Testimony Before the DC Council Committee of the Whole at the Hearing on Academic Achievement
By Ariel Johnson, Executive Director
Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson and members of the Committee. My name is Ariel Johnson, and I am the Executive Director at the DC Charter School Alliance, the local non-profit that advocates on behalf of public charter schools to ensure every student can choose high-quality public schools that prepare them for lifelong success.
A Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) study of almost 8 million students revealed that national academic recovery stalled or declined in school year 2023-24, based on change in proficiency on MAP® tests.
The persistent impediments to student achievement nationally track with what we’re seeing in student performance in the District. Similar to school-year 2022-2023, 60 percent of students designated “at risk” citywide do not have adequate command of content in reading, and 72.4% do not in math.
To understand this trend better and what is needed to grow achievement levels across the city, we examine barriers to success and strategies that are working, as growth is not flat in every school across the city.
Barriers to Success in Improving Academic Achievement
The rates of chronic absenteeism in schools have been devastating in recent years. We know that absenteeism is an expression of unmet needs. These needs go beyond the scope of what a school can provide; housing instability, food insecurity, lack of child care, and more. Untreated mental health, anxiety, and undertreated chronic health conditions also contribute to high rates of excused absences. Chronic absenteeism is also linked to public safety in DC.
Another notable barrier is retaining and recruiting high-quality educators and principals. We know this is key to academic recovery and student achievement and we also know educators continue to feel like they’re being pushed to their limits. The issue is most acute in areas like math, a particularly challenging subject to teach; special education and mental health counseling. What’s more, a recent RAND survey of educators reveals three-quarters say they no longer have as much enthusiasm for the job as they once did and nearly 60% of teachers say they’re burned out.
DC Charter Schools’ Bright Spots
While citywide academic growth has been slow, several public charter schools are implementing evidence-based strategies that have shown both progress and promise in the classroom.
Friendship Public Charter Schools had three schools identified as Bold Achievement Schools. They invest heavily in professional development and staff collaboration across content areas. They have weekly content meetings where teachers share data and practices with one another. Their curriculum also focuses heavily on the science of reading and strong observation processes to offer concrete feedback to instructional staff. In addition to the Bold Schools award, it is notable that in the last year three of Friendship's schools saw double-digit increases in the percentage of students who have an adequate command of content in both math and ELA scores.
This year, DC Bilingual Public Charter School was named a National Blue Ribbon School, recognized for their exceptional teaching and learning. They recovered swiftly from pre-pandemic levels in ELA, ultimately exceeding their pre-pandemic performance levels by more than 11%. DC Bilingual's 83% teacher retention rate is a significant factor in their overall academic success.
Paul Public Charter School saw a 13.4 percentage point increase in math scores since last year, the highest of any high school in the District. Consistency and data-driven decision-making have been key strategies for boosting test scores. Teachers regularly examine assessment data and address misconceptions students may still have after a lesson with small groups and tutoring sessions.
DC Scholars has steadily reduced chronic absenteeism through a new LEA data platform that makes schedule adjustments, analyzes student attendance trends by day of the week, and develops attendance contracts. In the span of a year, chronic absenteeism rates have reduced by 10 percentage points, in-seat attendance rates have been steadily growing, and math scores went up 14.8%, showing the school’s broad progress.
Two Rivers Public Charter School found tremendous and rapid success by identifying the struggles students were having, and holding them to a high standard, knowing that with the right tools, their students could show improvement and success. Going back to the basics, in just one year, their attendance rate jumped up to 92.4%, their suspension rates were cut in half, and major incidents plummeted from nearly 500 to less than 100.
Over the last several years, the Digital Pioneers Academy High School community has unfortunately been plagued by gun violence. Their formula of “high expectations and high empathy,” not only helped their students and staff overcome tragedy, but they also excelled beyond expectations academically. ELA scores rose by more than six percent in the span of one school year, and in-seat attendance rates increased significantly over two years.
At the DC Alliance, we support our schools in addressing the difficult and persistent issues they face. We are excited to incubate the DC School Support Hub at the DC Alliance in 2025, which will intentionally target its support to schools that are mid-low performing. The Hub was designed by school leaders and partners through an extensive stakeholder engagement process earlier this year. The Hub will perform comprehensive school reviews, identify areas for improvement, carefully match schools with relevant support, and then offer coaching support as schools focus on implementation. We are fortunate to partner with Education Forward DC, OSSE, and the PCSB as we move forward. Through this work and the terrific school improvement work OSSE is leading through its new School Support Office to address the lowest-performing 5% of all schools, we are making progress.
Additionally, The DC Alliance convenes both Academic Leaders and Student Support Leaders monthly to partner, build networks, and share strategies around issues like increasing attendance, supporting students with disabilities, and data-informed practices.
Recommendations to Improve Academic Achievement in DC
As we look to next steps, I offer three recommendations to strengthen our collective ability to improve academic achievement in the District.
First, we need all stakeholders to assemble and launch a citywide campaign that places a renewed emphasis on the importance of coming to school every day. It will take the collective work of city leaders, elected officials, business leaders, and the faith community to reframe why regular attendance is so important. A campaign using levers that resonate with students and families, like social media advertising, out-of-home advertising, radio PSAs, incorporating guidance from medical professionals, and incentives from businesses, can make meaningful behavior shifts.
Second, investing in growing the pipeline of high-quality educators in the city must take priority, as we know it’s the number one factor in academic recovery and student achievement. Competitive compensation packages are absolutely necessary to achieve that goal. As the Council considers funding for the WTU agreement, equitable funding must also be provided for charter school teachers. Funding related to those increases must be included in the UPSFF in FY26 and beyond. Continued, adequate increases through the UPSFF will increase educator retention, keep pace with cost of living increases, and attract others to the profession.
Finally, we urge the Council to continue to support the Early Literacy Education Task Force recommendations and the DC Math Hub. The recommendations for advancing literacy instruction in the District are already bearing fruit, so staying the course on what we see is working is critical for our students. With the Math Hub, continued support will help us identify the right steps DC must take to ultimately advance student outcomes.
Moving Forward
Improving academic outcomes for students requires urgency and collaboration – from school leaders, policymakers, teachers, parents, students, and advocates – to make meaningful progress. We must work to bring resources to the District that help identify and increase capacity for accelerated learning and growth. We are excited to continue collaborating with our schools and grateful for our partnership with the Council and the city as we all work toward improving outcomes for students.
Thank you for your time and attention, and I welcome your questions.