficacy of the school-based behavioral health program. Every school should have at least one clinician but I am hearing from schools that they have not received one or they get one late into the school year.

Extremely high rates of chronic absenteeism and truancy

While DC’s chronic absenteeism and truancy rates have declined, it is still unacceptedly high. In the 2022-2023 school year, DC’s chronic absenteeism rate fell from 48% to 43% and truancy fell from 42% to 37%. 4 Notably, high school students had very high rates of chronic absenteeism and truancy at 60% and 47% respectively, and 9th graders had profound rates of chronic absenteeism. 5 Additionally, Black and Latino students were much more likely to have high chronic truancy rates than Asian and White students. DC Council must ensure there is an immediate, whole government response to chronic absenteeism and truancy and analyze best practices from schools who’ve made improvements in student attendance post-pandemic.

Low proficiency in math and reading

Overall, math and reading proficiency continues to be low. This is undoubtedly connected to the high chronic absenteeism and truancy rates. Namely, the percentage of students who met or exceeded expectations on the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) has not yet risen to pre-pandemic levels. Only 37.0% of students met or exceeded expectations in English Language Arts (ELA) in school year 2018-2019, 30.8% in school year 2021-2022, and 33.7% in school year 2022-2023. In Math, only 31.0% of students met or exceeded expectations in school year 2018-2019, 19.5% in school year 2021-2022, and 21.8% in school year 2022-2023. Opportunity gaps persist and even widened between White students and Black and Latino students. Economically disadvantaged students, those with disabilities and English learners continue to score the lowest of every student group.

To address low academic achievement, OSSE and LEAs have committed to using evidenced-based practices such as High Impact Tutoring 6 to combat learning loss and structured literacy training for elementary school educators. As DC Council considers how to bolster academic achievement for students, it should fund the Early Literacy Taskforce recommendations and examine support for educators to enhance the teaching of math.7

More students are graduating high school, but fewer are enrolling into postsecondary education and completing

DC’s graduation rate continues to rise yearly though the percentage of students enrolling into and completing postsecondary education has declined. The four-year high school graduation rate increased from 68% in the school year 2018-2019 (pre-pandemic) to 75% in 2021-2022 (post-pandemic) to 76% in the school year 2022-2023. While all student groups experienced overall increases in graduation rate, opportunity gaps remained evident. Of note, the four-year graduation rate for male students continued to lag behind female student graduation rate by 12 percentage points.

The percentage of graduates from the classes of 2020 and 2021 who enrolled in a postsecondary degree-granting institution within six months dropped from 53% to 51%, respectively. 8 Postsecondary enrollment decreased most for Black high school graduates, from 52% to 49%. Latino students’ enrollment within six months of graduation decreased slightly, from 44% to 43%. However, White students went to college at higher rates, from 72% to 76%. Other subgroups experienced increased college enrollment during the same timeframe; however, rates remained problematically low. Students with disabilities increased their college-going from 27% to 35%, and English learners from 31% to 33%. College enrollment for students designated as “at-risk” stayed the same at 38%.

Postsecondary completion rates also decreased. In 2020, 14 out of a 9th-grade cohort of 100 students were expected to complete a postsecondary degree within six years. In 2021, only eight were.9

To be clear: DC voters are deeply concerned about our students’ future. Recently, we launched our advocacy campaign: Breaking Barriers for Black & Latino Youth From High School to Career. This campaign is focused on urging a change in policy and practice to directly address the fact that so few students obtain a college degree even though 58% of jobs require one. So far this year, we have knocked on more than 800 doors East of the River. Voters have shared with us their top issues: Education, Public Safety, more school funding, and expanding extracurricular activities. A total of 208 people 10 have signed our petition so far urging the Mayor and DC Council to take action to ensure that Black and Latino students’ academic experience includes meaningful college and career opportunities through the expansion of dual enrollment and early college, pathways to high-wage careers, and reforms to the college admissions process. We look forward to speaking with more voters to elevate this issues.

In closing, the DC Council can support academic achievement by:

● Making critical investments in children’s behavioral health – and increase the reach and efficacy of the school-based behavioral health program.
● Ensuring there is an immediate, whole government response to chronic absenteeism and truancy and analyze best practices from schools who’ve made improvements in student attendance post-pandemic.
● Funding the Early Literacy Taskforce recommendations and examine support for educators to enhance the teaching of math.
● Ensuring that Black and Latino students’ academic experience includes meaningful college and career opportunities through the expansion of dual enrollment and early college, pathways to high-wage careers, and reforms to the college admissions process.

Thank you for allowing me to testify at this hearing. I am available for any questions you may have.

###

1 OSSE. 2021 DC Behavioral Health Academic Achievement Report. 2 Nov. 2023. osse.dc.gov/node/1689511. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
2Ibid.
3 EmpowerK12. Wellbeing Survey. May 2022. http://www.empowerk12.org/research-source/wellbeing-survey. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
4 OSSE. District of Columbia Attendance Report 2022-23 School Year.
osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/2022-23%20Attendance%20Report_FINAL_0.pdf. Accessed 6. Dec. 2023.
5 OSSE. District of Columbia Attendance Report 2022-23 School Year. osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/2022-23%20Attendance%20Report_FINAL_0.pdf. Accessed 6. Dec. 2023.
6 OSSE. High-Impact Tutoring Report: Fiscal Year 2023. 21 Aug. 23. osse.dc.gov/page/high-impact-tutoring-hit-initiative. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
7 OSSE. Recommendations for Structured Literacy Instruction in the District of Columbia. 3 Oct. 23. osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/Early%20Literacy%20Task%20Force%20Report.pdf. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
8 The data in this paragraph was included on the prior version of the DC School Report Card (accessed November 1, 2023). The new school report card does not show this information, which is something that OSSE should address.
9 Coffin, Chelsea and Julie Rubin. State of D.C. Schools, 14 2021-22. D.C. Policy Center, 15 March 2023, dcpolicycenter.org/publications/schools-21-22/ Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
10 Breaking Barriers for Black and Latino Youth! https://p2a.co/7baah6d Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

ERNA DC 10.26.23 SBOE Testimony

Jessica Giles
Executive Director
Education Reform Now Advocacy
ERNA DC 10.26.23 SBOE Testimony

Good evening, D.C. State Board of Education representatives! My name is Jessica Giles. I am a Ward 7 resident and the Executive Director of Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA). ERNA fights for a just and equitable public education system for all students in Washington, DC. We believe every student can learn and fulfill their limitless potential, regardless of race, background, ward, and ability. Thank you to the State Board for holding a panel discussion on the Early Literacy Education Task Force (Task Force) recommendations¹. It is my pleasure to provide written testimony in support of the recommendations and to request a bold investment in literacy.

Why is literacy important? 

Reading is a fundamental skill that all students need in order to succeed in school, life, and career. Our deepest desire is for every child to 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 schools in the District of Columbia are facing a reading crisis.

In 2022, 73 percent of students scored below proficient levels on the NAEP (also known as the Nation’s Report Card), up from 69 percent in 2019.² Black and Hispanic students scored an average of 69 and 60 points, respectively, lower than White students. ³ This gap has remained statistically the same since 1998. 4

Why is structured literacy important? 

For the past two years, ERNA has advocated for a citywide literacy intervention based on the science of reading — a decades-long, interdisciplinary, and proven body of knowledge that provides a deeper understanding of how individuals learn to read. This body of research informs the best approach for teaching basic reading skills: structured literacy.5 Structured literacy helps all students, including children with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, read and write. Structured literacy emphasizes highly explicit and systematic teaching of all important components of literacy. These components include both foundational skills (e.g., decoding, spelling) and higher-level literacy skills (e.g., reading comprehension, written expression). 6 Structured literacy also emphasizes oral language abilities essential to literacy development, including phonemic awareness. 7

Our Support for the Taskforce’s recommendations

When the Taskforce released their recommendations, we were excited to see them. Namely, we commend the Taskforce for including the following:

• Special education and English Learner teachers are prioritized in the early implementation phases.

• Communication toolkits will be created for families about their students’ early reading skills.

• Educators will need to demonstrate competency.

But as the old saying goes, the devil is in the details. It will be critical for these recommendations to be implemented with fidelity so that all elementary educators can feel confident about their ability to teach all components of literacy and be supported. In the coming weeks and months, we will advocate for funding to support the implementation of these recommendations. 

Our asks

We humbly ask the State Board to urge the Mayor and the D.C. Council to prioritize a bold investment in the FY2025 Budget. We also ask the Office of the Student Advocate to partner with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education in the creation of toolkits to help families support their readers at home, similar to the D.C. Dyslexia Guidebook.8 It’s vital that families are treated as true partners during this reading revolution.

Thank you for your attention to this important cause and your leadership!

¹ October 3, 2023. Office of the State Superintendent of Education. Recommendations for Structured Literacy Instruction in the District of Columbia. Accessed: October 26, 2023. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/Early%20Literacy%20Task%20Force%20Report.pdf
² October 24, 2022. NAEP. 2022 Reading State Snapshot Report. Accessed: October 26, 2023. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/Reading%20Grade%204%20DC%20State.pdf
³Ibid.
4Ibid.
5 June 2019. Here’s Why Schools Should Use Structured Literacy. Accessed: October 26, 2023. Source: https://dyslexiaida.org/heres-why-schools-should-use-structured-literacy/#:~:text=What%20Is%20Structured%20Literacy%3F,reading%20comprehension%2C%20written%20expression).
6Ibid.
7 Ibid.
8 Dyslexia Guidebook 2022-23. Source: https://studentadvocate.dc.gov/dyslexiaguide

ERN DC Testimony on the Mayor’s FY 2024 Budget Proposal

Jessica Giles
Executive Director
Education Reform Now D.C.

Committee of the Whole Budget Oversight Hearing:

● District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS)
● Office of the State Superintendent of Education
● Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education
● District of Columbia Public Charter School Board
● D.C. State Board of Education
● Office of the Student Advocate
● Ombudsman for 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 Education Reform Now D.C. (ERN D.C.). ERN D.C. is a non-profit organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students in Washington, D.C.

The Mayor’s FY 2024 proposed budget prioritizes public education, making it the second largest investment in local operating funds to a tune of nearly $4 billion. There are several investments that we urge the D.C. Council to maintain:

● 5.05% increase to the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF) allows for a foundation level of $13,046 per student.
● 3.1% multi-year facilities allotment increase to provide charter schools with educationally appropriate buildings.
● $8M to sustain a multi-year investment in high-impact tutoring, an intervention that can produce dramatic gains in student learning.
● $9M for the Safe Passage Safe Blocks program. With gun violence at an all-time high, it is essential for the District to invest in strategies that will keep our school communities safe.
● A continued investment in restorative justice to allow for restoration, healing, and prevention when harm is caused.
● $17 million investments in Out of School (OST) Time programming to provide fun, safe, and enriching programs for our students, along with $5 million for My After School, $2.5 million for students with disabilities to more fully participate in OST, and $3.4 million for summer activities.
● $1.6M one-time funding to launch DC’s Education to Employment data project to help the District better understand how education programming sets DC students up for career success and ensures continuous career improvement.

Additionally, we would like to highlight three areas of concern:

I. Public charter schools will receive $187 million less than DCPS

DCPS and public charter schools must receive equal funding to provide all of our students with excellent services and support and attract and retain highly effective and diverse educators and school staff. However:

a. $39 million in proposed funding is directed to support DCPS outside of the per funding formula (ex. DCPS stabilization funding, Early Stages funding, and IMPACT bonuses). According to a recent poll, D.C. voters overwhelmingly support (71%) D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) and public charter schools receiving equal funding to support their students. See our press release  and poll here. 

b. $207 million will go to the Washington Teachers Union for their teachers, social workers, therapists, coaches, and other school personnel compared to the $59 million for the public charter school sector for teachers only. 431 (and counting) D.C. residents signed our petition  urging the Mayor and DC Council to provide an equivalent payment to public charter school educators for retropay and forward pay and for future salary increases to be sent to all public schools through the per-student funding formula.

When DCPS and the public charter sector are funded unequally, it sends a troubling message that our DCPS students matter more than our charter students. This funding
inequity is wrong, and the DC Council must make this right, including by ensuring payments are flexible and granted quickly and that future salary increases across both sectors are
reflected in the UPSFF.

II. No increase in investment in structured literacy training

Students have a right to read and we must set the expectation that all students will learn to read well and on grade level regardless of where in the city they live, what school they attend, and their ability or language-learning status. The reality, however, is that the percentage of students in the District of Columbia who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was only 26 percent in 2022.  This percentage was smaller than that in 2019 (30 percent) and was greater than that in 1998 (10 percent)  . Black and Hispanic students are 69 and 60 points lower than white students, respectively.  The percentage of students in District of Columbia who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was 22 percent in 2022.  This percentage was not significantly different from that in 2019 (23 percent) and was greater than that in 1998 (11 percent).

We know the science of reading can help make a significant difference in the lives of our students. Currently, OSSE is slated to spend nearly $20M in federal funding on literacy investments between fiscal year 2022-2024. The Mayor allocated $1 million to provide 530 teachers in DCPS and public charter schools with structured literacy training for an additional 1,500 spots. While we appreciate the investment, there are two concerns:

a. If we continue to go at this incredibly slow pace, it will take several years for the District to ensure all elementary school educators receive this critical training. We urge the Committee of the Whole to ask OSSE when does it expect all elementary school teachers will receive structured literacy training?
b. Literacy innovation is funded solely by federal dollars. What happens when this funding is no longer available?

We encourage the D.C. Council to set aside funds to ensure that the District’s commitment to providing all educators with structured literacy training does not falter.

III. No increase in investment in dual enrollment

Every student must graduate from high school and receives a high-quality, affordable college education or the work-based experience and credentials necessary to immediately earn a livable wage. The reality is 51% of students enroll into a two or four-year college. 35% of students with disabilities, 33% of ELL, 35% of students designated as At-Risk. 910 8 out of 100 9th grade students in SY 2011-12 completed an associates or bachelors degree by 2022. 11 OSSE not disaggregated this information.

Dual enrollment has a significant effect on 2-year and 4-year college enrollment, degree attainment, and early labor market earnings 6 years after high school, with stronger effects for students who are traditionally underrepresented.  The DC Council can help ensure students in every high school receive dual enrollment opportunities who want them by expanding the Bard Sequence in the District. The Bard Sequence allows students to earn transferable college credits across a variety of courses taught by college faculty trained in early college pedagogy at the high school. Currently, two high schools offer this to their students, and we could expand it to more school campuses. The District must guarantee families an affordable and high-quality pathway to a college degree for every student who wants one.

Thank you for allowing me to testify.

Testimony for March DC State Board of Education Meeting

March 15, 2023 Public Meeting

Jessica Giles
Executive Director
Education Reform Now D.C.

Greetings Executive Director Butler, Representatives, and staff of the D.C. State Board of Education (SBOE), my name is Jessica Giles. I am a ward seven resident and the Executive Director of Education Reform Now D.C. (ERN DC). ERN D.C. is a non-profit organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students in Washington, D.C. I am submitting my testimony for the March 15 public meeting, as I strongly oppose this report and underlying resolution for many reasons and urge State Board members to vote NO.

I. The Governance survey is not a representative sample of D.C.
According to the report, 1,132 community members completed the education governance survey, yet the respondents were not representative of the District’s population. The State Board of Education must always prioritize the voices of marginalized and underserved communities.

For example:

Survey ParticipantsD.C. Residents73% of respondents represented DCPS54% of public students attend DCPS29% of respondents live in Ward 3Ward 3 has 6% of public school enrollment56% of respondents are white42% of DC residents are white

Ironically, takeaway #4 states that “students, educators, and parent/caregivers’ voices need a more streamlined approach to communication, more opportunities to give feedback, and greater transparency for how that feedback is utilized.” Yet, the State Board of Education missed an opportunity to accomplish this goal when targeting who filled out survey responses. It is unclear if the survey participants represented students, educators, and school-based leaders, as the report did not mention these demographics.

II. The feasibility scores fails to explicitly consider how education outcomes for students furthest from opportunity would be improved by the adoption or omission of each recommendation.

The State Board of Education’s adoption of an equity statement/framework is laudable. Still, it appears the agency neglected to utilize this framework in the “evaluating and filtering” of these proposals. I am concerned that the opportunity gaps that persist in public education will remain for Black/African American, English Learners, Hispanic/Latino, and students designated as “at risk” as it appears from this report that their outcomes were never really considered in the first place. A prime example is none of the recommendations explicitly relate back to takeaway #6, which includes “issues that need to be immediately addressed by the education system in D.C.” or fully relate to takeaway #8, outcomes-based areas that should be focused on.

III. Some recommendations and exploratory topics would be overly bureaucratic and ultimately unnecessary 

A.  Authorizing the State Board to initiate and amend policies; affording the State Board with a “great weight” requirement in all government agency decisions that impact schools, students, and education stakeholders; 

a. While well-intentioned, I am concerned that these recommendations will slow down our public education system, making system-level change and innovation less likely to occur. I can imagine situations where the State Board and OSSE are at odds, subjecting every decision to a vote. With half the State Board members up for election every two years, and the Board holding a leadership election every year, its agenda and focus could change drastically. I am also concerned that the State Board’s recommendations would make our public education system process much more complicated, moving the District further away from takeaway #1 which is aimed at providing more clarity.

B. The State Board approves the opening, closing, and siting of schools. 

a. The stated reason for including this recommendation is “There is currently no District-wide body that considers the implications of a school opening, closing, or siting on other school communities/dynamics, particularly across sectors.” The Deputy Mayor for Education currently has the EdScape tool for the public, the Public Charter School Board is the sole authorizer of public charter schools, where that authority should remain, because it already has a rigorous process by which charters applications are considered, renewed, and/or discontinued.

C. Exploratory topics:

a. Expansion of the State Board’s role to include appointing the State Superintendent of Education, with confirmation from the D.C. Council. 

i. The Mayor is best positioned to recruit qualified candidates to be the State Superintendent of Education. The Office of the Mayor has the power to open doors and to pay a good salary. How would making this change transform outcomes for students furthest from opportunity?

b. Creating a structure independent of DCPS that would hear termination appeals from teachers and principals who believe they were terminated because of their views on school and system practices.

i. This seems best suited for the grievance process and it appears to be outside of the scope of the State Board of Education.

One area that I enthusiastically support is creating one website where caretakers and families can find answers to all their questions and helpful resources to navigate care, education, and postgraduate career and college opportunities for youth 24 years old and younger. This website should connect all of the currently existing websites (DCPS, PCSB, OSSE, DME, Special Education Hub, My School DC, DC Report Card, etc. ) and fold into the operations of the Ombudsman and Student Advocate.

Thank you for allowing me to testify. I have included at the bottom a list of ways the State Board of Education can help improve student outcomes.
————————————————————————————————————————

IMPROVING READING PROFICIENCY

Our Vision:
All students reading at grade level by third grade regardless of where in the city they live, what school they attend, and their ability or language-learning status.

Reality:
4th grade reading: The percentage of students in District of Columbia who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was 26 percent in 2022. This percentage was smaller than that in 2019 (30 percent) and was greater than that in 1998 (10 percent). Black and Hispanic students are 69 and 60 points lower than white students, respectively. 

8th grade reading: The percentage of students in District of Columbia who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was 22 percent in 2022. This percentage was not significantly different from that in 2019 (23 percent) and was greater than that in 1998 (11 percent). 

Recommendation:
Require all elementary educators to receive free & accessible structured literacy training with incentives to strengthen how educators teach reading. How will the State Board ensure that teacher preparation programs offer this training?

IMPROVING COLLEGE ENROLLMENT AND COMPLETION

Our Vision:
Every student graduates from high school and receives a high-quality, affordable college education and the work-based experience and credentials necessary to immediately earn a livable wage.

Reality:
Graduation: 75% of students graduated from high school within four years. 58% of students with disabilities, 54% of ELL, 63% of students designated as At-Risk. 

College Enrollment: 51% of students enroll into a two or four-year college. 35% of students with disabilities, 33% of ELL, 35% of students designated as At-Risk. 

College Completion: 18 out of 100 9th grade students in SY 2011-12 completed an associates or bachelors degree by 2022. OSSE has not disaggregated this information.

Recommendation:
Deepen and expand dual enrollment opportunities for students furthest from opportunity. The State Board can put pressure on the Office of the State Superintendent of Education and the Deputy Mayor for Education to change graduation requirements so more students can take advantage of these opportunities.

IMPROVING SHARING OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS

Our Vision:
Equip all families with timely, relevant, easily understandable, and actionable information about assessments. 

Reality:
Many LEAs do not consistently provide assessment results and grades to families. Families must be treated as a valuable partner in ensuring accountability in public education. For the last two election cycles, the D.C. Board of Elections ensured every registered D.C. voter received their ballot before the election, and provided detailed instructions on how to vote by mail, drop box, or in person. There is no reason why we can’t apply this same strategy and practice in public education to all assessments, including PARCC, MAP, iReady, and DIBELS. 

Recommendation:
Require sharing of student assessments with families in a way that is accessible, comprehensible, and actionable for all families.

CREATING FINANCIAL LITERACY STANDARDS

Our Vision:
All students receive training on how to become financially literate.

Reality:
D.C. does not require students to learn personal financial literacy skills. Personal financial literacy teaches essential concepts like saving, investing, debt, budgeting, setting short- and long-term financial goals, and money management. These are integral to the financial well-being of students. The Colorado Department of Education summarizes personal financial literacy as the following “[it] applies the economic way of thinking to help individuals understand how to manage their scarce resources using a logical decision-making process of prioritization based on analysis of the costs and benefits of every choice.” Currently, ten states offer financial literacy as a part of the social studies standards, and the District should do the same at every appropriate grade level. It’s a shame that students will learn about the Global Economy but not how to manage their budget, which is a vital life skill.

Recommendation:
Put pressure on OSSE to create financial literacy standards.

ERN DC ESSA State Plan Amendment Public Comment

Dr. Christina Grant, State Superintendent of Education 

Office of the State Superintendent of Education 

1050 First Street NE

Washington, D.C. 20002

Dear Dr. Grant,

We are pleased to submit a public comment to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) regarding its proposed amendment to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Plan for Accountability. OSSE must make bold changes and adopt new ways of thinking so that all our students recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and have a just and equitable public education in the District. 

In February, 50 members of our community wrote a letter urging you to adopt five recommendations that would improve accountability in our public education system, namely:

1. Re-strategize and refocus outreach efforts to ensure that families in all eight wards know that the D.C. School Report Card and Transparency and Reporting (STAR) Framework is a tool they can use to help them make decisions about schools.

2. Get buy-in from families and D.C. residents in all eight wards, particularly those furthest from opportunity, on how best to use the D.C. School Report Card and STAR Framework to serve their students better.

3. Improve, but do not eliminate the single summative rating.

4. Administer the district-wide annual assessment exam this spring. 

5. Get serious about innovation and school improvement.  

We are pleased to see the adoption of the first four recommendations and look forward to seeing progress on the fifth. As OSSE considers advancing its proposed amendment to the ESSA State Plan for Accountability, we urge you to ensure all changes are equitable, accessible, and transparent. Therefore, we offer the following eight recommendations to improve the amendment: 

• Increase the weight of the “students with disabilities” student group

• Increase the weight of students of color within the race/ethnicity student group, while holding them to high standards 

• Remove median growth percentile

• Ensure D.C. has an effective statewide annual assessment

• Incentivize the expansion of dual enrollment and dual credit as a school quality & student success indicator

• Include structured literacy training for all educators in elementary schools

• Provide clear information on school quality 

• Harness the accountability system to support schools

Guiding Principle #1 – Equity: 

Increase the weight of the “students with disabilities” student group

We applaud many of the changes OSSE makes to the student groups, including changing the term “at-risk” to “economically disadvantaged” and increasing the “economically disadvantaged” weight from 5% to 40%. With these changes, OSSE is demonstrating an understanding that our accountability system must prioritize and serve student groups who are furthest from opportunity, which is a step in the right direction. Because placing a greater emphasis on serving students furthest from opportunity is the right and smart thing to do, OSSE should also increase the weight of the “students with disabilities” subgroup. Students with disabilities experience the most significant challenges in public education in D.C, particularly students of color who are economically disadvantaged with disabilities. Students with disabilities have the lowest PARCC exam scores in ELA and Math and the lowest graduation rates. They also are more likely to be discriminated against, disciplined, and not attend college. We also know that the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated these inequities. OSSE should increase the weight of the students with disabilities subgroup by taking five points from the “all students” group and applying it to a new subgroup, “economically disadvantaged students with disabilities.”

Increase the weight of students of color within the race/ethnicity student group while holding them to high standards 

Currently, OSSE proposes 15 percent for the race/ethnicity student group, divided evenly between all race/ethnicity student groups. Dividing evenly between all groups undermines the purpose of having the metric there in the first place. We recommend that OSSE keep the overall 15% weight but increase the weight of students of color within the race/ethnicity student group. OSSE must hold students of every race and ethnicity to the same high expectations while acknowledging the harmful impact that racism has on marginalized groups.

Remove Median Growth Percentile

We must hold all schools to high standards when preparing our students for life, school, and career. By using median growth percentage, OSSE focuses on how well a student is doing compared to their peers across the District and the country, rather than whether they are growing towards grade-level expectations. This change will likely hide where our problem spots are in public education by relying on relative, rather than absolute, growth. We recommend placing the entire growth weight in Growth-to-Proficiency and Approaching Expectations and removing Median Growth Percentile. 

Ensure D.C. has an Effective Statewide Annual Assessment

Because there have been hundreds of years of racism, discrimination, and lowered expectations for students of color within our public education, it is vitally important that we have objective academic measures that can be reliably and validly measured within our accountability system. With that said, we are disappointed that OSSE appears to be moving away from the PARCC exam. We urge OSSE to keep PARCC, or at least a high-quality statewide annual assessment with the following crucial features:

• Culturally responsive

• Offer Smarter Balance Assessment

• Assess both problem-solving and critical thinking

• Ensures student learning aligns with the Common Core standards

• Offer numerous accommodations for students with learning challenges and disabilities

• Make the data more useful for students and families by providing rapid results — paired with the key academic standards we should focus on next with our students — along with access to resources explaining how parents can support

Guiding Principle #2 – Accessibility: 

Incentivize the Expansion of Dual Enrolment and Dual Credit as a School Quality & Student Success Indicator

We support the addition of a dual enrollment indicator and would encourage the addition of dual credit. States across the country are moving away from a model which only affords students with dual enrollment courses for college credit towards a model which allows students to receive both high school and college credit for completing the course. Too few students get dual credit opportunities in D.C., and we are an outlier in this regard. By providing dual credit courses, students have more time to devote to other important college and career activities. They are more likely to treat dual credit courses as part of their core academic experience rather than an extra or supplemental enrichment activity. We also encourage OSSE to ensure all schools offer rigorous AP/IB opportunities.

Include Structured Literacy Training for All Educators in Elementary Schools

Because only 30% of students are proficient in reading by fourth grade, we recommend that OSSE add a metric for schools that provide educators serving students K-5 with structured literacy training, which is shown to improve literacy for all students, particularly those with reading difficulties like Dyslexia. This training ensures that the District remains serious about ensuring every student can read on grade level. At the very least, this information should be published on the D.C. School Report Card. 

Guiding Principle #3 – Transparency: 

Provide Clear Information on School Quality 

We believe it’s important for OSSE to identify struggling schools and support them. Currently, OSSE is considering removing the summative rating for schools and providing an “accountability calculation.” Regardless of whether the District moves away from STARS, we believe it is essential for parents and families to have a single transparent summative calculation for determining how well a school serves each student population across all metrics every year. Even more importantly, OSSE must clearly and effectively explain in an easy-to-understand and accessible manner how it arrived at that calculation and why. 

Harness the Accountability System to Support Schools

ESSA requires states to set aside 7% of Title I funds for schools identified in need of support, and we do not know what happens with the funding. Further, it is unclear what happens to a school after three years of support. OSSE should make its action plan explicit so the public is aware and can play an active role in holding schools accountable for student success. 

In closing, we urge you to adopt our key recommendations to incentivize equitable change within our public education. As always, we look forward to continuing to partner with you to ensure that all students have just and equitable opportunities in the District.

Sincerely, 

Jessica Giles

State Director, Education Reform Now D.C.

CC: 

Rep. Jessica Sutter, President, D.C. State Board of Education

Rep. Eboni-Rose Thompson, Vice President, D.C. State Board of Education

D.C. State Board of Education

Statement from Democrats for Education Reform D.C. on the Final Budget Vote

CONTACT: Joshua Hodge

jhodge@dfer.org 

The D.C. Council Makes Historic Investments in Public Education, a Win for Students

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 7, 2022) – Democrats for Education Reform D.C. (DFER D.C.) State Director Jessica Giles released the following statement on the inclusion of DFER D.C.’s priorities in the FY2023 budget:

“Our community urged Mayor Muriel Bowser, Chairman Phil Mendelson, and the D.C. Council to pass an education budget that helps fix school funding inequity, invests in safe and positive learning environments, and supports our educators; and they delivered,” Giles said.

“Last Tuesday, the D.C. Council voted in support of historic investments in per-pupil funding, greater funding for schools serving high percentages of students designated as at-risk, an updated adequacy study for education, a 3.1% increase in the charter facilities allotment, structured literacy training for educators, school-based behavioral health supports, and an expansion of a pre-existing first-time homeowner financial assistance program to educators.

“Our elected officials continue to show that education is of utmost importance by making these historic investments. 

“Our students must come first  – no matter what. Their race, gender, sexual orientation, class, zip code, or disability should not impact the quality of education they receive. This is why we fight for a budget that works in the best interest of our students and our community. 

“We look forward to continuing to partner with the office of the Mayor, D.C. Council, and the D.C. State Board of Education to ensure all students—especially those who have been historically disenfranchised — have the opportunity to have a fair, equitable, and high-quality public education.”

On Tuesday, June 7, 2022, the fiscal year 2023 budget and financial plan included the following investments: 

• Two new concentration at-risk weights in the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF), for a total of $10.4 million in recurring funding;

• A $300,000 adequacy study every five years to ensure the UPSFF increases adequately for all students;

• A 5.9% increase to the foundation of the UPSFF for all schools in FY 2023;

• A 3.1% increase to the public charter facilities allotment in FY 2023 to keep up with rising costs in the District;

• Structured literacy training for D.C. Public School teachers, a $2,000 stipend for those who complete the training, and a task force; 

• An increase in community-based organization grant sizes in the School-Based Behavioral Health program and $150,000 to fund a cost study; 

• Expansion to educators of a pre-existing first-time homeowner financial assistance program; and 

• Continued funding for restorative justice, dual enrollment, and High-Impact Tutoring.

Education Experts Talk Student Literacy, COVID Learning Loss and How Teachers Can Confront the Widening Achievement Gap - The 74 Million

How hard can it be to teach kids how to read?

Well, if you ask Mary Clayman, it’s the equivalent of rocket science. “We cannot put any curriculum in front of a teacher and expect them to become a master of their craft,” said Clayman, Director of the DC Reading Clinic.

“There is a huge body of knowledge that teachers need to have access to and to understand to be able to adequately diagnose and intervene with a student.”

In her role at the reading clinic, Clayman trains teachers in the science of reading, which she defines as “this vast body of knowledge, decades of research, fMRI studies, which is cognitive science, information on the English language, [and] the theoretical underpinnings of how we think children acquire print.”

But that leads to a big question for education leaders: “Is the instruction in schools informed by this vast body of knowledge?”

Clayman was among a panel of experts assembled by the Progressive Policy Institute and The 74 on Wednesday to deal with the enormous question of how educators will close the achievement gap in literacy that has grown to a chasm during the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel was also sponsored by Education Reform Now DC.

(read more)