Testimony Before the Council of the District of Columbia Committee of the Whole on Academic Achievement in the District of Columbia

By Anne Herr

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson and members of the Committee. My name is Anne Herr, and I am the Senior Director of School Development and Accountability at the DC Charter School Alliance, the local non-profit that advocates on behalf of public charter schools to ensure that every student can choose high-quality public schools that prepare them for lifelong success.

Thank you for inviting us here today to discuss the critical issue of academic achievement across DC, particularly student proficiency and performance. I first want to thank the Mayor and Council for sustained investments in our schools and educators, especially funding for teacher compensation that allows us to attract and retain instructors who show up each day deeply committed to our collective mission. These investments and the hard work and commitment of our school leaders and educators have led to DC being the fastest improving district in the country for these critical subjects. 

Charter School Performance 

In 2025, DC remains the fastest improving urban district in the nation. DC public charter schools showed growth on the CAPE assessment, improving proficiency rates by 2.8 points in English language arts (ELA) and 2.9 points in math from the 2023-24 to 2024-25 school years. Sixty-seven per cent of charter school campuses improved in ELA with 11% seeing double-digit gains, while 52% of campuses increased proficiency in both ELA and math. 

Charter schools showed particular strength in Wards 5, 7 and 8, where over 60% of all charter school students are enrolled. Charter students are outperforming their peers across these respective wards, with an average of 3% more students proficient in math and 2% more in ELA. Economically disadvantaged students in charter schools also outperformed the city average in math at both the 3+ and 4+ levels, and have done so every year for the past 10 years. In ELA, economically disadvantaged students performed better than the city average at the 3+ level and even with the city at the 4+ level. 

We are especially excited about the performance of single-site LEAs in the 2024-2025 school year. Single-site charter schools outperformed the citywide average in both ELA and math and showed stronger growth. 

Many of our schools with large communities of students who are at-risk have developed and delivered innovative approaches to reach their goals. At Center City Congress Heights where 45% of the students are at-risk, they saw the second highest 8th grade math scores in the city, behind only BASIS PCS. Over the last two school years, the Social Justice School saw increases of 18 percentage points in math and 8.7 percentage points in ELA. Friendship Public Charter Schools saw four of its campuses recognized as 2025 Bold Performance Schools, and had gains in proficiency rates of 2.7 in ELA and 4.4 in math across their network. Washington Latin Public Charter School experienced impressive growth among their upper school students with disabilities: a 39.1 point improvement in the percent of these students scoring 4 or higher on the ELA test, well above the city average. Lastly, DC Scholars saw strong growth in both ELA and math, especially for at-risk students and their middle school learners. Student proficiency rates for at-risk students grew by 13.4 points in math and 8.3 points in ELA. 

Challenges That Remain

Across the city, it’s clear we’re moving in the right direction and showing strong academic improvement, but there is still much work to be done. First, while growth for charter school students with disabilities exceeded city rates, citywide achievement levels still remain very low. We have a responsibility to make more meaningful investments in the education of students with disabilities to ensure that they are meeting appropriate standards. Second, charter schools are underperforming the city average for students who are English learners, and it is important that schools identify effective strategies and best practices that can help these students learn at high levels.

Lastly, this year's federal emergency also brought new challenges that have impacted student attendance and engagement. Pervasive fear and anxiety have been disruptive and deeply impacted students across the District. Schools are doing all they can to provide wrap-around services to students and families including mobilizing walking buses, carpools, shuttles, and safety patrols; raising funds for and connecting families with legal support; making wellness calls and visits, and providing food, clothing, and safe spaces for their communities, but there are still gaps that can prevent students from focusing on school. 

Recommendations

First, we urge the Deputy Mayor for Education,  Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice and the Metropolitan Police Department to meet with school leaders to hear their unique concerns, align efforts, and establish protocols that uphold the safety and dignity of all students.  They should also establish clear communication and guidance for all schools that protect children and families from the threat of immigration enforcement on school grounds and in school zones.

Second, we recommend greater funding for proven academic improvement strategies that are helping students, including students with disabilities and English learners, to meet and exceed learning goals. These strategies include High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM), literacy and math priorities and stipends for required teacher training. 

Third, we urge equitable funding for competitive teacher pay. The education that our students receive is only as good as the instructors leading them in the classroom. The future of students across DC depends on our ability to provide life-sustaining salaries for teachers who are talented and invested in young people’s success.

Moving Forward

The progress we've seen across DC's public charter schools demonstrates what's possible when we invest in evidence-based instruction, support our educators, and hold ourselves accountable to our students' success. While we celebrate these gains, we remain committed to addressing the persistent achievement gaps affecting our most vulnerable learners. Our students deserve nothing less than our continued dedication to innovation, adequate resources, and equitable access to high-quality education. The DC Charter School Alliance stands ready to partner with the Council, the Mayor's office, and all stakeholders to build on this momentum and ensure every child in our city has the opportunity to thrive. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I'm happy to answer any questions.