ERNA DC Testifies Against Redundant Governance Proposals and for Equitable Education Reforms

Jessica Giles
Executive Director
Education Reform Now Advocacy - DC

Good evening Executive Director Butler, State Board Representatives, Student Representatives, and staff. My name is Jessica Giles. I am a ward 7 resident and the Executive Director of the DC Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA), an organization advocating for a just and equitable public education system for all students. I am pleased to testify today.

Panel on Education as a Civil Right

“Under Federal law, States and local educational agencies are obligated to provide all children – regardless of immigration status – with equal access to public education at the elementary and secondary level.”[1] This, however, does not guarantee all residents the right to a “quality” education or even a “high-quality” one. (In fact, I’m a long-time DC resident, but I’m originally from South Carolina, and its constitution states that students should only receive a minimally adequate education, which is reprehensible.)

Ensuring students have a civil right to high-quality public schools is an approach worth considering. However, there are some questions that need to be answered to ensure this approach is more than just an aspirational mandate.

First, it would be important to know how the standard of education is defined. In other words, what are high-quality schools? 

• Second, are there going to be penalties that will be associated with D.C. public schools’ failure to provide “high-quality” public schools? If so, what are they? What direct or indirect impact would that have?

• Third, how would this standard and penalties impact our court system, D.C. agencies, and funding for public education as a whole?

Any resolution and forthcoming legislation would need to clearly address all three of these questions. Finally, despite the State Board’s goal to prevent or limit lawsuits challenging the new standard, this type of guaranteed civil right would ultimately be challenged in court.

SR24-25 Establishing the State Board Authority Working Group

I urge the SBOE members to vote “no” on SR24-25, Establishing the State Board Authority Working Group. In February of 2021, the State Board established an ad-hoc Board Governance Committee. For two years, the State Board conducted research and engagement on the issue of state board authority, which included surveys, focus groups, and community feedback. I remember because I provided feedback, encouraged my community to share comments, and also testified on this issue. The State Board then created a report and voted on the Changes to Education Governance in DC at the last public meeting in 2022.[2] Further discussion on this topic is not necessary. We’ve been here before, and it's starting to feel like Groundhog Day. 

In closing, we’ve had major setbacks in academic proficiency because of the pandemic, our city is facing less revenue than we have in the past, and we are going into next year under a new President and Congressional members with zero respect for public education or for individuals that have been historically marginalized. I’d urge the State Board to focus its efforts on ensuring that all public schools provide students with a high-quality education by advancing evidence-based practices that improve student attendance, public school choice, literacy, math, and secondary pathways to college and career. Thanks for allowing me to testify.

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[1] United States Department of Education. Source: https://www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/policy/rights/guid/unaccompanied-children.pdf

[2] 2022-12-21-SR22-17-SIGNED-Recommendations on Changes to Education Governance in DC.pdf

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ERNA DC Testimony Before SBOE on Legacy Admissions

Cesar Toledo
Deputy Director
Education Reform Now Advocacy - DC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• National leaders have spoken out against legacy, including 

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

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

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

Postsecondary Crisis for DC Students

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

Legacy Admissions Are Part of the College Access Problem

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

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

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

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

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

Increasing Resistance to Legacy Preference

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

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

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

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

End Legacy Preference

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

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

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

Thank you. I welcome your questions.

Brandon Best: DC needs a vision — and funding — for math innovation

DC State Board of Education member Brandon Best in The DC Line:

Math is a fundamental building block for the future. As our world undergoes rapid technological advancements, the ability to understand and apply mathematical concepts has never been more critical. With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies changing the skilled worker landscape, there is a greater need for our educational system to evolve to ensure our students can navigate and succeed.

Meanwhile, math proficiency has significantly declined across the country, with only 36% of fourth graders performing at or above basic proficiency levels set by the National Assessment of Educational Progress — a major concern as we prepare our children for a future increasingly driven by science and technology. In DC, the data is even more alarming. Only 22% of our students currently meet math proficiency level expectations, making the District home to one of the most significant needs in the nation. Despite this urgent issue, the latest proposed budget for the District surprisingly lacks any new funding commitments for innovation in mathematics education, a critical gap as we aim to better equip our students for technological advancements.

By supporting math innovation and transforming our approach to math education, we can close the achievement gap and prepare our students for the challenges of the future. In hopes of marking a pivotal step toward this goal, I recently introduced a “Blueprint for Tomorrow’s Education,” a strategy for remodeling math instruction in the District. This effort begins with two resolutions currently under consideration by the DC State Board of Education: “The Creation of a Comprehensive Pre-K to 8 Mathematics Strategy in the District of Columbia” (SR24-13); and “Establishing State Board Priorities for Artificial Intelligence in Education” (SR24-12). I hope the DC State Board of Education will act on these two resolutions by this summer. They propose a comprehensive approach to revitalize math education and seamlessly integrate AI and technology into the educational infrastructure, ensuring our students are well-equipped for the digital age.

As a former special education math educator in the District, I’ve seen the tremendous potential of young minds when introduced to mathematics in ways that are both joyful and relevant. Whether it’s using video games like Madden NFL or NBA 2K to learn multiplication concepts, or finding other engaging approaches, we must address long-standing questions: “How do we make math learning more relatable? How do we make it more fun?”

DC Public Schools outlined its commitment to succeed in mathematics in its most recent five-year strategic plan. Seven other states — including Colorado, Alabama and Arkansas — have recognized the need for specialized math instruction and passed laws in 2022 and 2023 requiring math support for struggling students.

To reverse DC’s decline in math outcomes, we need a strategic, citywide approach to support the unique needs of DC students, starting with the establishment of a Math Task Force. This task force would provide schools with recommendations for proven, high-quality math teaching materials, innovative programs and professional development opportunities. With this initiative, we can ensure that our teachers are fully prepared to deliver engaging and effective math education, an essential step if we are to ensure positive early math education outcomes. Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker has been a great partner in ensuring the council is on board, supporting this strategic initiative and its mission to reverse the decline in math proficiency.

The power of numbers goes beyond individual success: It has the potential to transform communities and local economies. As Mayor Muriel Bowser envisions the revitalization of downtown DC, investing in math education can play a pivotal role in the city’s resurgence. Research has shown that better educational outcomes can lead to increased worker salaries and a higher gross domestic product. Enhancing math skills in DC could increase students’ future salaries by $31,000 annually, according to one study.

Beyond a dwindling downtown, DC faces a significant shortage in tech talent. This situation highlights the urgent need to prioritize STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) principles into our education system, ensuring that DC students have the necessary skills to perform the jobs in their backyards that are currently out of reach.

At this crucial juncture, the decisions we make today will determine the future success of our children. By making math education more engaging and relevant, and by integrating the principles of AI, we can ignite a passion for learning and prepare our students with the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills they will need to excel. Our “Blueprint for Tomorrow’s Education” is a commitment to that future — a promise to our children that we will equip them with the tools to build a brighter, more prosperous DC.

Brandon Best represents Ward 6 on the DC State Board of Education.

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s what’s happening right now:  

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

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

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

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

Here are the steps we suggest:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DC State Board of Education
Public Meeting

Jessica Giles
Executive Director, DC
Education Reform Now Advocacy

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

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

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

Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget Priorities

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

Our FY 2025 budget recommendations are the following:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DC State Board of Education Panel on Chronic Absenteeism & Truancy

DC State Board of Education
Panel on Chronic Absenteeism & Truancy

Minetre Martin
Organizing Manager
Education Reform Now Advocacy DC

Good evening, D.C. State Board of Education (SBOE) representatives! My name is Minetre Martin. I am a Ward 4 resident, former teacher, and Organizing Manager for Education Reform Now Advocacy DC. (“ERNA DC”). ERNA D.C. is fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students. Today, I urge the SBOE to urgently address chronic absenteeism and truancy by advocating for the following:

1. Expanding Home Visiting Services

2. Strengthening Family and Community Engagement with Sustained Support for Everyday Labs Nudge Intervention

3. Prioritizing Student Support: Stabilize School Health Funding and Expand Safe Passage

4. Enhanced Oversight for Government Agencies

Chronic absenteeism in DC remains a pressing issue, with 43% of students chronically absent in the 2022-2023 school year1 – one of the highest rates in the country.2 This challenge disproportionately affects high school students, students designated as at-risk, and students of color.3

So, how do we address chronic absenteeism and truancy? We need targeted actions that acknowledge the complexities of this issue:

1. Expand Home Visiting Services

Recently, when interviewed by NBC4 about missed school days in the first semester, a student casually remarked “Eight days is not a lot…”4 However, we know that 10 or more excused or unexcused school days missed in a year is considered chronically absent, and truancy is 10 or more unexcused school days. This remark reflects a much larger problem in the District of Columbia – a general lack of awareness among our community about the gravity of missing school. In a follow-up question about who talked to her about improving her attendance, she referenced her teacher, which highlights the impact of individual attention and relationship-building.

Drawing from my experience as a former teacher, I have seen firsthand how building rapport with students through home visits can significantly improve their attendance. When I was compensated for these visits, it allowed me to visit every student at home before school began and led to a well-maintained attendance rate of 95-98%, throughout my 5-year teaching career, a success that continued even during the transition to virtual learning. I wonder what impact we can make if we fully fund initiatives such as this.

DCPS’ initiative in 2021, where educators met over 3,000 families through home and community visits across 31 schools, was a commendable step.5 However, considering that DCPS served over 50,000 students in the 2021-2022 school year, this effort, while significant, touches only a fraction of the families. It highlights a gap that we must bridge to tackle chronic absenteeism across the district effectively.

However, we still need a comprehensive approach that includes but is not limited to funding home visit initiatives. Which brings me to my next 3 points.

2. Strengthen Family and Community Engagement with Sustained Support for Everyday Labs Nudge Interventions

Nearly 16% of families who received ‘nudge’ text and mail communications about their students’ attendance record were no longer chronically absent, showing the power of personalized communication. 6 However, while 58% of all students improved their attendance, the intervention is less likely to be effective for high school students. By continuing to invest and expand these data-driven tools, we can ensure robust oversight for accuracy of data collection and address gaps in chronic truancy.

3. Prioritize Student Support: Stabilize School Based Behavioral Health Funding and Expand Safe Passage

With 10% of D.C. youth experiencing anxiety and depression, every school needs at least one clinician backed by stable funding. 7 Additionally, expanding Safe Passage initiatives addresses safety concerns, as highlighted by a DCPS student, and is crucial for reducing absenteeism.8

4. Enhanced Oversight for Government Agencies

Finally, there is a need for better oversight of government agencies involved in student welfare, including understanding how local education agencies (LEAs) refer students to the Child Family Services Agency (CFSA) and Family Court Social Services Division (FCSSD). This oversight can ensure that LEAs are engaging in Student Support Team (SST)/Student Attendance Conferences (SAC) and are making timely and thorough referrals to CFSA and FCSSD and that these agencies are providing effective and efficient support services.

We have the knowledge, the data, and the community’s input. Now, we need decisive action to ensure every student in DC has the opportunity to succeed, starting with being present in school.

Lastly, since the SBOE led the charge in getting rid of the 80/20 rule, I would ask that your agency look into the impact of this policy change on attendance in the District.

Thank you for holding a public meeting on this issue.

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1 Office of the State Superintendent of Education. (2023). 2022-23 Attendance Report. Source.
https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/2022-23%20Attendance%20Report_FINAL_0.pdf
2 FutureEd. (n.d.). Tracking State Trends in Chronic Absenteeism. Retrieved from https://www.future-ed.org/tracking-state-trends-in-chronic-absenteeism/
3 Office of the State Superintendent of Education. (2023). 2022-23 Attendance Report. Source.
https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/2022-23%20Attendance%20Report_FINAL_0.pdf
4 Oberg, T. (2023, October 26). 4 in 10 DC students are chronically truant, report says. NBC Washington. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3ZYriPhIPk
5 District of Columbia Public Schools. (Year). Public Oversight Hearing on “Attendance, Chronic Absenteeism, and Truancy in the District”. Retrieved from
https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/release_content/attachments/Public%20Oversight%20Hearing%20on%20%E2%80%9CAttendance%2C%20Chronic%20Absenteeism%2C%20and%20Truancy%20in%20the%20District.pdf
6 District of Columbia Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education. (2023). EdSight on EveryDay Labs. Retrieved from https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/page_content/attachments/EdSight%20on%20EveryDay%20Labs%20%28v6%29.pdf
7 Mental Health America. (2023). Mental Health America Youth Data. Retrieved from https://mhanational.org/issues/2023/mental-health-america-youth-data#three
8 Oberg, T. (2023, October 26). 4 in 10 DC students are chronically truant, report says. NBC Washington. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3ZYriPhIPk

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

DC Public Schools Will Teach LGBTQ History in Social Studies Classes - Metro Weekly

The new standards will also stress the importance of learning about the histories of heretofore underrepresented minority groups, such as Asian Americans and indigenous people, and their impact on national and D.C. history. 

“We should not only be preparing our students to understand who they are within our own contexts, but also how to understand people who behave differently and experience the world differently,”Chang told Metro Weekly.

The new social studies standards have been endorsed by the National Council for the Social Studies and “professors from various institutions, including Howard University, the University of Maryland, and New York University,” according to DCist. 

“We’re getting a lot of positive reinforcement around changes that are more reflective of who our communities are actually made of and the responsibility of our systems to make sure that we’re preparing all students to learn how to navigate both diversity locally and internationally,” Chang said. 

He gave the example of a 10th grade social studies teacher coming to a forum and “giving very, very specific feedback on a very, very specific line of how she thinks [the standards] should be in different ways so that she can incorporate it better for her classroom.”

(read more)

DC updates social studies standards to include LGBTQ+ history - LGBTQ Nation

“We’re right now putting forward something that makes the statement that we want our students here in D.C. to be informed, to be critical thinkers, to be good citizens,” said Eric Goulet, Ward 3 Representative.

Ward 6 Representative Brandon Best agreed, saying he is “proud” of the update because “by acknowledging our past we can actively work towards building a better future.”

(read more)

Testimony for April DC State Board of Education Public Meeting

Public Meeting

Jessica Giles
Executive Director
Education Reform Now D.C.

Greetings Executive Director Butler, Representatives, Student Representatives, and D.C. State Board of Education (SBOE) staff. 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. 

Thank you to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and SBOE for holding many opportunities for the public to engage in the revision of the Social Studies Standards. In February, ERN DC submitted public comment to the OSSE and public testimony to the SBOE recommending essential changes that are needed to the Social Studies Standards. Several of our recommendations were accepted, including providing more clarity on how teachers implement the Social Studies standards in practice, diversifying the list of feminist scholars and thought leaders, and addressing the role that enslaving Black people played in the development of the District’s institutions. We hope OSSE and SBOE move swiftly to approve these standards. 

Additionally, I would like the State Board and the State Level and Systemic Policy Committee, in particular, to focus on two additional vital topics this year.

*** MAKE EXPANDING DUAL ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNITIES A TOP PRIORITY ***

The Need: 51 percent of students enroll in a two or four-year college. However, only 8 out of 100 9th-grade students will complete a postsecondary degree within six  years of high school graduation. 58 percent of D.C.’s job market requires a postsecondary degree, yet only 26 percent of D.C. residents aged 18 to 34 who were born here have a postsecondary degree, compared to 70 percent of those who moved here. Dual enrollment has a significant effect on 2-year and 4-year college enrollment, degree attainment, and early labor market earnings six years after high school, with stronger effects for students who are traditionally underrepresented. 

About Dual Enrollment: An estimated 10% of the student population uses dual enrollment opportunities. It needs to be clarified what percentage of students receive college credit. Bard High School Early College provides 377 students with an opportunity to graduate high school with an associate’s degree. In the fall of 2022, the Mayor’s office launched the Advanced Technical Center, which offers nearly 100 students the opportunity to take up to 20 college courses free of charge in cybersecurity, general nursing, and health information technology over a two-year period. In addition, over 450 students are taking dual enrollment courses at local Institutions of Higher Education (IHE). Many of these students have to take the course virtually or attend the course in person at the IHEs, which is time-consuming. Please note: the location of some LEAs and bus schedules can make it quite impossible for some students to participate meaningfully in in-person dual enrollment courses. Additionally, the difficulties that students face enduring long commutes to and from their classes create significant barriers to access, especially for students with the least financial means who are also least likely to attend school near colleges or universities that offer in-person dual enrollment. Further, three charter LEAs and 9 D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) schools do not offer any dual enrollment opportunities at all. 

In March 2022, the Deputy Mayor for Education partnered with the College in High School Alliance to develop a District of Columbia Dual Enrollment Needs Assessment Action Plan. Recommendations from this action plan are listed below:

• Engage in a Process to Understand DC Student & Parent Perspectives on Dual Enrollment

• Develop a Comprehensive Dual Enrollment Ecosystem Map for DC

• Continue to Build DC Dual Enrollment Data Availability & Tools For Use

• Formalize and Expand OSSE’s Dual Enrollment Community of Practice

• Consider Alternative Program Models and State Funding Mechanisms for Dual Enrollment

• Expand Dual Enrollment Course Options and Dual Crediting of Class Experiences

• Provide Tools and Resources to School Counselors & Other Dual Enrollment Practitioners

• Develop a Student, Parent, and Caregiver Friendly Web Portal for DC Dual Enrollment

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education deserves some credit for progress made on understanding student and parent perspectives regarding dual enrollment and increasing the number of seats offered, but the Mayor’s proposed FY2024 budget includes no additional investments in dual enrollment opportunities and we are already behind on the timeline for completing the recommendations. 

Furthermore, there are two important issues I would like the Committee to pay special attention to:

• The need for expanding in-person cohort-based dual enrollment courses in the District. A successful example includes the Bard Sequence, which is currently offered at Idea Public Charter School and Thurgood Marshall Public Charter School.

• Students must have more opportunities to receive high school credit for their college courses. DC is an outlier in this regard, and it is incredibly inefficient. 

*** MAKE CREATING THE FINANCIAL LITERACY STANDARDS A TOP PRIORITY ***

The Need: Currently, D.C. does not require students to learn personal financial literacy skills, and too few schools offer it. Financial literacy concepts such as earning income, spending, saving, investing, managing credit, and managing risk are all information that D.C’s students must learn to succeed in school, life, and career.

Additionally, students need to learn how to become an entrepreneur, better understand career paths, and labor market opportunities during the “income” segment. 

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. While OSSE is not revising the social studies standards to include additional financial literacy standards, OSSE should develop and adopt standalone financial literacy standards as soon as possible. We urge OSSE and SBOE to prioritize these two issues this year. 

Thank you for allowing me to testify today.

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.

Testimony for February DC State Board of Education Public Meeting

February 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 pleased to submit my written testimony for the February 15 public meeting.

There are several ways for the Social Studies standards to be strengthened.[1][2]=

1. Include financial literacy as a critical content area within the Social Studies standards.

D.C. does not require students to learn personal financial literacy skills.[3] 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.”[4] Currently, ten states[5] 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.

2. Provide more clarity on how teachers implement the Social Studies standards in practice.

Currently, the Social Studies standards provide little guidance on how teachers might implement the standards. I recommend adding a section under each grade level that includes context for interpreting, connecting, and applying the content and skills of each standard. Some states already have this essential information in their standards, including California (with a narrative description)[6] and Colorado[7] (through Academic Context and Connections).

3. Review the Social Studies Standards to ensure ample opportunities for students to receive dual high school and college credit.

The District must make higher education quality, affordability, and opportunity an absolute priority for our students furthest from opportunity. Therefore, OSSE should take every measure to ensure the updated Social Studies standards allow for dual high school credit and college credit with the institutions of Higher Education (IHE) the District currently has partnerships with and even future ones.

4. Include important context to various sections within the standards.

I would be remiss if I did not mention how shameful it was for the College Board to water down the AP African American Studies.[8] I encourage the SBOE to ensure that African Americans’ history, culture, and contributions are taught to students in full and unfiltered by including (where appropriate ) such topics as womanism, intersectionality, Black queer studies, and reparations in the Social Studies standards. I recommend a few areas below.

Include: Georgetown University and the Maryland Jesuit’s history of “selling” more than 272 enslaved African Americans in 1838 and other documented institutional wealth accumulation from chattel slavery.

●      DC.Hist.DHC.8 Evaluate the geographic, economic, and political factors that resulted in the location and design of the nation’s capital, including the role of slavery; or

●      3.Geo.HC.19 Describe the lives, experiences, culture, and communities of free and enslaved Black Americans in the Chesapeake Bay region during the 18thcentury.

Include: Black, Chicana, and Asian American feminist scholars and thought leaders such as Alice Walker, Audre Lorde, Dolores Huerta, Angela Davis, and Yuri Kochiyama.

●      US2.Inq.DP.65 Analyze the writings of different perspectives of the Women’s

liberation movement from women from diverse backgrounds, such as, but not limited to, Gloria Steinem, Elaine Brown, Phyllis Schlafly, and Gloria Anzaldúa

Include: Movements against police brutality.

●      5.Hist.DHC.52 Evaluate the impact and influence of historical movements on modern social movements and organizations.

●      US2.Civ.CE.72 Evaluate the tactics of modern social, labor, political, and environmental activist movements in America, measuring their success.

Further, I encourage the SBOE to take action to improve transparency in AP data and exam passage rates. I testified about a few issues, and provided solutions in my testimony before the D.C. Council on this issue last September. [9]

Lastly, I recommend that the D.C. State Board of Education and OSSE review education standards every ten years, at the minimum. Thank you for allowing me to testify.

 ——————————————————————————————————–

[1] I have already submitted my public comment to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).

[2] I have a B.A. in History from Furman University and a Master in Public Policy from American University, if a helpful reference point for my public comment.

[3] Seven schools currently offer financial literacy as a course, and 10 city schools offer an Algebra class that includes similar concepts. Source: https://wtop.com/education/2022/06/school-zone-how-financial-literacy-is-making-its-way-into-dc-area-school-curricula/

[4] Pg 6  Colorado Department of Education. Social Studies Standards https://www.cde.state.co.us/cosocialstudies/cas-ss-p12-2022

[5] Civics Alliance. https://civicsalliance.org/financial-literacy/#:~:text=Five%20states%20offer%20a%20standardized,stand%2Dalone%20personal%20finance%20course.&text=States%20with%20stand%2Dalone%20personal,approach%20to%20financial%20literacy%20education.

[6] California Department of Education. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/hs/cf/documents/hssfwchapter4.pdf

[7] Colorado Department of Education. https://www.cde.state.co.us/cosocialstudies/cas-ss-p12-2022

[8] February 9, 2023. The New York Times. “The College Board Strips Down Its A.P. Curriculum for African American Studies” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/01/us/college-board-advanced-placement-african-american-studies.html

[9] The Committee of the Whole Public Hearing on: B24-0665 – Access to Advanced Placement Exams Amendment Act of 2022. https://edreformnow.org/2022/09/27/ern-dc-testifies-on-the-access-to-advanced-placement-exams-amendment-act-of-2022/

Student Service Hours – D.C. State Board Of Education October Monthly Meeting

Joshua Hodge

Policy and Communications Manager 

Education Reform Now DC

October 25, 2022 

Thank you President Sutter, Vice President Thompson, and Representatives of the D.C. State Board of Education. My name is Joshua Hodge, and I am a Ward 6 resident and public education advocate. I am submitting this written testimony on behalf of Education Reform Now D.C. (ERN D.C.) on the proposed changes to the high school student service hours requirement for all D.C. public school students. For those who may be unfamiliar with our work, ERN D.C. is a non-profit organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system in Washington, D.C. 

Currently, students are required to complete 100 hours of volunteer community service to graduate. The local education agency establishes the specific community service projects as well. During the pandemic, these service hours were waived. Now, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) proposes the hours be gradually increased in increments of 25 over the next four years back to 100 hours, from 25 in 2023 to 100 service hours in 2026, and to allow additional flexibility for transfer students. 

While we welcome a change to the student service hours requirement, we believe that OSSE’s proposal can be strengthened to better meet the needs of our students. We recommend capping the total number of hours required for graduation from 100 to 50 and allowing students to earn compensation for the service hours they work, and reimagining how students spend their time.

Cap the number of service hours to 50

The current number of service hours required is far too many for students, as some stakeholders have shared. With current Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) data showing a steep decline in English Language Arts and math scores this additional time could be spent on studying, participating in high-impact tutoring, or preparing for life after high school. Recent data from EmpowerK12 shows that “students designated as “at-risk” were an average of 15-18 instructional months behind pre-pandemic national averages, and more affluent students were only 4-5 instructional months behind.” They predict that DC will regain pre-pandemic 2019 achievement levels in 2027 – five years from now. Therefore, we believe the total number of service hours should be lowered to 25 hours in 2023 and capped at 50 hours in 2024 and beyond. This is aligned with the D.C. State Board of Education’s High School Graduation Requirements Task Force recommendation to reduce the number of service hours to 50 in 2017.

Allow students to be compensated

OSSE’s proposal currently bans activities for which students are compensated, which we disagree with. DCPS states that students must complete “community service hours through a 501(c)(3) organization or a federal, state, or local agency” to “ equip students with the necessary skills and abilities for career and educational advancement as well as motivate students to take an active role as leaders in their communities.” We believe these goals can still be achieved through community service that is compensated. D.C. students should have the opportunity to be compensated for their service projects when funding is available. Nearly 50% of D.C. students are designated “at-risk”. Completing 100 hours of unpaid service may not be feasible for students who need to financially support their families. I know from personal experience, growing up in an extremely low-income household any amount of time that I was not in school, studying, or playing baseball was spent working to help support my family. About 30% of high school students have jobs.  

Reimagining how students spend their time

Lastly, we would ask OSSE and the State Board of Education (SBOE) to think more creatively about how the District might use these extra hours to give students a meaningful and rewarding jumpstart on life after highschool. 

• Dual Credit and Enrollment: Provide students with opportunities to receive high school and college credit for dual enrollment opportunities. The District has fallen out of step with other states who award both. 

• Early Career Pathways: Incorporate extended Marion Berry Summer Youth Employment Programming (SYEP), internships, or apprenticeship opportunities.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been hard on everyone, but especially on our students and schools. The last two and a half years have changed the way our students learn. Because of this, we think it is best to modernize and reimagine our high school student service hour requirement to better reflect this change so that students receive a just, equitable, and high-quality public education. Thank you for allowing me to submit my testimony. 

DFER DC Endorses Brandon Best for the State Board of Education

Brandon is the Best candidate!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:

Joshua Hodge
jhodge@dfer.org 

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 22, 2022) – Today, Democrats for Education Reform D.C. (DFER D.C.) announced its endorsement of Brandon Best, a candidate for the Ward 6 seat on the D.C. State Board of Education. The general election is on November 8, 2022.

“Brandon Best is a second-generation Washingtonian with 18 years of experience as an educator and school administrator. When elected, he will continue to deliver powerfully for students and families in ward six and across the District of Columbia,” said DFER D.C. State Director Jessica Giles.

“Brandon has a strong record of serving students and families in the District. He organized a series of student-led Safe Passage Community Conversations with DC schools. He set aside emergency funds to provide food and supplies during the COVID pandemic. He created parent curriculum guides and launched family engagement labs. 

“Brandon is committed to developing innovative solutions and advancing best practices to solve myriad education challenges here in the District. He will work to ensure students get safely to and from school, have state-of-the-art school facilities, and have joyful learning experiences that prepare them for life after high school.

“Simply put, Brandon is the Best candidate for the Ward 6 seat on the DC State Board of Education.”

About DFER D.C.

DFER D.C. is dedicated to eliminating racial inequity and discrimination in the D.C. public education system by supporting leaders who champion student-centered policies.

DFER DC Endorses Carisa Stanley Beatty for the State Board of Education

Carisa is the ward five education champion we need in office!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:

Joshua Hodge
jhodge@dfer.org 

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 22, 2022) – Today, Democrats for Education Reform D.C. (DFER D.C.) announced its endorsement of Carisa Stanley Beatty, a candidate for the Ward 5 seat on the D.C. State Board of Education. The general election is on November 8, 2022.

“As the only native Washingtonian and Black mother running for the Ward 5 seat on the D.C. State Board of Education, Carisa Stanley Beatty is an equity champion that will fight for all families to have a seat at the table,” said DFER D.C. State Director Jessica Giles. 

“Carisa Stanley Beatty knows every student needs a safe and secure place to live, play, and learn. She has a track record of creating affordable opportunities for families to own their home in the District of Columbia. She created D.C. Open Doors, which provides financial assistance to those seeking to own their home, and the HomeSaver Program, which prevents homes from going into foreclosure. When elected, she will work to improve safe passage to and from school.

“Carisa is laser-focused on educational equity. She will work to enhance social-emotional supports, increase out-of-school time programming, and ensure all students are ready to enter into high-demand, well-paid careers. 

“Carisa will put ward five students and families first and fight for them daily. She is the ward five education champion we need in office.”

About DFER D.C.

DFER D.C. is dedicated to eliminating racial inequity and discrimination in the D.C. public education system by supporting leaders who champion student-centered policies.

Minetre Martin State board of Education SR22-3 Student Attendance Testimony

Good evening, my name is Minetre Martin. I am a ward four resident, former educator, and Community Organizer for Education Reform Now D.C. (“ERN DC”). ERN DC is a non-profit organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students. Thank you all for turning your attention to the multifaceted nature of reported chronic absenteeism and truancy in the District of Columbia. 

Clarifying our attendance policies is an important start to adequately supporting DC public school students with attendance. Therefore, we generally support SR22-3, “Approve the District of Columbia’s Amendments to the Compulsory Education and School Attendance Regulations. ” However, our attendance policy enforcement and support system for students would be stronger if we had early warning indicators, clarity on certain terms, adequate attendance training, and appropriate staffing for students with attendance issues. We urge the Office of State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) to address these issues, described below: 

1. Include early warning indicators to inform parents of absences in a timely manner at all schools 

DCPS and charter schools have a duty to be relentless in maintaining families’ trust and keeping students safe, that includes being keenly aware of their daily attendance and taking immediate action to contact parents when students are absent. In a conversation with parents in ward 6, they expressed concerns with not being made aware of their child’s absences immediately. Two parents shared that they received an automated call notifying them that their child missed over 40 days of school without being informed. Another parent revealed that their child informed them that their homeroom teachers were often late, resulting in attendance not being taken. Our families cannot afford these kinds of mistakes, especially when they are having to take time off from work to address these problems. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) should adopt solutions for quickly and consistently notifying parents about a student’s attendance record; this may include, allowing time during professional development days to update parents on the state of their child’s attendance, or considering applications or technology that will immediately alert parents when students are late or absent. 

2. Provide clarity on the terms being used, such as “chronic absenteeism”, “truancy”, and “partially present”. 

During your July 6th working session with the OSSE, many board members, as well as Councilmember Trayon White, sought clarification regarding the meaning, purpose and application of attendance. There were many clarifying questions around how we define terms such as chronic absenteeism, truancy, and partially present that will not be changed in this revision. Given that these questions came from individuals who work with education policy daily, we can only imagine how unfamiliar and confusing the terms must seem. In order to ensure school administrators responsible for reporting attendance data can fully understand, clearly articulate, and ensure adherence to the new policy, encourage LEAs to create a chart and visuals that schools can share with their staff, families, and students. An excellent PowerPoint presentation has been provided to the public by the Everyday Counts! Taskforce explaining the policy in detail, and it could be a valuable resource when presenting changes to leaders.1 

3. Provide adequate training to teachers on how to report absences

In your 2021 Teacher and Principal Attrition in the District’s Public Schools Report2, on average, twenty-five percent of DC public schools teachers leave their schools annually and continues to be a persistent problem especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. The process of filling these positions will take time and a great deal of attention for schools severely understaffed. It is important that OSSE make note of severely understaffed schools, especially ones with multiple administrative 1 The Everyday Counts! Taskforce: Chronic Absenteeism PowerPoint2 Teacher and Principal Attrition in the District’s Public Schools Report vacancies and prepare quality materials to support with training new staff on reporting attendance. 

4. Ensure that every school staff includes a variety of specialized support personnel such as school nurses, counselors, psychologists, social workers, or other pupil support personnel for case management and counseling. 

Clarifying school attendance policies are a start to improving our student attendance rates. However, ensuring schools have a robust attendance management system in place and increasing investments in our schools can help to improve attendance, engagement, and overall academic achievement. 

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

Joshua Hodge State Board of Education SR22-4 ESSA Amendment Testimony

Thank you and good evening President Sutter, Vice President Thompson, and Representatives of the D.C. State Board of Education. 

My name is Joshua Hodge, and I am a Ward 6 resident and public education advocate. I am testifying on behalf of Education Reform Now D.C. (ERN D.C.) on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Accountability Plan Amendment. For those who may be unfamiliar with our work, ERN D.C. is a non-profit organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system in Washington, D.C. 

While there are many positive changes to the State Accountability plan that we support, we believe the plan can be strengthened. On July 7, we submitted a public comment to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) urging the adoption of eight recommendations to ensure the plan is equitable, accessible, and transparent so that all students receive the high-quality education they deserve. The eight recommendations are the following:

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

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

3. Remove median growth percentile

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

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

6. Include structured literacy training for all educators in elementary schools

7. Provide clear information on school quality 

8. Harness the accountability system to support schools

The Covid-19 pandemic has been hard on us all, but especially on our students and schools. The last two years has changed the way our students have learned and the way classes are taught. Because of this, we think it is best to modernize our D.C. school accountability system to better reflect this change and include additional equity measures so that all students, especially those furthest away from opportunity, receive a just, equitable, and high-quality education. Thank you for allowing me to testify. 

Letter from the DC Community about Education Equity

Dr. Christina Grant, State Superintendent of Education

Office of the State Superintendent of Education

1050 First St NE

Washington, D.C. 20002

February 23, 2022

Dear D.C. State Superintendent of Education Dr. Christina Grant:

The D.C. School Report Card and STAR Framework was launched in December 2018 to give families, communities, and policymakers a tool that provides essential information about annual school performance. It comprises specific metrics such as student achievement, student growth, improved English language attainment, graduation rate, and school environment. It provides comparative school data on how all students are performing in each of these metrics so that families can decide which school best meets their child’s needs.

Recently, the D.C. State Board of Education (SBOE) voted to remove the single summative rating from the D.C. School Report Card and make a dashboard of various metrics instead. This change would dramatically reshape the D.C. School Report Card without making equity a critical guiding principle. While well-intentioned, this proposal fails to make transformational change in our accountability system.

D.C. residents want our district leaders to make bold changes and adopt new ways of thinking to recover from the covid-19 pandemic so that their child, and every child, has a just and equitable public education. In furtherance of this, we urge you to adopt the following five recommendations:

(1) Re-strategize and refocus outreach efforts to ensure that families in all eight wards know that the D.C. school report card and star framework is a tool that they can use to help them make decisions about schools. Families want to know that their child’s school is safe, joyful, and provides them with high-quality learning opportunities but there are still many families who have no idea that the DC School Report Card exists. A recent report from the D.C. Policy Center confirms that families use a variety of tools to make decisions: school visit (48 percent), word of mouth (48 percent), STAR or school quality ratings (37 percent), school report card data (28 percent), school websites (26 percent), promotional materials (10 percent), and other (10 percent).

(2) Get buy-in from families and D.C. residents in all eight wards, particularly those furthest from opportunity, to determine how best to use the D.C. School Report Card and Star Framework to serve their students better. The lessons learned from these focus groups can help the Office of the State Superintendent of Education and the SBOE identify ways to support schools in identifying resources and inputs that will reinvigorate joy in learning, facilitate academic growth, and put students on a path to future success.

(3) Improve, but do not eliminate the single summative rating. D.C. must keep the summative rating so that all families have access to clearly communicated, detailed information that provides a single transparent metric for determining how well their child’s school serves all students. We urge District leaders to improve the summative rating by assigning greater weights to schools providing high-quality learning to students with special needs, English language learners, students designated as “at-risk,” and students experiencing significant social change. This is the equitable approach we should be adopting as a city. One key area to consider in the future is tieing summative ratings to reading proficiency to ensure that the District remains serious about its commitment to ensuring every student is equipped with this most fundamental civil right.

(4) Administer the district-wide annual assessment exam this spring. The District uses statewide summative assessments, like the PARCC exam, to provide a baseline understanding of all D.C. students’ academic progress to drive programmatic changes and direct resources to schools that need them most. Unfortunately, it has been two years since the District last administered the PARCC exam. Though these tests may not be perfect, we should fix them, not end them. Rather than just ending testing, students, parents, educators, and policymakers in the District should have a real review to see what is working, what isn’t, and how we can change these important tests to meet the needs of students and educators. DC education leaders might consider shortening the length of the exam and making it more useful for students and families by ensuring the exam provides more rapid, useful feedback on how the student is progressing and what support they need to succeed.

(5) Get serious about innovation and school improvement. The Every Student Succeeds Act requires states to set aside 7% of Title I funds to support schools identified in need of support under state accountability systems. The DC State Report Card should demonstrate how those funds are utilized, and our local research-practice partners must analyze their impact to guide improvement.

Covid-19 has greatly exacerbated already existing inequities between student groups. That is why we owe it to our students to transform our public education system so we more effectively put them on a path to success. We urge the Office of the State Superintendent of Education to adopt these recommendations so that every student receives a just and equitable education in the District of Columbia.

In service,

Eva Johnson                        Ward 8 Parent

Michael Dannenberg           Ward 3 Parent

Linda Epstein                       Ward 3 Parent

Lea Crusey                          Ward 6 Parent

Debra Gaines                      Ward 8  

Amanda Borden                   Ward 2 Parent

Tynejia Grant                      Ward 7  

Sherry                                  Ward 8  

Maura Marino                      Ward 1  

Sullivan                                Ward 2 Parent

Cassandra Gentry               Ward 6 Parent

Kyle Myers                           Ward 5  

Irina Shaman                       Ward 6 Parent

Odessa Bolton                     Ward 6  

Trudy Murray                       Ward 1 Parent

Michael Stewart                   Ward 5 Parent

Joshua Hodge                     Ward 6  

Don Weigel                          Ward 7              

Kyle Myers                           Ward 5              

Nicole D’Angelo                   Ward 5 Parent              

Scott Pearson                      Ward 3  

Artecka Brown                      Ward 5 Parent                          

Isis Rustin                            Ward 1              

Josh Boots                           Ward 6              

Minetre Martin                      Ward 4             

Sarah Bradach                     Ward 3             

Margie Yeager                      Ward 3 Parent

Michael Sriqui                       Ward 3 Parent

Matthew Nocella                   Ward 4

Morrell Miles                         Ward 7 Parent

Catharine Bellinger               Ward 1

Marita Riddick                       Ward 5             

David Grosso                        Ward 5

Erika Harrell                          Ward 7 Parent

Jaqueline Castaneda            Ward 1 

Maria Harrell Logan              Ward 5

Bethany Little                         Ward 3 Parent

Morello Miles                         Ward 7 Parent

Ellen Dodsworth                  

Jessica Giles                        Ward 7 

Will Stoetzer                         Ward 5

Eric Paisner                          Ward 6 Parent

Julie Klingenstein                 Ward 2 

Andrew Klingenstein             Ward 2 

Evelyn Fraser                       Ward 5 

Nicholas Munyan-Penney     Ward 2

Linda Jones                          Ward 8 Parent

Daniele Avila                         Ward 1 Parent

Nora Lieberman                    Ward 7

Tracy Barnes                        Ward 5 Parent

Cc

Rep. Jessica Sutter, President

Rep. Eboni-Rose Thompson, Vice President

D.C. State Board of Education

Response to November 2020 DC Election Results

WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 9, 2020) — Democrats for Education Reform DC (DFER DC) Director Ramin Taheri issued the following statement in response to the unofficial results of the 2020 District of Columbia Council and State Board of Education (SBOE) elections:

“DC voters sent a clear message that they are ready for change. Voters want a more diverse DC Council and State Board, pragmatic progressives that prioritize student-first policies, and a public education system that justly and equitably serves all students.

DFER DC extends congratulations to the following newly elected DC Council and State Board members:

• Councilmember-Elect Christina Henderson (I-At-large), an experienced education policy professional, public servant, and welcomed new voice for underserved students.

• Councilmember Robert White (D-At-large), a compassionate leader, who has advanced progressive child-care legislation and ensured additional funding for students most in need.

• SBOE Representative-Elect Allister Chang (Ward 2), a nonprofit leader committed to disadvantaged families and ensuring all DC students are equipped with the skills to navigate our 21st-century society. He will also be SBOE’s first Asian-American member.

• SBOE Representative Frazier O’Leary (Ward 4), a long-time educator with a passion for seeing students succeed in and outside of the classroom.

• SBOE Representative-Elect Eboni-Rose Thompson (Ward 7), a leader of the Ward 7 Education Council and an advocate for fully funding Ward 7 schools.

• SBOE Representative-Elect Dr. Carlene Reid (Ward 8), a special education expert and educator.

• SBOE Representative-Elect Jacque Patterson (At-Large), a parent, 20-year education advocate, and founding DFER DC advisory board member.

DFER DC also congratulates Councilmember-Elect Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4) and incumbent Councilmembers Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2), Vincent Gray (D-Ward 7), and Trayon White (D-Ward 8).

We look forward to your leadership in 2021 and remain committed to working with all members of the DC Council and SBOE to advance policies that are best for students. We continue to call on all elected officials to draw on the five building blocks of an equitable public education system to support all students, regardless of the neighborhood they live in or the school they attend.”